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This easy Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is ready in no time with tender, juicy shredded chicken and lots of cheesy ranch and bacon flavor! Perfect as a sandwich, over mashed potatoes, or just on it’s own!
I’m not sure who first created crack chicken, but it started popping up all over the internet a few years back and it quickly became a family favorite!
The Chicken Sandwich of Your Dreams
Pretty sure every blogger out there has a version of this crack chicken recipe, but I wanted to share mine because we think it’s pretty darn good – plus, it’s made in the Instant Pot in less than 45 minutes and who doesn’t love a quick dinner?
What is crack chicken, you ask? Oh, no big deal, it’s just tender chicken that’s been coated in cream cheese and ranch seasoning and topped off with cheddar and bacon crumbles. <— Okay, yeah, it’s a big deal.
It’s SIMPLE, but it packs a huge punch of flavor that everyone seems to love and the saucy goodness just makes you want to keep coming back for more.
This reminds me a bit of our Mississippi Chicken, just because it’s so easy to toss together and everyone always ask for the recipe after trying it.
If you’ll recall, I just shared a recipe for Crack Chicken Casserole not too long ago! We’re obsessed with these flavors!
Ingredients & Swaps:
Chicken – I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs will work just as well if you prefer dark meat.
Ranch Seasoning – You’ll want to be sure to use the SEASONING mix and not the DIP mix. The dip has a lot more sodium and will result in a much saltier final product. We buy shaker bottles of the stuff.
Cream Cheese – You’ll need a block of cream cheese. This is the base of the sauce.
Chicken Broth – We use broth to add liquid to the pressure cooker. This also adds a bit of flavor.
Add Ins – We like to mix in plenty of shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and green onions. You can swap the green onion for chives (more mild flavor) or leave them out entirely for picky eaters.
Why We Love This Recipe:
The chicken cooks quickly in the Instant Pot and comes out so tender! The cream cheese melts down into a rich, creamy sauce, and the ranch, cheddar, and bacon are universal favorites.
How To:
Prepare: To start you’ll need to add the boneless skinless chicken breasts to the Instant Pot along with the chicken broth, brick of cream cheese and the ranch seasoning. That’s really all you need to do to prepare this crack chicken recipe. Simple!
Pressure Cook: You can now place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Let the cheesy chicken cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
Finish: When the pressure cooking has finished remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with a fork. It should be juicy and fork tender. In the pot, whisk the liquid and cream cheese together until it is smooth and creamy.
Now you can return the shredded chicken to the pot and add in the remaining ingredients including the cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. Stir it well to combine and serve this Instant Pot crack chicken while it’s good and hot!
Helpful Tip!
Cream Cheese
It goes against everything I’ve learned about the Instant Pot to pressure cook dairy (the cream cheese), but in this instance, IT WORKS! The cream cheese might look a little funny when you remove the chicken, but whisk it well and it’ll all come together to create a smooth sauce.
FAQs:
Well, it’s pretty addictive! All that creamy cheese, chicken, and ranch seasoning with the bacon is pretty hard to resist.
Yes, our Instant Pot Crack Chicken is low carb and keto friendly. Serve it in a lettuce wrap or over cauliflower rice.
Yes, this recipe will freeze well. Let it cool completely before storing in a freezer safe bag for up to a few months. Re-heat in the microwave or oven after thawing.
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
- 8 slices bacon fried and crumbled
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
- 4 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, brick of cream cheese, and ranch seasoning to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with a fork.
- Whisk the liquid and cream cheese together in the pot until smooth and creamy.
- Return the chicken to the pot along with the cheddar, bacon, and green onions. Stir to combine.
Eileen says
You never say what size instant pot, I have a 3,a 6, and an 8 I was thing 1/2 cup liquid would be a 3.
Karly Campbell says
I use a 6 quart. 🙂
Kathryn Gower says
Can this be done in a crockpot. Don’t have a instant pot.
Karly Campbell says
Yes, I would basically follow the directions but leave out the chicken broth and cook for 3-4 hours on low in the slow cooker.
CHRISTOPHER ALEY COX says
Sounds amazing – I don’t have an Instant Pot – Can this be made in a slow cooker??
Karly Campbell says
Absolutely! Skip the chicken broth altogether, but otherwise follow the directions. Cook for 3-4 hours on low until the chicken shreds apart. 🙂
Jill Wall says
I don’t have an Instapot or an air fryer. Could you possibly give suggestions for just basic cooking methods for those of us that don’t have those gadgets? Have a crockpot, but that’s as fancy as I get?
Karly Campbell says
Absolutely! Skip the chicken broth altogether, but otherwise follow the directions and add to a slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on low until the chicken shreds apart. Continue on with the cheese and bacon. ?