Preheat the Dutch Oven: Place your Dutch oven directly on a bed of hot coals to preheat. This helps it heat evenly and ensures the bacon crisps up properly when added. You’ll want a steady medium heat for frying at first.
Cook the Bacon: Add the chopped bacon to the hot Dutch oven and fry until crispy, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. Once browned, remove the bacon with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the rendered bacon grease in the pot — it’s packed with flavor and will be used for browning the chicken.
Prepare the Chicken: While the bacon is cooking, place the halved chicken breasts into the gallon bag containing flour. Seal the bag and shake gently to coat the chicken evenly. This light flour coating helps the chicken brown beautifully and adds a bit of thickness to the final sauce.
Brown the Chicken: Once the bacon is removed, place the floured chicken breasts directly into the hot bacon grease. Brown them for about 5 minutes, turning a couple of times so they get an even golden crust on both sides. You’re not fully cooking the chicken here — just developing color and flavor.
Add the Vegetables and Bacon: Layer the diced potatoes, sliced carrots, and chopped onion on top of the browned chicken. Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the vegetables. The vegetables will soften as they cook, soaking up all those savory juices from the chicken and bacon.
Pour in the Mountain Dew: Slowly pour one can of Mountain Dew over everything in the pot. The soda’s sweetness helps caramelize the vegetables and gives the dish a subtle tangy flavor that pairs wonderfully with the savory ingredients.
Cook the Chicken: Cover the Dutch oven with its lid. Maintain a cooking temperature of around 350°F (175°C) by arranging about three-quarters of your coals on the lid and the rest underneath. Let the mixture cook for 45 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and the vegetables to become tender.
