Crack Chicken Recipe
This Crack Chicken Recipe is filled with creamy, cheesy, delicious chicken breasts smothered in a winning combination of cream cheese, crispy bacon, and savory ranch seasoning. It's an easy, low-effort weeknight meal packed with maximum, ultra-comforting flavor!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese softened
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (1-ounce) packet Ranch seasoning mix or 1.5 tbsp homemade ranch seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 6 slices bacon cooked until crisp, chopped, and divided
- 1½ pounds thinly sliced chicken breasts (chicken cutlets) about 8 pieces
Instructions
Oven-Baked Crack Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a large oven-safe skillet or baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Make the cream cheese mixture: In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add in the cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Stir until fully combined.
- Add the cheese and bacon: Gently fold ¾ of the shredded cheddar cheese and ¾ of the cooked bacon bits into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Set aside.
- Season the chicken: Lightly season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared skillet or baking dish.
- Spread the cream cheese mix over the chicken: Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the chicken pieces.
- Top with the remain cheese and bacon: Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese and bacon over the top.
- Bake: Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.
- Broil for a golden finish: Set the oven to LOW broil, and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese turns golden brown on top. Check that the chicken is fully cooked (165℉ as measured with a digital meat thermometer) before serving.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Crockpot Crack Chicken
- Spray the bowl of a 4-qt or larger slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the ranch seasoning mix. Cover the chicken with the softened cubes of cream cheese and the canned cream of chicken soup.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours without opening the lid.
- After the 7-8 hours have finished, remove the lid and shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese and bacon bits over the top of the chicken and cover. Continue to cook for an additional 10-30 minutes, at least until the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs may used in place of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Canned Cream of Chicken Soup: The best substitute is homemade cream of chicken soup. You can also make a roux with equal parts melted butter and all-purpose flour, then gradually add chicken broth until the desired consistency is reached.
- This recipe is NOT officially considered a keto-approved recipe due to the canned cream of chicken soup.
- Store-bought ranch seasoning mix is great, but homemade is even better! You will need 1-1.5 tablespoons for this recipe.
- Cool leftovers before transferring to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For this recipe, I've found that reheating leftovers in the microwave yields the best results, but you can also reheat them in the oven.
- You can freeze this crack chicken recipe, however the cream cheese may separate after thawing and reheating. Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
Nutrition
Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1540mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1019IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 1mg
