Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, this Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe is sure to be a favorite family dinner.
This recipe is from our e-book, 20 Low-Carb Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes. In the e-book we call it “Better Than Crack Chicken”, which it really is! We switched up the seasoning a little (omitted the Ranch mix and added our own keto-friendly seasonings), and this takes it over the top in terms of deliciousness. Our e-book is now on sale on for just $4.99!
We’ve also included this ebook in our ULTIMATE KETO EBOOK BUNDLE for only $19.99. It includes all 9 of our ebooks and meal plans! If you love the ebooks, join our affiliate program and earn 40% on each ebook sale you refer!
What is Crack Chicken
The wildly popular Crack Chicken is actually pretty simple in its ingredient list: chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, scallion, and Ranch seasoning! The end result is creamy and rich, and packed with flavor. It’s proof that a recipe doesn’t have to be complicated to taste great. Crack Chicken is deliciously addictive, which is where the name comes from.
Using Frozen Chicken to Make Crack Chicken in an Instant Pot
A question we frequently get asked is whether you have to defrost boneless, skinless chicken breasts before making this recipe, or if you can just use them frozen. If you forgot to pull the chicken out of the freezer in the morning, we have good news for you! Crack Chicken can easily be made with frozen chicken. If using an Instant Pot, just add 5 minutes on to the cooking time (for a total of 20 minutes on Manual High Pressure).
Note that the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises against cooking frozen chicken in a slow cooker or crock pot because slow cookers cook at a low temperature and may not heat chicken up to 165F, which is the minimum temperature to destroy any dangerous bacteria and ensure that chicken is fully cooked. So if you’re using a crock pot or slow cooker to make Crack Chicken, make sure to defrost it first!
Crack Chicken Ingredients
- bacon
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- cream cheese
- water
- apple cider vinegar
- dried chives
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- dried dill
- salt
- black pepper
- shredded cheddar cheese
- scallion
Using Leftover Chicken to Make Crack Chicken
Sometimes we all have leftover chicken on hand that needs to be used up. Maybe you roasted a couple of chickens on the weekend to prep for the week ahead, maybe you had company over and grilled up too many chicken breasts.
Or maybe rotisserie chicken was on sale at your local grocery store and it was too good a bargain to pass up or you made some Instant Pot shredded chicken breasts. Whatever the reason, we all can use a few ideas on how to use up leftover chicken.
If you have cooked chicken in your fridge just waiting to used, we have good news for you! Leftover chicken works great for making Crack Chicken. If using an Instant Pot, keep the chicken breasts whole if possible (don’t pre-shred them), and decrease the cooking time to 5 minutes (for a total of 5 minutes on Manual High Pressure).
If you have left over crack chicken, it’s perfect to meal prep and take for lunch the next day!
How to Make Crack Chicken in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
One of the things we love most about Crack Chicken is that there are so many different ways you can make it! We love our electric pressure cooker, but if you’d rather throw everything together in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to dinner waiting for you, you’ll be happy to know that Crack Chicken can also be made in a crock pot.
To make Crack Chicken in a slow cooker, add the chicken and cream cheese to the slow cooker. Whisk together the water, vinegar, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dill, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and pour on top. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred it, and then add it back to the pot and stir in the cheddar. Cook the bacon in a skillet on the stovetop until crispy; cool the bacon and then crumble it on top.
How to make Crack Chicken in the Oven
After so many people have asked we made a keto baked crack chicken recipe! This recipe is just as good as our original keto crack chicken made in the instant pot!
How to Shred Cooked Chicken Breasts
There are a number of methods for shredding cooked chicken breasts, most of which take less than a minute! Choose the one that works best for you. Note that all of these methods work best when the chicken is still warm, so be sure to shred it before it cools, but not when it’s still too hot to safely handle.
Stand Mixer Method to Shred Chicken
Add the chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Put on the splatter guard. Turn the mixer on until the chicken is shredded, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Hand Mixer Method to Shred Chicken
Add the chicken to a large bowl. Beat the chicken on low speed with a handheld electric mixer until the chicken is shredded, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Food Processor Method to Shred Chicken
Add the chicken to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade (this dough blade is for this Cuisinart food processor).
High Speed Blender Method to Shred Chicken
Add the chicken to a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) and pulse a few times until the chicken is shredded.
Two Forks Method to Shred Chicken
Place the cooked chicken breasts onto a cutting board. Pierce the center of a piece of chicken with one fork and use the other fork to pull the chicken into shreds.
What Makes This Crack Chicken Keto/Low-Carb
The main ingredients in this recipe (chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon) are all part of a low-carb, ketogenic diet. We skipped the store-bought Ranch seasoning mix because it usually contains sugar, quite a bit of salt, and preservatives that we try to avoid if possible. Instead we used a keto-friendly mix of dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried dill, salt, and black pepper to season our Crack Chicken.
To keep this meal keto, an important thing to keep in mind is what you serve with this Crack Chicken; we share a few keto-friendly serving suggestions below.
In the photo above, our Crack Chicken is served “sandwich style” on Paleo Low Carb Sandwich Bread Rolls (Keto Buns)!
How to Serve Keto Crack Chicken (And Keep it Keto-Friendly)
Here are a few of our favorite keto-friendly ways to serve Crack Chicken:
- On top of zucchini noodles
- On a bed of baby spinach
- With a side of homemade guacamole
- Along with herbed cauliflower rice or cilantro lime cauliflower rice
- As sliders, using our favorite keto cheddar biscuits (the biscuit recipe is in our Freezer-Friendly Family Dinner Recipes e-book)
Other Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes you will love!
- Juicy Beef Brisket Recipe – Fall apart tender brisket made in the instant pot!
- Creamy Garlic Broccoli Mash – A delicious way to eat more vegetables on a keto diet.
- Low Carb Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chicken – Juicy dark meat in a rich creamy sauce.
- Low Carb Pot Roast – Made with radishes instead of potatoes (you won’t be able to tell the difference!).
- Instant Pot Beef Ribs – Perfect for summer barbecues.
- Cauliflower Soup with bacon and Cheddar cheese – You won’t be able to taste the cauliflower I swear!
- Keto Cheesecake – Great dessert to bring for friends and family gatherings!
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Pav Bhaji (Low Carb Indian Food) – To satisfy your craving for Indian food!
- Low Carb Instant Pot Pot Roast – We use radishes instead of potatoes!
- Instant Pot Keto Cinnamon Rolls – Perfect for lazy Sunday Mornings!
- Instant Pot low Carb Chili – great to warm you up on those cold winter nights!
Also, here is a round up post we created sharing other bloggers favorite low carb instant pot recipes.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, check out this post we wrote on our favorite Instant Pot Accessories!
5 Day Keto Meal Plan On a Budget
This crack chicken recipe can be made super cheap! And if you’re looking for other budget friendly keto recipes, check out our 5 Day Keto Meal Plan. This keto meal plan is great for people looking to do keto on a budget. With our keto budget meal plan you can eat for less than $5 per day!
Easy Chicken Recipes you need to try!
- Low Carb Indian Butter Chicken
- Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Keto BBQ Chicken Salad Bowls
- Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Leftover Chicken Bone Broth Soup
- Copycat Alice Springs Chicken
If you’re big into meal prepping, we have something for you! We wrote a post about keto chicken meal prep that you may enjoy!
If you loved this post or any of our recipes, please leave a comment below. We love hearing from you! You can also tag #theketoqueens on social media. To stay up-to-date, FOLLOW US on Instagram @theketoqueens, Twitter, and Facebook.
Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon chopped
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (2 oz)
- 1 scallion green and white parts, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Turn pressure cooker on, press “Sauté”, and wait 2 minutes for the pot to heat up. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Press “Cancel” to stop sautéing. (See Note.)
- Add the chicken, cream cheese, water, vinegar, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dill, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Turn the pot on Manual, High Pressure for 15 minutes and then do a quick release.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a large plate, shred it with 2 forks, and return it back to the pot.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese.
- Top with the crispy bacon and scallion, and serve.
Notes
Shenetha says
What is dill?
Faith Gorsky says
Shenetha, Dill is an herb, you can find it either fresh (in the produce area) or dried (in the spice area). You might know the flavor from dill pickles!
Shenetha says
Thank you!
Ciclo de Carboidratos says
That looks delicious
Lara says
Thank you!
Laura says
This was delicious! I didn’t have any trouble with burning, maybe because I put the water in first and the cream cheese on top of the chicken. My family loved it! Thank you!
Faith Gorsky says
Laura, We’re so happy to hear that this recipe worked well for you and it was a hit with your family!! 🙂
Rachel Skoog says
All I can say is WOW! Super creamy, easy to make, and delicious!
Faith Gorsky says
Rachel, We’re so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
geebz says
Made this last night and it was quite delicious. I did half the recipe and didn’t have any issues what so ever. I will be booking marking your site and using the GREAT keto Instant Pot recipes.
I may have to grab that book!
Faith Gorsky says
Geebz, We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe and that it worked well when it was halved! Happy Instant Pot cooking! 🙂
Angela says
Thank you for this recipe ive made it twice the first time in a crock (no ip) tried to sub apple cider vinegar with reg vinegar and apple pie seasoning…. not a good idea it wasn’t bad but not recommended second time was in the oven with a rotisserie chicken mixed the cheese and spices in the pan I fried the bacon in and them baked for 20 min just long enough to get hot. So very very good
Faith Gorsky says
Angela, We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and that you were able to use crockpot and a rotisserie chicken to make it! Yeah, we definitely don’t recommend using apple pie seasoning here. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, we’d recommend using rice vinegar or even red wine vinegar.
Angela says
Thank you for this recipe
Sherrie says
Yummy! I used 2 fat chicken breasts and had to cook twice as long. The only change I’d make next time is no red pepper flakes. Otherwise I loved it! Tastes good cold even as leftovers.
Faith Gorsky says
Sherrie, We’re so happy you liked this, it’s one of our favorites! Love the idea of serving it cold, maybe as a dip – yum!
Juan Rendón says
How do I obtain a spanish book??
Lara says
Currently we do not have the books available in Spanish – it is on our to do list though 🙂
Sarah says
If I wanted to use the ranch packet instead of the spices in the recipe, would I just use one packet? Is there anything else I would need to add or omit?
Faith Gorsky says
Sarah, To make this recipe using the ranch packet, I would do the following: 1) Omit the following: apple cider vinegar, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, dill, salt, and black pepper. 2) Use 2 ranch packets. 3) Increase the water to 1 to 1 1/2 cups (because the ranch packets are likely to contain thickeners). If you make the recipe with these changes, please let us know how it goes!
Christi says
We got our instant pot tonight & this is the first thing I made…it was AMAZING! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Faith Gorsky says
Christi, We are so happy you enjoyed it, thank you so much for letting us know! 🙂
Adriana says
I recently started on a strict keto diet 20g carbs a day. This so far has been the best meal I have tried. It really is so delicious! It doesn’t feel like anything is missing but I do plan on making some type of keto bread or tortilla to put it on. Thanks!
Faith Gorsky says
Adriana, We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for letting us know! We like to serve it on a slice of our favorite keto bread.
Debra Petties says
Thank you for this recipe that’s Keto friendly. I was about to make a run to the grocer to get powedered buttermilk but your recipe sounds much better and more Keto friendly! Having this with a big salad😊
Faith Gorsky says
Debra, Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy it! This would be delicious with a big salad! 🙂
Gina says
How can I make this using bone in chicken thighs? That’s all I have in my freezer right now. TIA! 🙂
Faith Gorsky says
Gina, We recommend cooking the chicken thighs first, pulling the chicken meat off, and then combining it with everything else. To cook the creamy sauce on the stovetop, we recommend crisping the bacon in a saucepan and then removing it and adding the water and spices. Once the water is simmering, add the cream cheese a bit at a time (slightly softened would probably work best), whisking until it’s incorporated. Cooked this way, you may need to add a splash more liquid (water or broth, if you prefer) to the sauce, because some of the liquid will evaporate off as the cream cheese melts down. Finally, stir in the cooked shredded chicken and shredded cheddar, and serve! If you try it this way, please let us know how it goes!
Laura Gray says
Wow!! This was sooo good! Tried another crack chicken recipe with a ranch packet and had to throw away the leftovers…no one would eat them. This, however is much better!! Didn’t change recipe other than use pre cooked bacon that I cut up. Probably would be better with the grease involved, however, this is AWESOME!! Also, my chicken tenders were still 3/4 frozen and I didn’t adjust time. They were just fine. Thanks for sharing!! A def do over say myself, hubby, and kids!!!
Lara says
Laura,
We are so happy you and your family loved the recipe!
Jill says
I read through most of the comments and deglazed the instant pot after cooking the bacon, laid the chicken breasts in the pot so there was no stacking, cut softened cream cheese into cubes and dropped them in, sprinkled seasonings over everything. After pressure cooking for 15 minutes, I did the manual release (smelled so good), took off the lid, and…the chicken isn’t even close to being cooked all the way through! It wasn’t frozen. What happened?
I’m new to using IP so I’ve just started it over and am cooking it for another 15 minutes. We’ll see what happens, but I was a little bit shocked that the chicken wasn’t cooked through.
Kiana says
Made this the other day and it was really yummy and oh so easy! I did use a ranch packet instead of all the spices it called for and after the chicken was cooked the sauce looked too watery so I took the chicken out and turned the sauté button on and cooked it for about 10 minutes to get rid of the extra liquid. Will for sure make this again.
Lara says
Hi Kiana,
We’re so happy you loved it!
Mikayla says
Hi. On a lazy day, could a packet of ranch dressing replace any of the ingredients? Which ones? Thx!
Lara says
Hi Mikayla,
On a lazy day you can substitute out all of the dry seasonings for a ranch packet. If you want a little bit of a kick you can add in the red pepper flakes along with the ranch packet.
Nancy says
If I leave out the apple cider vinegar and the dill, will the taste be greatly affected?
Faith Gorsky says
Nancy, We added those ingredients to help simulate the flavor of a ranch packet (which is a traditional ingredient in Crack Chicken). Yours will have have a little less tang (from vinegar) and a little less brightness (from dill), but it should still be delicious. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
boogles says
I made this last night… 6 chicken breasts… 4 blocks of cream cheese.. a entire pack of bacon for the top.. for just my GF and me.. we have lunch for the whole week now hahah! and it was AMAZING! Great recipe and now I learned how to use a instant pot cooker for the first time ever! Thanks!!
Faith Gorsky says
Boogles, We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! Love that you used this recipe to break in your Instant Pot…this was also one of the first recipes I made in my IP and I was hooked after that, lol!
Erin Douglas says
Can this be made in the oven and if so what would they me temp be?
Lara says
We haven’t tried making it in the oven before
Tami says
I have made it twice and the first time it rocked! The second time it came out soupy? I used fresh chicken the first time and a 2 lb bag of chicken the second time, I think they add water when they flash freeze chicken breast. How long should I sauté on low to reduce the liquid? I am new to instant pot, tia
Faith Gorsky says
Tami, We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed this!! Yes, frozen chicken definitely would definitely add more water to this dish than using fresh chicken! It shouldn’t take more than 3 to 5 minutes to reduce the sauce using the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Be sure to stir it frequently (almost constantly) so it doesn’t burn.
Bridget polkey says
Is this gluten free
Faith Gorsky says
Bridget, It sure is! We hope you enjoy it if you give it a try. 🙂
Caryn says
This is so good! I make it in my crockpot and my family loves it!
I made it the other day with beef stew meat (seasoned with garlic and herbs and beef bouillon) and served it over spaghetti squash. Another family favorite. Next time I will add mushrooms as it is like a beef stroganoff.
Lara says
Hi Caryn,
We are so happy you loved it!
Sophia says
Seared and seasoned the chicken in a pan for a few minutes before adding to Crock-Pot. I love that there is no ranch sauce in the recipe but triple the flavor! Cooked on high for 4 hrs – chicken flaked to the touch, so tender! Added a pat of organic Kerrygold butter and parsley to the mix. I’m keeping this, it’s 5 star!
Debbie says
I am venturing into trying new keto recipes and this one looks so yummy. So far I have lost 36 pounds but I have stuck to real basic menu plans like salad and protein. I am not a fan of chicken breast and wanted to use thighs but I only have bone-in thighs. Can you use those in the pressure cooker?
Faith Gorsky says
Debbie, Congrats on your weight loss, that’s awesome! We haven’t tried this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs, but if you want to use them to make this recipe we recommend cooking the thighs in the oven and then pulling the meat off the bone, shredded it, and mixing it with the sauce. The objective with this recipe is to cook the chicken (any way you like, poached, baked, grilled, or even rotisserie) until it can be shredded, and then mix the shredded chicken with the creamy sauce. To cook the creamy sauce on the stovetop, we recommend crisping the bacon in a saucepan and then removing it and adding the water and spices. Once the water is simmering, add the cream cheese a bit at a time (slightly softened would probably work best), whisking until it’s incorporated. Cooked this way, you may need to add a splash more liquid (water or broth, if you prefer) to the sauce, because some of the liquid will evaporate off as the cream cheese melts down. Finally, stir in the cooked shredded chicken and shredded cheddar, and serve! If you try it this way, please let us know how it goes!
Danette says
If you put it over baby spinach is the spinach cooked?
Faith Gorsky says
Danette, It’s up to your personal preference! We’ve served this over salad greens for a hot and cold salad, and it’s delicious. Take note that the raw greens will wilt a bit because of the heat of the chicken. Let us know how it goes if you make it!
Kevin says
Your cooking time on the chicken is way off. I’d say it’s more like 30 min if you do 2.5-3lbs lbs (most packages are 1.5lbs for the small or 5-7lbs for large)
Faith Gorsky says
Kevin, Thanks so much for leaving a comment! We’ve tested this recipe several times and it always works perfectly as written; 2lbs chicken, 15 minutes on Manual High Pressure in an Instant Pot. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!