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Cold weather always has me turning to low carb slow cooker recipes. One of my favorites is Crock Pot crack chicken, because it’s so comforting and needs minimal hands-on time. Best of all, it uses ingredients many of us have on hand all the time. That was the perfect excuse to make this slow cooker crack chicken recipe again this week – and to share it with you!
This keto crack chicken is one of those meals that will please almost anyone, even if they aren’t low carb, so it’s perfect to make for the family. Try it with me! I’ll bet you’ll be making it again and again, like I do.
What Is Crack Chicken?
Crack chicken is basically a creamy shredded chicken made with cream cheese, ranch, bacon and cheddar.
This easy crack chicken recipe is similar to crack dip, but we use ranch seasonings instead of ranch dressing. This creates a stronger ranch flavor without making the chicken too soupy. And of course, this has chicken as the main ingredient, unlike the dip.
Many crack chicken recipes use ranch seasoning packets, but they are filled with all kinds of weird ingredients, starch, preservatives, and sometimes even sugar. There’s no reason to do this, because you can easily make your own crack chicken seasoning! It’s very similar to the seasonings I use for homemade ranch dressing.
Is Crack Chicken Keto?
Yes, this slow cooker crack chicken recipe is keto friendly! All that cream cheese provides plenty of fat, and each serving has only 3 grams net carbs.
But even if you aren’t keto, this chicken recipe is simply delicious – whether you’re on a special diet or not.
How Many Calories in Crack Chicken?
Crack chicken is low carb, but it’s not a low calorie food. Still, it’s not as caloric as you might expect from a dish made with cream cheese and bacon!
Each 5.5 ounce serving has 346 calories.
Keep in mind you’d usually serve crack chicken on something, such as buns or lettuce wraps. You also probably need a side dish. When you add that all up, it will be enough for a meal. Check my ideas for how to use and what to serve with crack chicken below!
How To Make Crack Chicken
It’s almost hard to believe that the best crack chicken ever need just 10 minutes of prep time! Place your chicken in a slow cooker, sprinkle with dried herbs + spices, and arrange cubes of cream cheese on top, like this:
How Long To Cook Crack Chicken in the Crock Pot?
The time to cook slow cooker crack chicken is about the same as any other shredded chicken recipe. That’s 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low.
When it’s done, shred the chicken and stir it all together until smooth. It will look like this:
Tip: The “sauce” might not be smooth when the low carb crack chicken is done. You might see some chunks of cream cheese that don’t look smooth. Don’t worry – it will all become smooth after you shred the chicken and STIR.
Finally, stir in some crispy cooked bacon, shredded cheddar, and green onions. You can also reserve some for topping, if you’d like.
How To Use Crack Chicken
Crack chicken comes out soft, creamy and almost like a dip. So, you can use it in a multitude of ways. Some of my favorites are:
- Crack chicken sandwiches – Simply pile it onto your favorite buns (shown here on my low carb burger buns – I made these for an upcoming project I’ll be sharing with you soon!)
- Crack chicken dip – Serve it with low carb veggies that are good for scooping, like celery or bell peppers
- Crack chicken wraps – Stuff into lettuce for lettuce wraps, or any other kind of wrap you like
Can You Freeze Crack Chicken?
Yes, you can freeze this slow cooker crack chicken recipe! To do so, let it cool to room temperature first. Then, place it into freezer bags, press to get rid of any extra air, and lay flat in the freezer. You can move it upright if you like after it’s solid.
When you’re ready to serve your keto crack chicken, you can thaw and reheat it in the microwave or oven.
What To Serve With Crack Chicken
What goes with crack chicken? Here are some ideas to serve with this keto crack chicken recipe:
You can find more ideas for low carb side dishes here.
Tools To Make Slow Cooker Crack Chicken:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Slow Cooker – The only thing you really need for slow cooker crack chicken is… a slow cooker! 😉
Crock Pot Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Recipe:
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RECIPE CARD
Crock Pot Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Recipe
This slow cooker crack chicken recipe is so EASY! If you want to know how to make Crock Pot crack chicken, it takes just 10 minutes prep time. And, no one will know it happens to be keto crack chicken, too.
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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- 2 lb Chicken breast
- 2 tbsp Dried parsley
- 1 tbsp Dried dill
- 1 tbsp Dried chives
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 16 oz Cream cheese (cut into pieces)
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup Bacon bits (cooked)
- 1/3 cup Green onions (chopped)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker in a single layer.
Sprinkle the chicken with all the herbs and spices.
Arrange the pieces of cream cheese evenly over the chicken.
Cook the chicken for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, until the chicken is easy to shred.
Shred the chicken and stir to mix with the cream cheese.
Stir in the shredded cheddar, bacon bits, and green onions.
Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/10 of entire recipe, or about 5 1/2 ounces
Video Showing How To Make Crack Chicken in a Crock Pot:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Crack Chicken in a Crock Pot!
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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110 Comments
Brandon
Awesome recipe! I did some adjusting with this and found the perfect adjustments with this. When I put the chicken in the crock pot and add the chicken broth, I put in enough broth to submerge all of the chicken. This make it some of the most tender chicken you’ll ever eat! Cook for 4 hours on high in the crockpot and you’ll be amazed at how juicy the chicken is. I do make mine with the Ranch seasoning packet which i cannot conclude on whether or not it’s keto friendly. The packet is 1 gram carb per serving however it shows there’s 16 servings in the packet?? Little confused on this.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Brandon, The ranch packet is fine if that’s what you have, but there are a lot of unnecessary “extras” in the packet. Anti-caking agents, preservatives, maltodextrin, etc.
meg
Great recipe! It was easy to do and had loads of wonderful flavour. I served it with rice and a salad.
Sheila Lawrence
Do you think I can use a Nesco roaster on low to make a large amount of this for a reception?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sheila, Yes, I believe that would work as long as you don’t use the fan attachment. It would dry the dish out too much. Enjoy!
Kirsten Kaiser
This dish was delicious! Finally, a keto dish that I will make again and again!
Rita
Do you think leftover turkey can be used for this? I think I may experiment tomorrow!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rita, Yes, turkey should be fantastic in this recipe!
Rita
It was delicious with turkey! Since my turkey was cooked, I made it on the stovetop. Worked perfectly. Made lettuce boats!
Brenda
Very good! I only used one package of cream cheese due to my texture issues. I did add hot sauce for more flavor! Served on potato slider rolls. I’m not Keto.
Brent Colliver
We tried ur recipe but it was way toooo much cream cheese that’s all we could taste seems like it should ghave been half the 16oz..
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brent, This dish is typically heavy on the cream cheese but feel free to reduce it if that’s your preference. It will be more dry and less creamy, though.
Echidna
I make this recipe about once a month, if not more. It’s a hit everywhere I go. A quick potluck type of recipe, lazy Sunday, get together, etc… Sometimes I add my own spin, or follow to a T. It’s always yummy, and so quick and easy. My type of recipe 😀
Sue
I notice the calories per serving in description are less than the nutritional facts 214/346 . I am strict Keto . I am adding my cheese and bacon to each individual serving. Can you shed some light on what the full nutrition facts include?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sue, Sorry about the discrepancy, this had a different serving size at one point that wasn’t very reasonable. 346 is the correct number of calories for the currently listed serving size, 5.5 ounces.
Randy
Wow! Crack chicken is right! This stuff is addictive. I served it over roasted broccoli with some roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts on the side. I did add a packet of Ranch seasoning mix. To bump up the “keto factor” I added some shredded cheddar just before serving.
Ashlee Knapik
I love this recipe! My question is, do you know how it would taste if I add ranch seasoning to it? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum A
That would probably be great! Sounds a lot like my warm ranch crack dip recipe!
Kathi
I’m confused. At one point, you mention in your nutritional info that the total net carbs is 5. The you show that it is 3. Which is it please??
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kathi. Each 5.5oz serving is 5 net carbs.
Chelsea Jurkowski
This turned out amazing!
CA
Where’s the ingredient list?
Wholesome Yum A
Are you on an Apple device using Safari? You might have reader mode turned on, which makes ingredients in the recipe card disappear. You can find out how to fix the issue here.
Helene
I’m making this for tomorrow Sunday dinner. 2 teenage boys 3 adults. My daughter recommended it. I’m excited to try it. Should be plenty with sides. Boys big rice eaters so they should have plenty. I have veggie sides for us. Will send comments Monday
Salma
I haven’t tried this yet but it looks amazing. Is it okay to use uncooked frozen chicken thighs in the Crockpot? The other option would be to thaw them first in the oven for a bit.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Salma! It’s not recommended to cook frozen chicken in the Crock Pot because it stays at a bacteria-friendly temperature for too long. Defrost it first – I haven’t tried doing so in the oven, I usually recommend in cold water or in the fridge overnight.
JP
Tis looks absolutely amazing. Just bought an Instant Pot and was wonder how I could make this in it.
Nicole Bond
I made this in my instapot tonight, cooked on high pressure for 40 mins with a natural pressure release. Perfect!
JD
I didn’t take a picture but this was a WINNER!! The entire household enjoyed this meal and it’s so versatile – with celery, keto bread, large romaine lettuce leaf, a side veggie, etc. – I really LOVED this recipe.
Rochelle
Hello, do you think it would drastically change the recipe if I put half the amount of cream cheese? My husband doesn’t like it too creamy. First time making! Thanks
Wholesome Yum
I think that would still work, Rochelle. Let me know if you try it!
Diane
It seems sort a dry, any suggestions? I am freezing for a camping trip.
Wholesome Yum
Hi Diane, You could try adding more cream cheese or even a little bit of butter. You could also try using boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Kelly Douthit
I used a 32 ounce carton of organic chicken bone broth. Mine is a soup, not dry at all. I think only 2 cups broth isn’t enough.
Beth R
This looks amazing, BUT the bigger question is WHAT ARE THOSE ROLLS that you have this sandwich on?
Homemade? or store bought, please share.
Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beth, The buns are from The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook!
JoAnn Miller
Love the crack chicken I have made it twice and my family can’t get enough of it
Thanks
Anna
Made this today, and thought that it was okay. I think it would be best served with some salty Ritz crackers rather than plain or on lettuce wraps (as I ate mine). To be fair, I never made or ate crack chicken before, but I think it needed some salt to liven up the flavor a little bit. I’ve read other recipes that called for ranch dressing mix, so perhaps this is what it needs to be a delicious recipe.
Andrea
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I noticed there’s no salt in it at all. I’ll make it as posted, but I’ve never made chicken with no salt! Is that right?
Wholesome Yum
That’s right, Andrea! You’re welcome to add salt as desired, but the cheese and bacon both add salty flavor to the dish.
Kathleen
This is cooking now and almost done. I have a little bit of shredded cheddar and crack cut slices of Monterey Jack/Colby that I’m using instead of all shredded cheddar. I’m using what I have and my house smells amazing!! Can’t wait for dinner.
Pamela
I’m curious if you have ever tried doubling or tripling this recipe? I’d love to bring this to a large function this weekend. I can’t imagine it would not be doable, but thought I’d check just to make sure. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Pamela, Yes, you can double or triple it!
Lisa
Has the recipe for the hamburger buns been posted yet? If not, will it be soon ☺️ I can’t wait to try this ☺️☺️
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, The burger buns are in The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook!
Lisa
Has the recipe for the low carb burger bun been released yet? If not, will it be soon?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, you’ll find that recipe in my upcoming cookbook. It comes out October 22, but you can pre-order it anytime before then!
Jenn
This recipe sounds delicious! Problem is I added all the ingredients including cheese, mayo and green onions all in the beginning. My fault for not reading ahead. Will my recipe be ruined? Is there a reason they have to be added at the end of cook time?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Jenn, I’m not sure. I haven’t tried it that way. Let me know how it turned out.
Sherrill Abramson
Made this recipe for dinner tonight, He had two sandwiches!! 🙂 I had mine over broccoli rice. I put a cup of homemade chicken broth with the chicken and cream cheese this morning. Was not soupy but very creamy. I am printing this one for future repeats!
Ronda Estell
What are your thoughts on making it crack pork? I forgot to get chicken, but have pork loin. Thinking about trying it. Pork…the other white meat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ronda, That sounds delicious! I think it’s totally doable with any kind of meat that can get tender enough to shred.
Gerry
Awesome What’s the recipe for the roll it’s in? Definitely gotta try that! Much appreciated
Wholesome Yum
Hi Gerry, those buns are not on the site but you can find them in my upcoming cookbook!
Jennifer Legge
Just made this today. WOW I love it. So good. I will be freezing the leftovers. Amazing!!!!
Ruth Butcher
This is probably the BEST chicken recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much for sharing. It is absolutely yummy!
Ron Monk
Is it just me or does .2lbs of chicken in one serving seem low? I need more protein than that.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Ron, one serving of this recipe is 5.5 ounces.
Megan
This is great. My boy friend just started a keto diet and I’m looking for recipes to make for him. How long is this good for in the freezer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Megan, It lasts almost indefinitely (within reason) in the freezer. At least 6 months for sure, probably even longer.
Jess
This sounds amazing, any tips for slow cooking it in the oven?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jess, Sorry, haven’t tried it in the oven yet.
Robyn Cerone
Hey Maya my kids just absolutely love this recipe! But I have found that we do not get 10 servings out of one batch closer to six, I have boys… Anyway, I sat down to work out the macros tonight to see what it comes out to for six servings and my fat count is completely off. I knew it would be higher than the 8 g you have listed but I’m coming up with 38.5 fat grams per serving. I’m confused how you came up with eight when there is 160 g of fat in 16 ounces of cream cheese and 36g of fat in 1 cup of cheddar. Even if you divide that into 10 servings you still get 19.6 g per serving. That’s not including the fat from the chicken breasts and the bacon bits. I’ve got to be missing something in my calculation right? Thanks
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Robyn, we use the USDA Food Database to calculate nutrition as it is the most accurate source. Many online calculators round up cream cheese when calculating but ours uses a more precise fractional measurement.
Jacklyn
I was thinking the fat count was really low too and the protein seemed a little high is comparison
S conforti
Is the chicken breast boneless and skinless? Anxious to try the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes!
Patricia
I did the recipe and I put to cook for 6hrs on low and I lost all my ingredients because burned. I followed exactly as your directions. I don’t understand how your chicken don’t burn without some stock, water or broth.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Patricia, Sorry to hear that happened. It sounds like your Crock Pot runs hot, because at a low setting it should not burn. The chicken also releases liquid as it cooks. I’d double check to see if your slow cooker runs hot.
Mary
I had the same issue with the burning. However, when I checked and saw that it was sticking to my crockpot I added just enough water to keep it from sticking. I thought it was fantastic but rich enough without the cheddar. I found that my crockpot does run high and believe it needs to go. Even on warm setting it was bubbling!
Noelani
Does the chicken need to be thawed before going in the crockpot? I’m excited to try this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, thaw the chicken first. This prevents it from being at an unsafe temperature for too long.
Sandy Chadwick
What an amazing site. Thank you so much for the easy presentation. I am about to start a Keto diet & watching your recipes makes it look a lot easier
Doug
This was great – easy and tasty. Getting ready to make it again.
Tracy
I love this recipe! I served it with your microwave English muffin recipe for a sandwich and it was delicious. When I plug all the ingredients into the recipe nutrition calculator I get a fat content of 24g per serving, but the recipe says only 8g? Do you have a favorite nutrition calculator that you prefer? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tracy, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I get nutrition info from the USDA Food Database, which is most reliable.
Kim Smith
Holy cow this was amazing!! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!!
Leslie
Fun recipe for my keto loving friends! And so EASY! Loved it!
Anne Lawton
I love using my slow cooker all year long, and this is a delicious way to make chicken.
Hope
I love how you can use this in so many different ways – it made such a great dip!
Zuzana
I have just got Instant Pot and I am sure this recipe will work as well there. Can not wait to make it next weekend. Thanks a lot.
Megan Stevens
Yum! I love the idea of serving this inside keto rolls for sandwiches!!
Lori Bender
I can’t wait to try this recipe, going to wait for the bun recipe, it looks sooooo yummy!
paleoglutenfreeguy
Wow, this looks amazing. And anything in the crockpot is so convenient. Love this idea!
Lori Simmons
Could canned shredded chicken breast be used?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lori, You probably could, but wouldn’t need the slow cooker then. You’d just warm the cream cheese with the spices and mix with the shredded chicken. It would be similar, but probably less flavor than actually cooking the chicken together with everything.
Joni Gomes
So easy and so so good! Great recipe thank you!
Raia Todd
This is so delicious! Of course, how could it not be with cream cheese…
Ronald Hale
Love Love Love this recipe!!! can’t wait for the hamburger bun recipe!
Brittany
If this is 10 servings – how much is 1 serving (1 cup, etc) if I would to add this on my Fitness Pal. I’m still learning how to add recipes and add them to my diet on Fitness Pal
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brittany, The serving size is in the recipe notes – it’s approximately 5 1/2 ounces, or 1/10 of entire recipe.
Jennie
I love your recipes.
Tulipgirl333
Hello!
I’m really excited to try this recipe but I have some family members who do not eat pork. Is there something I can substitute for the bacon? My portion will contain bacon cause bacon makes the world spin LOL
Thanks for your help in making this a wonderful dish for my non-pork eating family 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Sure, you can skip the bacon altogether if you’d like, or use turkey bacon for other family members.
Lisa
Looks great. Was the recipe for the low carb burger buns for this recipe posted yet? 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, Not yet but I’ll put a link to the project up in the post as soon as I can share! If you sign up for free emails you’ll also be notified when that happens. 🙂
Tina
I would like the recipe for your hamburger buns!!! Those look amazing!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Tina! I’m really excited about them. I’ll post an update in this post as soon as I’m able to share! (You’ll also be notified if you’re on my email list – the form to sign up is above.)
Jennifer L. Erickson
Can the leftovers of this recipe be put in the freezer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jennifer, Yes, you can! I have a section covering this in the post above.
Lisa Scott
This is a great recipe! One tip for shredding chicken, use your handmixer!! I used to do it by using 2 forks and hated it and wouldn’t do recipes that called for shredding chicken, until my hubby used the hand mixer! Now it takes seconds to do what used to take what felt like hours!! Now I’m doing all those shredded chicken recipes and loving them!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, Thank you! Great tip on the hand mixer!
Dumazrox
This crack chicken is truly the BOMB! It’s filling and simply delish. Even tastes great cold. I made a two serving batch yesterday, and last night I made a full crock pot full of it. Is really great with bacon mixed in it and cheese on top. I will be eating this at least 4 times a month! I’m making my household a crack chicken Thursday, every though it may be a Tuesday or Saturday! It’s great every day! Thank so much. I’ll be trying other recipes too!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Haha, I love the idea of crack chicken Thursday! So glad you liked this so much!
Dumazrox
I made this today. All I can honestly say about it is…. YUM! IT’S SO GOOD! Going to make some changes next time. I had bacon to put on top and cheese, but it was so good the way it was, I didn’t need anything else. Making a bigger batch tomorrow possibly adding some broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and onion. This dish will NOT disappoint you. It’s even good cold!
Brittany
I understand the idea behind calling this “crack” chicken is that it’s so delicious it’s addictive, but is there a better word you could use to describe this dish? So many families and communities have suffered and many lives have been lost to people using and selling crack. Just something to think about.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brittany, I completely understand and sympathize. I’m actually not the one that came up with the name. Like virtually any other dish, I simply call it by its most common name, so that people can find it easily.
Denny
If you don’t like the name then don’t fix it.
Tayler Ross
Ten minutes of prep time?? I am totally sold! This chicken looks so incredible!
Nellie Tracy
LOVE crack chicken and LOVE this recipe!