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    Recipes » Keto Chicken Recipes » Crack Chicken – Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stove Top

    Published: Jul 23, 2018 · by: jenniferbanz · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Crack Chicken – Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stove Top

    This recipe for Keto Crack Chicken gives instructions for the Instant Pot, slow cooker or stove top. Instead of that infamous ranch packet, I use flavorful herbs and spices.

    crack chicken in the instant pot

    Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box.  Read my honest review here.

    I have been so intrigued by this Crack Chicken recipe that has been floating around!  What could be better than shredded chicken mixed with cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon?

    How would it feel to start losing with keto?

    Join my FREE 7 day keto challenge!

    I went a little rogue with my recipe and I am not using a ranch dressing mix packet.  It’s not something I keep in my house but I do keep a slew of dried herbs and spices.

    HOW TO MAKE KETO CRACK CHICKEN – STOVE TOP

    So for this crack chicken recipe I used some delicious, flavorful spices and herbs to bring that ranch flavor we have come to know and love!  We also use cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon to make extra delicious!

    For the stove top version of crack chicken, we first need to cook the chicken breast.  The best way to do this is to poach them.  Add your cold chicken breast to a pot of cold water.  You want the water to just cover the chicken.  Season the water generously with salt and bring the water to a boil, then reduce to low can let simmer for about 15 minutes.  You want to cook the chicken on low until a meat thermometer reads 165F.

    crack chicken in the instant pot

    SLOW COOKER CRACK CHICKEN

    To make this scrumptious crack chicken recipe in the slow cooker, you would add the chicken, half a cup of chicken broth, and all of the spices to the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 6 hours.  When the chicken is finished, shred with 2 forks, then mix in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and the crumbled bacon.

    shredded in the slow cooker

    INSTANT POT CRACK CHICKEN

    To make this simply delicious crack chicken in the Instant Pot, add half a cup of chicken broth, the chicken breast, and the spices to the instant pot.  Set the pot to 8 minutes high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.  Remove the chicken from the pot and all but ½ cup of the liquid.  Return the chicken to the pot and shred with 2 forks.  Stir in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and the bacon.

    shredded chicken with bacon and cheddar

    CRACK CHICKEN DIP

    To keep this low carb, you can just eat it with a spoon, on top of a salad, or you can eat it as a dip!  I love it with veggie sticks like bell pepper, cucumber and carrots.

    crack chicken dip

    I love to eat this on a slice of 90 second bread, or on top of a bed of arugula.  You could serve it as a dip with chips or with cauliflower rice for a complete meal.

    Did you make this Crack Chicken Recipe?  Tag me on Instagram so I can see! @lowcarbwithjennifer

    crack chicken dip

    The Best Crack Chicken Recipe - No Ranch Packet

    This recipe for crack chicken gives instructions for the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. Instead of that infamous ranch packet, I use flavorful herbs and spices.  
    4.94 from 16 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten free, recipe for crack chicken
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 5 Cups
    Calories: 472kcal
    Author: Jennifer Banz

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
    • ½ Cup Chicken Broth
    • 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Dill
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Chives
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 8 ounce package Cream Cheese, cut into smaller chunks
    • 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
    • 8 Slices Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
    US Customary - Metric

    EQUIPMENT

    • Slow Cooker (Here's the one I love)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    Slow Cooker Crack Chicken

    • Add the chicken, broth, and spices to the crock pot.  Set on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks when finished.
    • Stir in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and the crumbled bacon.

    Instant Pot Crack Chicken

    • Add the chicken, broth, and spices to the Instant pot.  Close the lid, set to sealing, and set the timer to 8 minutes high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.  
    • Remove the chicken from the pot.  Discard all of the liquid except ½ cup.  Return the chicken back to the pot and shred with 2 forks.
    • Mix in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Serve

    WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

    JENNIFER'S TIPS

    Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup): 472 calories / 30g fat / 4g carbs / 47g protein
    • Recipe yields 5 cups of crack chicken or 2 pounds 6 ounces.  One serving would be 1 cup or 8.3 ounces
    • Serve with crispy broccoli.  Bake broccoli florets in a 400F oven with a little salt until crispy.
     

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 472kcal
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      Recipe Reviews




    1. KristaM says

      November 23, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      I am never going back to ranch dressing packets!
      ❤️
      The flavor of just the spices are so much better; clean and fresh… AND none of the nasty stuff in packaged spices like non caking agents and too much salt.
      YAY!

      Reply
    2. Laura says

      July 29, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love love love it with the spices you add yourself. I substitute the chicken broth for olive oil and apple cider vinegar whisked with a little water all the herbs (plus cayenne pepper) to make the 1/2ish cup.

      Reply
    3. Claudia says

      April 24, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      WOW!! Family loved it! I only used 1 lb chicken (thighs), 1 cup cheddar, bacon, and 4oz cream cheese (1\2 of an 8oz pack). Out of this world and one of my favorite recipes👍🏻👍🏻

      Thank you for another DELICIOUS recipe!
      ❤️

      Reply
    4. Kelsie M says

      January 01, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      Has anyone ever used frozen chicken for this? I am a terrible planner and tend to just decide to cook things last minute and frozen chicken is something we always have on hand!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        July 29, 2021 at 11:44 pm

        I always use frozen chicken when making it in the insta-pot.

        Reply
    5. Jenny S Graves says

      April 17, 2020 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Love this idea, that’s a genius chicken recipe! We try to eat low carb and this makes it easier and very yummy. Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Veena Azmanov says

      April 17, 2020 at 7:29 am

      5 stars
      I love such Instant Pot recipes. Delicious , Creamy and easy to make too. This is surely mouth melting.

      Reply
    7. Lorie Freeman says

      December 28, 2019 at 11:01 am

      5 stars
      This is a keto staple for me…I add broccoli and have used store bought roasted chicken and it’s amazing!

      Reply
      • Ester Hunter says

        March 27, 2020 at 11:14 pm

        I also used rotisserie chicken that I used. I had broccoli and will use it next time. This was great and I served it on a low carb spinach tortilla. Delish!!

        Reply
    8. Sam W says

      August 28, 2019 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is sitting in my crockpot now, waiting for dinner time. Of course I had to sample it. It’s amazing. What a great dish to make and I love not using the ranch packets! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Paulette B says

      June 12, 2019 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      Jennifer , I made your cracked chicken. It is one of my many favorites . Also the Cauliflower soup my family loves it too. I live in Florida, so we turn the air conditioning way down and eat your delicious soup.

      Reply
    10. Lance says

      January 20, 2019 at 11:32 pm

      4 stars
      Your macros or number of servings has to be off, 4oz of chicken breast alone has 35g of protein, you have 5 breasts that are at least 4oz (175g total). At 6 servings that is a minimum of 29g of protein, that doesn’t take into consideration the other ingredients. Just at a glance, it looks like this is closer to 10 servings. Regardless, this is an awesome recipe. . Thank you.

      Reply
    11. Elise J says

      January 10, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      OMG how have I gone my whole life without this dish!?! This is my second day on a keto diet and lady you just made it super easy to love this new lifestyle. TY, TY, TY! Btw served it over cauliflower rice. *bliss*

      Reply
    12. Lisa says

      January 09, 2019 at 11:26 am

      5 stars
      Hi, how much is in one serving?

      Reply
    13. Morgan Allen says

      November 16, 2018 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Cannot wait to try, just found your page and im obsessed! Def subscribed

      Instant pot question. I noticed you didnt ppace chicken on the trivet? No BURN notice? Im new to instant pot and thought you had to use trivet every time? Thanks

      Reply
    14. Alison says

      November 14, 2018 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      The whole family liked it! That is no small feat. Thanks.

      Reply
    15. Amy Grabowski says

      November 01, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is sitting in my crockpot now, waiting for dinner time. Of course I had to sample it. It’s amazing. What a great dish to make and I love not using the ranch packets! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    16. Marsha says

      September 07, 2018 at 10:50 am

      5 stars
      This looks and sounds absolutely amazing! Gotta try this soon!

      Reply
    17. Ashley F says

      September 07, 2018 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      This is SO crazy delicious — the whole family loves it!

      Reply

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