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Get It NowThis crack chicken is one of my family’s all-time favorite slow cooker recipes. It’s incredibly creamy and cheesy, I always have the ingredients around, and it requires almost no hands-on time. I’ve been making it since 2019, but realized that some of my improvements over the years never made it to the blog. When I made this Crock Pot crack chicken recipe again recently, my daughter tried it on a gluten-free bun with a piece of butter lettuce and literally rolled her eyes back in delight. And so did I. If you’ve tried this recipe before, I hope you’ll make it with me again — it’s even better now!
Why You Need My Crack Chicken Recipe
- Creamy, herby, cheesy shredded chicken with bacon – All these comfort food ingredients make this crack chicken so addictive, hence the name! (For what it’s worth, I didn’t name it, but I can see why someone called it that.) And with my new cook time, the chicken is a lot more tender.
- Virtually no prep – This is truly the ultimate dump-it-all-in-the-Crock-Pot recipe. There are no separate bowls, no separate cooking, nothing. It takes me 5 minutes to get it going.
- Clean ingredients – Many crack chicken recipes use ranch seasoning mix packets, which are filled with artificial preservatives, starch, and sometimes even sugar. Mine simply combines common herbs and spices, similar to the ones in my homemade ranch dressing. So, it’s low carb, gluten-free, and just simple.
- So many ways to enjoy it – See my serving ideas below!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my crack chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken Breast – I mainly use this because I always have it, but have used boneless chicken thighs and they are even more juicy. You pick!
- Herbs & Spices – Dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. A few notes on these:
- Don’t add salt! The cheeses and bacon are already salty enough. You can always salt at the end, but I never need to.
- Yes, the seasoning amounts seem like a lot. I actually increased them from my older version. Trust me, this is how much you want!
- To substitute fresh herbs, triple the amounts. Yes, really.
- You can substitute 1/3 cup of my homemade ranch seasoning, but omit the salt when you make it — see above. I don’t recommend pre-made packets, which usually have salt (and artificial ingredients.
- I wouldn’t use ranch dressing here — the flavor isn’t strong enough, and because cooking crack chicken in the Crock Pot releases extra moisture and the result will be too watery.
- Cheeses – Cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Feel free to swap the cheddar with other types that melt well, such as pepper jack.
- Bacon – I usually cook bacon in the oven in advance for the week, but if you don’t have any cooked, you can air fry bacon or microwave bacon for this recipe quickly. I used to use bacon bits as a shortcut and you definitely can, but the flavor and texture is much better if you cook it yourself.
- Green Onions – I use just the green parts. Feel free to toss in the white parts, too.
How To Make Crack Chicken In The Crock Pot
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the chicken. Place chicken breasts into the slow cooker in a single layer. Sprinkle with all the herbs and spices. Top with pieces of cream cheese.
- Slow cook until easy to shred. Shred the chicken with two forks, then stir with the cream cheese mixture at the bottom.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar, bacon, and green onions. I like to top this slow cooker crack chicken with a little extra for serving!
My Recipe Tips
- This crack chicken recipe is not spicy at all, but you can adjust the heat. Feel free to double or even triple the black pepper, or add a little cayenne pepper for a kick.
- When you add the cream cheese to the slow cooker, try to place it on top of the chicken and not on the bottom of the vessel. It melts more gently that way.
- While you can cook this recipe on high, low is better. In my testing, the chicken was noticeably more tender and less dry on the low setting.
- The chicken should shred effortlessly. If it’s tough, that’s a sign it’s either over or undercooked. I used to cook this Crock Pot crack chicken recipe for 6-8 hours on low, but have since learned that’s too long! It’s much better with the shorter times I have listed below.
- When you first start stirring, the cream cheese might not be fully smooth. This is normal! Keep stirring and it will become creamy – and even more so after you add the shredded cheese.
- If you want some chunks of chicken, stir every gently or use a folding motion. Otherwise this crack chicken typically leaves you with small shredded bits in a thick, creamy sauce – which I think is delicious.
- If needed, add salt to your taste at the end. I didn’t include it in the recipe because surprisingly, the cream cheese was salty enough for me.
- Reserve extra cheese, bacon and green onions for topping if you like. I did just bacon and green onions in my pictures here, but sometimes I melt more cheddar on top as well. If the cheese doesn’t melt on the warm setting, you can turn the Crock Pot to low again for 5-10 minutes.
- Want these flavors on whole chicken breasts instead? My bacon ranch chicken recipe is just that.
Serving Ideas
This crack chicken recipe comes out soft and creamy, almost like a dip. So, I’ve used it in a multitude of ways:
- Sandwiches & Wraps – Pile it onto your favorite hamburger buns, or wrap it in lettuce wraps for a lighter option. The buns pictured above are from my (first) Easy Keto Cookbook. My (second) Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook has even better buns that are soft and airy, like real ones. I use regular ones for my kids. I served a simple green salad on the side this time, but my sugar-free coleslaw also pairs well.
- Serve as a dip – Sturdy veggies, like celery, carrots, or bell peppers, are perfect for scooping up crack chicken. You can also do this with baked tortilla chips, or spread it onto crackers.
- Casserole – When I have time, I roast broccoli or cauliflower while I have the crack chicken in the slow cooker. Fold them together in a baking dish, top with more cheese, and bake for something totally new. (This also works great with leftovers!)
- Noodles – This creamy sauce is so delicious mixed in with zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles, or spaghetti squash. Feel free to use your favorite pasta.
- Bowls – Pile the chicken over a base, like rice, cauliflower rice, or even roasted sweet potatoes.
Crack Chicken (Crock Pot Recipe)
Make my easy crack chicken recipe in the Crock Pot with just 5 minutes of prep! It's creamy, cheesy, and so addicting for the whole family.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker in a single layer. Sprinkle dried herbs and spices on top.
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Arrange the pieces of cream cheese evenly over the chicken.
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Cook the chicken for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, until the chicken is easy to shred.
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Shred the chicken with two forks, and stir to mix with the cream cheese.
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Stir in the shredded cheddar, bacon, and green onions.
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If you like, sprinkle more shredded cheese on top, close the lid, and keep on warm for 5-10 minutes to melt. (This is optional.)
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: ~5 1/2 ounces, or 1/10 of the entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the perfect creamy, tender texture (without dryness), how to know when it’s done, suggestions if you like it spicy, and more.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. They reheat well, so you can serve them in the same ways I have listed above, but I’ve also turned them into soup by simply adding chicken broth and heating.
- Reheat: You can use the microwave, the stovetop, or even your slow cooker again. Add an extra splash of broth if it seems dry.
- Freeze: You can keep crack chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw in the refrigerator overnight and give it a stir after reheating. I like to portion it into these cubes.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Crack Chicken (Crock Pot Recipe)
357 Comments
Ashley
0This recipe was super easy and smells incrediblewhile its cooking!
The flavor was great the way the recipe is.
It’s super rich, so you won’t want to eat it more than twice in a week.
If I were to do anything different, I would also add a 1/2 pack of ranch dressing mix(just the season packet ).
Sandy
0Sounds too thick. no liquid?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sandy, Yes, that is correct.
Debbie
0All I can say is that this is, “Crack-a-licious!” I don’t have a slow cooker, so I cooked mine in a dutch oven in the oven at 325 degrees for three hours. Perfectly tender!
Kelly
0Hi. I have made your recipe before, it is delicious. I used a lot of our home grown herbs this time. I printed it out today to add it to your cook book “100 recipes of 10 ingredients or less.”
Linda Jones
0Thank you. For some reason I did not see it! I loved the recipe and took some of the comments into consideration before making it. Since I like my food fairly spicy I added a jalapeno and used different spices. I used lactose free cream cheese. Not sure if it does not melt the same as regular, but I poured in a little wine to create more of a sauce. In the end I added another jalapeno and also added some high fat cream to smooth out the sauce. It gave me an amazing start.
Linda Jones
0I am looking for the nutritional information for this recipe and do not see it. Can you please post that and give serving size etc. Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, You can find that info right under the recipe.
Teri
0Easy and very decadent! Fabulous moth feel.
Alison Finney
0I made this delicious recipe on Saturday. Can I freeze the leftovers today? It’s now Monday morning. I simply can’t eat it all by today or tomorrow!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Alison, You can freeze the leftovers of this dish.
PurpleQueen
0Can this recipe be converted to cooking in a Dutch oven? If so, can you reply with specific instructions?Thank you for your consideration.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, That would most likely work but I have never tried it. Please let me know the results if you try it.
Michelle
0Yummy, my family absolutely loves this recipe. They enjoy it in wraps and on buns. It’s easy to make and I appreciate how healthy it is. Thank You !!! ??
Kelly
0Very yummy. Husband and kids lived it. Served it with green veg and low carb pasta.
Angie Shelly
0What do you serve with it?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Angie, You can make this into a sandwich or eat it with crackers.
Michelle
0My family absolutely is in love with this recipe. It’s perfect to make on those busy days. I’m lucky if I get a bite ?Thank You So Much.
Kari Hulien
0Does this freeze well? I haven’t made it yet, so I can’t rate it yet. 🙂
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kari, Yes, you can freeze this recipe.
Lora
0Are there any options for a non-dairy version?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lora, Unfortunately, I don’t have a dairy-free version of this recipe. You could try vegan options, but I have never tried that.
Cheri
1Use dairy free cream cheese (kitehill or one that you prefer. I use a mixture of two.) I don’t use the extra shredded cheese. It is delicious. There is also a great dairy free ranch salad dressing (by simple truth but there are others I use if I can’t get out first choice) I use in place of the packet. I season to taste. We make this regularly in our home.
Jo
0I already have some ranch seasoning made up. How much would I need to add if I’m not using individual herbs and spices?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jo, You can use 1/3 cup of homemade ranch seasoning.
Jojo
0This sounds amazing! Thinking of making it…might be a dumb question from a novice cook. About how many strips of bacon would be needed to make the bacon bits.
Zeke
0I used 8 strips of Bacon and that was perfect.
Jamie
0Hi! In the reading, I noticed you mentioned ranch seasoning, but I don’t see it on the recipe card. Can you tell me how much?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jamie, You would want to use 1/3 cup of powdered seasoning.
Bootybaby
0OMG by far my favorite keto recipe I’ve ever had!! Thank you for saving us from another boring chicken dinner!!!
Jeri Lynn Mcrae
0Awesome, use this recipe in my group home, girls are on a keto diet they have seizures. They loved it! Trying the taco one next!
Amber Kleihege
0My twin boys also have epilepsy and we follow a keto diet as well. I love this recipe, and so did they!
Tracy
0I made this using skinless, boneless, chicken thighs. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli and it came out delicious!
Dorothy Beckner
0The Crack Chicken was delicious! I did not have green onions on hand, but used chopped onions in the dish and added chives and parsley from my herb garden to dress it up. Husband lived it too!
Julia
0Can you make this using rotisserie chicken? If so, how would you do it on the warm setting to melt the cream cheese (since chicken is already cooked)?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Julia, Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken and just melt the other ingredients on the warm setting.
Christine Winn
0How would you use the rotisserie chicken? Would you shred the chicken and mix all the ingredients and cook on the stove?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Christine, Yes, that would work.
Melissa
0Hi Maya, If you use already-cooked rotisserie chicken, how long should you cook it on low or high?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Melissa, You would only need to cook it long enough for the cream cheese and cheese to melt so probably about an hour on low.
Charlie Gilliam
0I am not sure what happened. It came out dry. I kept rereading the recipe and I did not see anything about adding liquid while cooking. Next time I make it I will probably use spicier seasonings.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Charlie, It sounds like you may have overcooked the chicken, how long did you have the recipe in the slow cooker?
Julia
0Could you make it with rotisserie chicken?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Julia, Yes that would work.
Johnnie Latham
0This recipe is SOOOO GOOD! It was easy to make and all the seasons make this recipe very tasty!
Jane DeSanti
0I made this recipe and really like the versatility. 1st day burrito, 2nd day with Spanish rice, third day with macaroni for my non keto eater. I had it a wrap with romaine lettuce. Then froze the remainder for another day.
Betheney
0It turned out a bit dry tasting and flat so I had to add some chicken broth and a whole packet of ranch dressing, which helped for our taste. It was something different, just not something I would make regularly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for the feedback, Betheney! You can double the seasoning amount next time if you like more ranch flavor.
Ellen
0Dear Maya, I am anxious to try this recipe as it sounds heavenly. However, as with many of your bulk recipes, I don’t know how to “divvy” up the final product into 10 servings without taking it all out of the crockpot, putting it on a scale, and dividing the total weight by 10 to see how many oz’s I can eat for 1 serving. How do you do it?? Sincerely, Ellen.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ellen, Each serving should be around 5.5oz.
Nita
0My chicken got cracked up! So delicious!! My husband really enjoyed it as well!!
Jasmine
0This looks like a great recipe but can we stop referring to things we think are really good as crack? There was nothing good about crack or the crack epidemic. It destroyed many communities, families and lives.
Ray
0“crack” is actually a term used for a certain combination of ingredients: cheese, Ranch seasoning and bacon
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jasmine, I agree with you. I did not come up with this name for this recipe, unfortunately whoever first came up with it decided to name it this way.
Amy L Huntley
0So creamy and flavor full! This recipe really is so addicting! Making it again very soon!
Kristyn
0We love crack chicken!! Thank you for sharing different ways to eat it! My family will be so excited to try it in a bun!
Brit
0This crack chicken is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Taylor
0This was a HUGE hit for dinner last night! Not only was it so so easy to throw together, but the flavors and creamy texture were spot on. Definitely adding to our monthly rotation!
Wilhelmina
0This has become a go-to in our house! My husband loves to take leftovers for lunch too.
Jill
0Made this many times and my non- keto, picky husband loves it!
Nay
0Hello, Can this be tweaked for instant pot instead of crock pot?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nay, Yes, this can also be made in an instant pot.
Geo Klass
0Do you need the rack for the slow cooker and do you need to add any liquid?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Geo, No rack is needed and you can follow the recipe exactly as written to achieve the best results.
Lori
0This recipe is totally awesome! Tastes great. I’ve made it about 3 times, and I’ll definitely do it again. It’s very creamy and delish! I love it. I even like it cold!
Karen
0This was wonderful. I did tweak it a bit. I added about 1 cloves of garlic, some extra onion powder, dill weed and some extra pepper. I also used thighs instead of chicken breasts. This was yummy.
Kirsten
0Super easy recipe but unfortunately it didn’t have much flavor. Most likely won’t be making this again.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kristen, Sorry, this recipe didn’t suit your tastes. My Crack Chicken has more cream cheese, so the flavors don’t carry through as strong. Feel free to adjust the seasonings in the recipe to closely mirror the Ranch Crack Dip.
Kristi
0This looks delicious. What would the cook time be if I made this in an instantpot?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristi, You can use the same directions if you are using the slow cooker function on your Instant Pot. I don’t recommend using the pressure cooker option, because you will need to add liquid to build pressure and that will cause your dish to be soupy.
Joe Hightower
0This turned out great! The texture was fine for sandwiches or scooped on a bell pepper slice or my favorite a (non-keto!) Triscuit! Thanks for the recipe, and for your patience with people who should be more grateful for recipes they are getting for FREE!
Michael Nolan
0Once you put in the shredded cheese bacon bits and green onions how long do you let it sit on warm for or is it just serve
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michael, There is no need to cook further, just stir in and serve.
Diana
0Good evening, I am currently cooking this recipe as we speak, and I just noticed that it does not call for salt. Our family does not eat pork, so I will not be putting bacon in it. Should I add salt at the end? Thank you!!! 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Diana, Yes, you can add salt at the end to taste.
Nicole Willard
0Delicious! I also added some ranch powder, fried onions, dill, and bacon. Then, I slathered on garlic bread. It was SO good!
Jan
0Curious if peeps are eating this mainly hot? My young man says it wants it as a cold sandwich and I can’t decide if cold sounds gross or not ?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jan, You can enjoy this either way!
Teresa Thomas
0Hi what is red in this recipe please . It looks delicious .
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Teresa, I am not sure what you are referring to but maybe you are seeing the bacon bits.
Sabra
0This may have been the worst recipe I have ever made… I cook Keto and have used another recipe in the past and I vow to never use this one again as long as I live… do not waste your ingredients!
Kate
0I expected this to be as yummy as the ranch crack dip but it didn’t when I made it following this recipe exactly. I don’t know what it needs but I won’t be making it again as described.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kate, Sorry this recipe didn’t suit your tastes. The two recipes are similar, but the Crack Chicken version has more cream cheese, so the flavors don’t carry through as strong. Feel free to adjust the seasonings in the recipe to closer mirror the Ranch Crack Dip.
Deb Hunt
0I made it for dinner tonight! It turned out too dry! What can I do so I can make the left over not so dry!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deb, You can re-heat your chicken with a little bit of fat (like butter) and a small amount of chicken broth.
Jenn
0Can you add ranch seasoning?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jenn, Yes, just be sure to pick a clean seasoning that doesn’t contain and non-keto ingredients or thickeners.