Crock Pot Crack Chicken

Crock Pot Crack Chicken is creamy, cheesy, packed with ranch flavor, and loaded with crispy bacon in every bite. This easy slow cooker dinner takes about 10 minutes to prep, cooks on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours, and is just as good on sandwich buns as it is in bowls or lettuce wraps.

I’ve made this over and over for those busy weeknights when I know dinner will be the last thing on my mind. This recipe turns out creamy and delicious every time. Using the extra cream cheese helps to keep the chicken creamy instead of dried out after a long, slow cook.

Sticking with the staples of ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheddar, slow cooker crack chicken is what keeps this recipe simple and addictive. You’ll make it on repeat.

What is Crack Chicken?

The idea behind “crack” recipes is that they’re super cheesy and super addicting. You know, those recipes that you put some on your plate and then find yourself going back for seconds, thirds, fourths….

People have been bringing Crack Dip to potluck parties for years. It’s a simple (yet delicious) combination of ranch seasoning, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese. We’ve taken that classic, addicting dip recipe and made it into a whole meal of cheesy amazingness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In order to make a true “crack” recipe, you’ll need three key ingredients: bacon, ranch dressing, and cheese.

BACON – The bacon in this recipe gets added into the mix at the very end of the process. BUT, it does have to be cooked and crumbled. So, I typically get my chicken cooking in the crock pot and then get to work on prepping the bacon. Here’s my go-to method to easily cook bacon in the oven, but you can use your favorite method.

Please, please, please don’t use pre-cooked bacon bits. This chicken recipe is SO much better with freshly cooked bacon! If you were to use the refrigerated real bacon pieces, expect a softer texture. I like the thickness and crispiness of the home-cooked bacon much better for this recipe.

RANCH SEASONING MIX – We make veggie dips so often in our house that we have the JUMBO shaker of our favorite powdered ranch seasoning from our warehouse store… If your family is slightly less addicted to all things ranch, you can find a small packet of powdered deliciousness in the dressing aisle of your local grocery store.

CHEESE – I typically use sharp shredded cheddar or Colby Jack for this recipe.

To create the creaminess for this delicious chicken, you’ll need some cream cheese, too. I recommend full-fat cream cheese, but the low-fat options work well too! The measurement for the cream cheese is 16 oz. This makes sure that the chicken stays nice and moist. If you’d like a less rich option, you can reduce the cream cheese to 8 oz. After you’ve shredded the chicken, give it a taste and add more to taste.

DON’T FORGET THE CHICKEN – You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or even tenderloins in this recipe. If you use tenderloins, be aware that they may cook faster. You can cube the chicken before cooking, but again, it will cook faster, and the texture will be more chunky than shredded chicken.

If you’re short on time, you can use a rotisserie chicken. This will cut the time down significantly. You’ll just need the cheeses to melt and combine.

How to Make Crack Chicken

If you’ve got time on your hands, start this recipe in the morning and cook it on low. If you’re in more of a time crunch (and you’ve got 3ish hours…) start the chicken mid-day, cook it on high, and you’ll be good to go!

1. Start by adding the chicken breasts to your crockpot.
2. Add the chicken, chicken broth, cream cheese, and ranch dressing mix. If you’re worried about it being too salty, use a reduced-sodium chicken broth.
3. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and shred the chicken with 2 forks. You can do this right in your crock if you prefer, but it’s a bit easier having it on a plate or cutting board.
5. At the bottom of your crockpot, you’ll have some cream cheesy, “ranchy” yummy sauce. Give the sauce a quick mix and then add the chicken back in. Don’t drain off the liquid. This can leave it overly salty.
6. Last, add the shredded cheese, bacon, and green onions. Mix it up well and serve immediately on sandwich rolls. Watch out, those extras left in the crock pot are going to disappear REAL fast…

Tip – Don’t drain the liquid; this can leave your final dish tasting too salty or even dry. It will become creamy once you’ve stirred the cheeses and shredded chicken together.

If you added extra broth, it may be a tad loose. Let it cook for a few minutes after adding the shredded cheese, if it’s still too lose add some more cheese.

What goes with Crack Chicken?

One of my key rules for a weeknight dinner is that every aspect of the meal has to be EASY and quick. That’s why when we eat this chicken, I throw it onto some sandwich buns and serve them with a side of potato chips. Dinner is prepped and ready to go within a few minutes!

Other ideas for serving.

This recipe is so versital you can serve it so many ways!

• Serve it as a dip with chips, crackers, carrot sticks, or pretzels.
• Serve it on celery sticks like these Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks. Just sub this bacon ranch chicken in.
• Lettuce wraps are always a great idea. Keep the carbs down but still feel satisfied.
• As a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Just mix the cheesy chicken with warm cooked pasta. It’s like a bacon ranch chicken mac and cheese.

How to make Crack Chicken Keto

If you’re on the Keto diet, or just looking to cut down on some carbs, don’t worry. This can STILL be one of your go-to recipes! Instead of putting it on a bun, serve it up with your favorite lettuce leaves to make easy lettuce wraps.

If you loved the idea of putting it over pasta, but dread the idea of so many carbs, cook up some zoodles. You’ll have a complete, filling meal that you can feel good about.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

It’s easy to make a double batch of this to have on hand to meal prep another easy dinner. Just make sure your crockpot is big enough for the extra ingredients. Or if you find you have leftovers, it’s easy to store and reheat later!

Storing in the fridge – You can store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Storing in the Freezer – It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, I recommend using a freezer bag and squeezing out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to eat again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. This will give you the best texture.

Reheating – To reheat in the microwave, heat it in 30-second intervals. Make sure to stir in between to ensure the sauce is still creamy and the heat distributes evenly.

You can also reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat in a saucepan.

Reheating Tip – If the sauce seems too thick or the chicken seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth or milk.

Looking for some more easy weeknight meals?

Having easy crockpot recipes on hand makes skipping DoorDash so much easier! Here are some great options.

• Crock Pot Pork Chops
• BBQ Pork Loin Sliders
• Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
• Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
• more DINNER recipes…

Tools used to make this Crock Pot Crack Chicken recipe

• Crock Pot: I like this model because you can program the cooking time.
• Cutting Board: This cutting board is not only beautiful, but it’s end-grain wood, so it’s good for your knives.

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