This Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is a delicious, low carb dinner packed with flavor from cream cheese, ranch, and bacon! Whether you’re on a keto diet or not, your family will LOVE this meal.
This post was originally published in October 2019. It was updated with new photos and new instructions in January 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
- Texture- Rice and creamy cheese base, perfect blend of seasonings too.
- Taste- Juicy tender chicken flavored with ranch seasoning.
- Top Tips: Don’t forget to deglaze the bottom of your Instant Pot! This helps prevent the dreaded burn notice.
- Cooking Method: Recipe created in a 6 quart Instant Pot. Don’t have one? No problem. Scroll down to see my stove top and slow cooker instructions.
If you love low carb meals, be sure to give this Keto Soup recipe a try, it’s a delicious twist on Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup.
Often I find our family gets in a dinner time rut.
Baked Tacos on Tuesdays. Instant Pot Spaghetti on Wednesday. Meatloaf on Thursday. Instant Pot Pot Roast on Sunday. You get the point.
If you feel the same, you know what can break that dinner time blues? Crack Chicken.
If you haven’t tried this addictive chicken recipe, do it NOW.
Not only is it easy made in the instant pot…but I can show you how to make it in a skillet on the stove or in your crock pot!
Packed with cream cheese, ranch, and bacon, you’ll love this naturally low carb dish. Although my family loves it served piled high on a bun!
Featured Review
“I’m actually not on the keto diet but I wouldn’t have know anyway if this was a “diet” recipe because it’s so good.” – Trang
How to Make Crack Chicken
Sear the chicken and bacon.
- Select “SAUTE” and add diced, raw bacon to the Instant Pot. Cook until desired crispness (we like ours crunchy)! Remove when cooked and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add oil to pressure cooker and add seasoned chicken thighs to the hot oil. Cook for 2 minutes each side.
Pressure cook.
- While chicken is cooking, combine cream cheese with one package of ranch seasoning. Hit cancel when chicken is done browning. Add broth to Instant Pot and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot (this will prevent the burn notice from appearing).
- Top chicken with cream cheese and ranch mixture. Secure lid and turn to High Pressure for 12 minutes.
Shred chicken and thicken sauce.
- When cook time ends, do a quick release. Remove chicken and shred.
- Stir shredded chicken back into the sauce and allow to thicken on it’s own for several minutes. To serve, add cooked bacon, green onions, and parsley. ENJOY!
Want to make this a meal? Try my Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta recipe. Perfect if you’re not counting carbs!
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Combine cream cheese with ranch seasoning. Add chicken to slow cooker and top with cream cheese mixture. No need to add liquid. Cook on low for 5 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred. Return it to the sauce and add cooked and crumbled bacon, green onions, and parsley.
- If sauce is too thin, make a slurry or cornstarch and water and add to crock pot. Heat for several minutes (if your crockpot has a saute button) or cook on high for 30 minutes).
- If sauce is too thick, add a splash of chicken broth and mix it in until desired consistency.
Stove Top Crack Chicken
- To cook crack chicken on the stove top, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add diced bacon and chicken. Cook until chicken is completely heated through, about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Internal temperature of chicken should be 165 degrees F
- Add 1/4 cup broth, cream cheese, and ranch seasoning to skillet. Cook on low until cheese is melted and smooth.
- Fold in shredded chicken and bacon, top with green onions and parsley.
How to serve Crack Chicken
If you’re following a low carb or keto diet, Crack Chicken is a delicious, tasty meal all on it’s own. Scoop and serve on a bed of greens, zoodles, or cauliflower rice!
- Keto Crack chicken is also a great DIP for vegetables!
- Or you can add ALL THE CARBS and serve it on a bun or soft pretzel roll.
- Crack Chicken is also delicious served on a plate of mashed potatoes!
- Makes a great dip served with homemade bagel chips.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. No matter the cooking method, in the instant pot, slow cooker, or skillet, allow chicken mixture to cool completely. Store in an airtight ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Absolutely. I prefer the boneless skinless thighs for this recipe. No need to change the time either!
Using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165 degrees F.
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Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 green onions sliced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Select "SAUTE" and add diced, raw bacon to the Instant Pot. Cook until desired crispness! Remove when cooked and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add oil to pressure cooker and add seasoned chicken thighs to the hot oil. Brown for 2 minutes each side.
- While chicken is cooking, combine cream cheese with ranch seasoning.
- Hit cancel when chicken is done browning. Add broth to Instant Pot and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot (this will prevent the burn notice from appearing).
- Top chicken with cream cheese and ranch mixture. Secure lid and turn to High Pressure for 12 minutes.
- When cook time ends, do a quick release. Remove chicken and shred. Stir shredded chicken back into the sauce and allow to thicken on it’s own for several minutes.
- To serve, add cooked bacon, green onions, and parsley. ENJOY!
Notes
- Recipe tested in 6 quart Instant Pot.
- Use rotisserie chicken or homemade shredded chicken and skip step 1-2.
- No matter the cooking method, in the instant pot, slow cooker, or skillet, allow chicken mixture to cool completely. Store in an airtight ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- I prefer the boneless skinless thighs for this recipe instead of breasts. No need to change the time either!
Video
Nutrition
This Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is a delicious, low carb dinner packed with flavor from cream cheese, ranch, and bacon! Whether you’re on a keto diet or not, your family will LOVE this meal.
Why is called “crack” chicken?
I bet because it’s as good as crack cocaine!
Would it be okay without cream cheese ? We cannot have dairy – thanks
I’m actually not on the keto diet but I wouldn’t have known anyway if this was a “diet” recipe because it’s so good!
I love cooking in an electric pressure cooker, I do it 3-5 times a week. Bacon ranch is a great flavor combination for chicken, my family loves when I make it.
Do you dump out the bacon grease after your done cooking the bacon?
I do, but it’s a judgement call 🙂
How do I get the measurements for your recipes? You have gret ideas but I never know how much of the ingredients to use.
Every recipe on my website has a recipe card at the very end of the blog post. You have to scroll to the end 🙂
Can this be prepared in a slow cooker, or in a dutch oven on top of the stove?
if so can you give the instructions?
These instructions are written in the blog post above the recipe card 🙂
Do you increase liquid to double the recipe?