Lunch tends to be my least favorite meal. It just never feels all too exciting and more often than not, I’m unsure of what to eat. But I’m on a mission to change that, and this incredible Chicken Bacon Ranch English Muffin Pizza Recipe is a huge step in the right direction. I also really enjoy our healthy Buffalo Chicken wrap recipe, plus my high protein Buffalo Chicken rice bowl recipe – these are both excellent lunch options.
I love pizza (who doesn’t?), but I can’t always fit it into my macros and, to be honest, I don’t always feel the greatest after eating a greasy pizza. So I decided to take one of my favorite flavor combinations, chicken/bacon/ranch, and create a healthy English muffin pizza recipe that knocks it out of the park.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This recipe is so simple to put together. It requires only a handful of ingredients, and if you meal prep your chicken breast in advance, it’s even easier! This is the convenience that weekday lunches are made of.
- It’s high in protein. Traditional pizza is high in fat and carbs but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to protein. This english muffin pizza, though, contains a hefty amount of protein thanks to the yummy grilled chicken.
- Your english muffin will not be soggy. I repeat, no soggy muffins! I include a fun hack that will help ensure that your english muffin is crispy, toasty, and able to support all that chicken/bacon/ranch goodness that we’re going to pile on top of it.
It's Easy, High Protein and Delicious: My Chicken Bacon Ranch English Muffin Pizza
In just 10 minutes, you'll have yourself this delicious lunch! I'll explain exactly how I make it, let's get started!
Ingredients
- English muffin – I used Thomas’s Light 100 Calorie Multigrain Muffins
- Pizza sauce – any brand will do
- Part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cooked, diced chicken breast – I used some meal-prepped chicken breast, but canned chicken breast will work great, too
- Bacon bits – I used store-bought bits, but you can crumble your own from cooked bacon
- Ranch dressing – I used Bolthouse Farms Greek Yogurt Ranch, but any kind will do
- Italian seasoning
Kitchen Tools Required
- Toaster or toaster oven
- Butter knife
- Air fryer or oven
How to Make
Step 1: Split The English Muffins and Toast It
Start by splitting an english muffin and placing it into your toaster or toaster oven to get it nice and crispy. This step is critical as it prevents you from experiencing a soggy muffin that won’t hold all of your pizza toppings.
Step 2: Preheat Your Air Fryer
While your english muffin is toasting, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. If using your oven, you can do the same.
Step 3: Assemble The Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Stary by adding a layer of pizza sauce, then add mozzarella cheese, followed by chicken breast, bacon bits, and a drizzle of ranch dressing. Finally, sprinkle your pizza with Italian seasoning.
Step 4: Transfer The English Muffin Pizza To Your Air Fryer or Oven
Carefully transfer your english muffin pizzas to your air fryer or oven (if using the oven, place your pizza on a cookie sheet).
Step 5: Cook For 5 Minutes
Allow to cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are browning.
Step 6: Remove It From Air Fryer, It's Done!
Remove from air fryer, allow to cool, and enjoy!
Swaps or Alternatives
The beautiful thing about english muffin pizzas is that they can be anything you wish! If chicken/bacon/ranch isn’t your thing, you can easily switch it up and make it a buffalo chicken pizza by adding hot sauce instead of bacon and either keep the ranch drizzle or swap out for blue cheese.
If you don’t have chicken breast prepared, you can swap it for canned chicken breast.
Quick Tip
Don’t forget to pre-toast your english muffin! The muffin will get toasty in the air fryer or oven, but it will still be soggy in the middle. To get that crunch that will support your pizza toppings, give it a pre-toast in your toaster.
If you don’t have access to an air fryer, an oven will work just fine. Be sure to use a cookie sheet in case any toppings tumble while baking.
Macros & Nutrition Information
| Macros | Nutrition |
|---|---|
| Calories | 462 |
| Protein | 39g |
| Carbs | 37g |
| Fat | 19g |
Conclusion
If you struggle with macro friendly lunch ideas, this recipe only takes 10 minutes and has 39 grams of protein! It will totally keep you filled up until dinner time and it tastes amazing!
For me, I make this at least once per week and I've been doing it for a couple of years now. I love how easy it is, it helps me hit my protein goals and it tastes SO GOOD!
Give it a try, I know you'll love it just as much as I do!
Have You Tried This Recipe?
If you've tried this recipe already, leave a comment and a rating. Or, if you plan on making it after reading this post, come back and rate it with a comment. Be sure to tag me on socials @fithealthymacros so I can see your Chicken Bacon Ranch English Muffin Pizza creation!
Chicken Bacon Ranch English Muffin Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Toaster or toaster oven
- 1 Butter knife
- 1 Air fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 1 English muffin split – I used Thomas’s Light 100 Calorie Multigrain Muffins
- 2 tbsp pizza sauce – any brand will do
- ½ cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz cooked, diced chicken breast I used some meal-prepped chicken breast, but canned chicken breast will work great, too
- 2 tbsp bacon bits I used store-bought bits, but you can crumble your own from cooked bacon
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing I used Bolthouse Farms Greek Yogurt Ranch, but any kind will do
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Split english muffin and place in the toaster to pre-toast.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Assemble your pizza by adding the sauce, then cheese, then chicken, bacon, and ranch. Divide all ingredients and spread evenly across both halves of the english muffin.
- Drizzle ranch dress and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top and place in the air fryer for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden.
- Remove from air fryer, allow to cool, and enjoy!
