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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 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
- 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
Equipment
- pressure cooker
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
Nutrition
Hi, can this be eaten cold as part of a salad or does it need to heated up?
After it’s been cooked you can eat it however you wish 🙂
Hello 🙂
We tried this last night. While the flavor was delicious, it was a bit runny. I did put semi-frozen chicken in the pot. So I think that moisture did not help…as well as added the 1/2c of water. Has anyone else had trouble with it being slightly runny?
Hi Stephanie,
I actually made it last night for my when they were in town. I used half frozen chicken and half fresh chicken. It did come out runny so I just added more shredded cheese and it made it thicker.
SO in love with this flavor combination, looks like a great weekday dinner!
Hi Samia,
We’re glad you loved it!
This keto chicken is the perfect combination of healthy and scrumptious that just gets you addicted with the very first bite!
I would love to make this BUT I do not have a pressure cooker, can I cook this any other way?
We have a slow cooker method in the blog post 🙂
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing the whole family loved it!
SO SO SO good! Exactly what I needed after several days of plain meat. Question… what is a serving size? One cup?
Liz, Thank yous so much for leaving a comment, we’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Each serving is slightly over 3/4 cup (about 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon).
Hi Faith, I’m looking for recipes all over the world, the chicken is a new experience in my kitchen
Didn’t taste as good as it sounded. A bit too salty despite adding the exact amount.
HI how many servings does this recipe make?
It serves 8 and makes about 7 cups
Can you use frozen chicken breast
Hi Sherry,
You can. We have directions for frozen chicken breasts in the post 🙂
Can you freeze it before making it? Or is it only freezable after cooking everything?
Tiffany, We haven’t tried freezing this before making it, but it freezes well after it’s made. If you give it a try freezing before cooking, please let us know how it goes!
Came out great. I just threw it in a crock pot. I did have to add some extra salt, but didnt change the recipe. I melted and mixed all the liquids and seasonings before dumping it on top of the raw chicken to make it easier. Seems a lot better than the recipes that have you use store bought ranch!
Delicious. Whole family devoured this. Will definitely make again and again.
HI Nikki,
We’re so glad your family loved it!
I just made this tonight with chicken mince. I used your keto cheese crackers and made some guacomale as well. ABSOLUTELY YUM!! My lips are still tingling. So quick, easy and delish!! Thank you guys!
Just bought an InstaPot because of this recipe. I had to substitute Chives bc the store did not have fresh Scallions.
That being said. I am amazed how well this turned out compared to how easy it was to make. Simple instructions!
So delicious, i am beside myself. Thank you!
Chris, You literally made our day! We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipe. 🙂
Hi, do the directions/times change if using a Crock Pot instead of the pressure cooker?
Hi Andy,
We actually wrote about this in the post. Here’s the crockpot directions, “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.”
I need to make this for a large group. Can I triple everything and throw in IP for same cook time? Thanks
Hi Dawn,
I’ve never tripled the recipe before, but I have doubled it. Maybe just double the water amount instead of tripling it? Please let us know how it turns out.
I am a little confused. In the description of what crack chicken is it says, ranch seasoning mix. However, in the recipe, ranch seasoning mix is not listed. Do we add this or omit it?
Hi Jessica,
We create our own ranch seasoning mix with individual ingredients so you don’t get the added carbs that come in the ranch mix.
I am so amazed at the quality of this recipe! Textures, flavors and OMG delish!
Hi Sandra,
We’re so glad you loved it!
Can you use lower fat cream cheese?
Meggan, Lower fat cream cheese will work in this recipe, but it will change the nutrition information.
I’m new at this. Can this be eaten cold and or room temp? I was thinking of putting this in Joseph’s mini pita pockets, kind of like chicken salad.
Alicia, We prefer this warm, but yes, it can also be eaten at room temperature. When it’s cold, it’s fairly stiff because of the cream cheese, but it can also be eaten cold. We hope you like it if you give it a try! 🙂
This sounds delish! I will be trying it this week. Do you think it would freeze well after cooking?
Coleen, Yes, this freezes very well! We like to freeze it in individual glass containers for days when we need a quick grab-and-go lunch (remember to pull it out of the freezer the night before). We hope you enjoy it if you give the recipe a try! 🙂
Hello!
Is there really 390 g of Saturated fat?
Danni, Sorry about that! No, the recipe card had some kind of glitch; it should be 14g saturated fat per serving, I just fixed it. Thanks for leaving a comment! 🙂
This is amazingly decadent and i cannot believe I can eat this and still be “on a diet”. I used chicken tenderloins in the Instapot and didn’t need to shred it at all – even my non-dieting family members loved this. I will make it again.
hello,
I am old fashion. I don’t know how to measure,when you say 0.19 , 0.38 cups. There is a lot of recipe I don’t use because of this.
Hi Doris, Thanks so much for leaving a comment! We aren’t sure what you mean because we don’t use measurements like that in this recipe. If the amount of cream cheese is the issue, 16 oz = 2 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese (because cream cheese is usually sold in 8-ounce blocks). Please let us know how we can help because we’d love for you to be able to try this!
Will this work leaving the chicken breasts either whole or in large pieces? I’m not fond of shredded chicken.
Viola, Yes, you can just skip the shredded step to leave the chicken breasts whole (please take a look at the video to see what I mean). Hope you enjoy the recipe if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Tried it tonight since it’s only me and hubby, I used two chicken breasts and one cream cheese. OMG it was so good! Thanks for the great recipe
Hi Donna,
We’re glad you loved the recipe!