Move over tailgating recipes. This recipe for Slow Cooker Crack Chicken is going to be your new favorite recipe to make for game day. It's even healthy too! The chicken is full of protein and you can top it with your favorite veggies like tomatoes or lettuce leaves and serve it over a whole wheat bun. Guaranteed to keep you full while watching the big game!
Jump to:
- What is Crack Chicken?
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken
- Keto Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- Why isn't there any liquid added to the recipe?
- INGREDIENTS for Crack Chicken
- How to Make Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- What Crock Pots are the Best?
- Other Recipes to Try
- Let Me Know What You Think!
- Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
What is Crack Chicken?
It's called "crack chicken" because you won't be able to stop eating it and all it has is 3 easy ingredients! Chicken, Ranch seasoning and cream cheese. When I come back from shopping after work, my house smelled pretty amazing.
There is also a recipe for crack dip out there that looks really good and I plan on making that soon. It's the same concept as this but it's just something you serve with chips. 🙂 Crack is good.
For more easy slow cooker recipes be sure to check out Slow Cooker Homemade Applesauce (No Sugar), Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork, and Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup!
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Yes, set the cook time or manual high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release after done cooking.
Keto Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
This recipe definitely can be low carb if you don't use a bun! The base recipe is already low carb and keto-friendly. If you are on keto I would add some more fat by adding in a couple of tablespoons of butter with the cream cheese (use full-fat cream cheese instead).
Why isn't there any liquid added to the recipe?
There are 2 ways to make this recipe and the way listed below is the normal way. Some people are worried that there isn't enough liquid in the crock pot to produce a sauce but it does. You can add ½ cup of water to the recipe. If your chicken is too soupy, you can add in 2 teaspoons of corn starch to thicken that up and to let that simmer again. Again, Adding water is optional since the slow cooker produces that on its own.
INGREDIENTS for Crack Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, thawed
- 1 (8 oz) blocks fat free cream cheese - or regular cream cheese if not following a specific diet
- 1 (1 oz) packets dry Ranch seasoning
- ½ cup of water
- 8 oz bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled (optional)
- Extra toppings: cheese
How to Make Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- In a slow cooker, place the chicken breasts on the bottom and then the brick of cream cheese on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the Ranch seasoning packet over the cream cheese and chicken. Add ½ cup of water.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
- Once chicken shreds stir with a large fork or spoon, so the chicken shreds and all the ingredients combine.
- Add in crumbled bacon and stir to incorporate.
- Serve warm.
- For Instant Pot: place all 4 ingredients in your Instant Pot and set the pressure cook time to 15 minutes. Do a quick release.
- Makes 8 servings, serving size about ¾ cup.
What Crock Pots are the Best?
When choosing a slow cooker think of the size of your family first. Do you have a large family of 6 or more? You probably want a larger crockpot that is 7 qt or more. For smaller families that are 4 or less choose a 4 qt slow cooker and just adjust the recipe ingredients in half. No need to change the cooking times.
Elite Gourmet - Electric oval slow cooker has adjustable temps and can make anything from entrees, sauces, stews & dips. Plus it’s dishwasher safe. This one also comes in a 4 quart size!
Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval - Manual Slow Cooker | Stainless Steel (SCV700-S-BR) Spatious 7 quart manual slow cooker that servers up to 9 people. Fits a 7 pound roast. Keeps food at an ideal serving temperature for as long as you need to so you can make dishes ahead of time!
Recipe recently updated below. 9/10/2019 Now includes Instant Pot instructions.
If you don't know how many pounds of chicken you have it is best to figure out using a food scale. 2 pounds of chicken with the other ingredients below makes the perfect crack chicken! 🙂
Other Recipes to Try
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs with Maple Aoili
Air Fryer Baja Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions
Air Fryer Frozen Hash Brown Patties
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Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 6 to 8 hrs
- Total Time: 6 to 8 hrs
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Move over tailgating recipes. This recipe for Slow Cooker Crack Chicken is going to be your new favorite recipe to make for game day.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
- 1 (8 oz) blocks fat free cream cheese
- 1 (1 oz) packets dry Ranch seasoning
- ½ cup of water
- Extra toppings: melted cheese or pickles
- 8 oz bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled (optional)
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, place the chicken breasts on the bottom and then the brick of cream cheese on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the Ranch seasoning packet over the cream cheese and chicken. Add ½ cup of water.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
- Once chicken shreds stir with a large fork or spoon, so the chicken shreds and all the ingredients combine.
- Add in crumbled bacon and stir to incorporate.
- Serve warm.
- For Instant Pot: place all 4 ingredients in your Instant Pot and set the pressure cook time to 15 minutes. Do a quick release.
- Makes 8 servings, serving size about ¾ cup.
Notes
My WW Personal Points: 3 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Use the scanner app to find low-point bun options in your area. Not included in the nutrition info.
Make it low carb and skip the bun!
Optional: add cheese on top of the chicken.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¾ cup
- Calories: 284
- Sugar: 2g
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 33g
Keywords: crack chicken, crack chicken, instant pot
Disclaimer: Do not use the nutrition info calculator to figure out points for this because it will be wrong. It has the chicken included in the nutrition info and will make the points much higher than what the recipe builder states.
Marilyn Jackson says
Your picture looks like it has shredded cheddar but it is not in the ingredients...am I missing something? Tnx.
Jenna says
Correct you can always double check with the recipe builder that came with your WW program. 🙂
kara says
the chicken recipe alone is 6 pts for green that does not include a 2pt roll correct?
Martha says
Turned out excellent! I buy the Hidden Valley dry ranch dressing from Amazon in a 16 oz bottle and weighed out 1 oz on my food scale. When I made this, I doubled this recipe and found when I pulled out the chicken breasts to shred that 1) the fat free cream cheese had not totally melted into the broth and was still in lumps, and 2) the "broth" was rather bland. I whisked the cream cheese into the broth, added 1 tablespoon dried garlic powder and another 1/2 oz ranch dressing and added back in the shredded chicken. I was worried that it might be a little too salty with more ranch dressing so cut the amount of bacon down to 4 oz. It turned out perfect! This will be a family repeat!
★★★★★
Jenna says
Yes for both! Thanks.
Martha says
I noticed for instant pot, it said to add 4 ingredients. Would it use the same amount of water. and do you mix in the bacon once done? Looks delicious and easy! Always a winner!
★★★★★
Jenna says
Hi Jenna! I would go 25 minutes for frozen chicken breasts.
Jenna says
If you do use frozen chicken breasts, do you need to adjust the time cooked??
Jenna says
You probably could but shredded chicken works best for this.
Lisa Moon says
Can I use a frozen whole chicken that's cut up?