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Home Recipes Main Course Chicken

Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe

crack chicken featured image
Posted on April 9, 2018 By Faith Gorsky
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, this Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe is sure to be a favorite family dinner.

Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken in White Bowl on Dark Metal Tray

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!

In This Article

  • What is Crack Chicken
  • Using Frozen Chicken to Make Crack Chicken in an Instant Pot
  • Crack Chicken Ingredients 
  • Using Leftover Chicken to Make Crack Chicken
  • How to Make Crack Chicken in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
  • How to make Crack Chicken in the Oven
  • How to Shred Cooked Chicken Breasts
  • What Makes This Crack Chicken Keto/Low-Carb
  • How to Serve Keto Crack Chicken (And Keep it Keto-Friendly)
  • Other Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes you will love!
  • Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe

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

image of the ingredients used to make crack chicken

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!

fully baked chicken topped with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallions in a glass baking dish

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.

image of crack chicken in a casserole dish for serving

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.

Crack Chicken on Keto Buns

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!

5 day budget plan jumpstart

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!

Close Up of Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken with Bacon and Scallion on Top

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 in White Bowl on Dark Metal Tray

Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe

Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, this Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe is sure to be a favorite family dinner.
Author: Faith
Servings: 8 servings (yields about 7 cups total)
Calories: 380
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Print Pin Rate

What You'll Need

  • 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

We've tested this recipe upwards of 10 times and have never had the burn warning come on; however, several readers have had the warning come on, so we want to give a tip. In step 1 of the Instructions above, after removing the bacon from the pot, we recommend adding a splash of water, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom to deglaze the pan. After that, continue on with step 1 and press "Cancel" to stop sauteing.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 146mg49%
Sodium 473mg21%
Potassium 527mg15%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 980IU20%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 116mg12%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crack Chicken, keto crack chicken, Keto Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheKetoQueens or tag #TheKetoQueens!

 

 

Faith Gorsky Cookbook Author Food Stylist and Photographer and Recipe Developer

Hi! I'm Faith.

I'm a lawyer turned food stylist. I would like to help you simplify and demystify the ketogenic diet for real world success and health.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Whitney says

    5 stars
    I added cauliflower and greek yogurt to the dish and used that to thicken the broth for the soup. It was delicious!

    Question though… When I put this meal into my Carb Manager App (it actually had “crack chicken – the keto queens”) The number of calories and carbs was much much higher than I anticipated. I am new at this Keto thing and didn’t realize that this would be so high in calories and carbs. (1.5 cups = 5,244cal and 52g of carbs) Is that right or does the app have it wrong?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      YUM! The app has it wrong. That’s so weird. We have nutrition information in the recipe card 🙂

      Reply
  2. samia says

    4 stars
    SO in love with this flavor combination, looks like a great weekday dinner!

    Reply
    • Lara says

      Hi Samia,

      We’re glad you loved it!

      Reply
  3. Veronica L @ Sharktank says

    5 stars
    This keto chicken is the perfect combination of healthy and scrumptious that just gets you addicted with the very first bite!

    Reply
  4. Annette L. Venditti says

    I would love to make this BUT I do not have a pressure cooker, can I cook this any other way?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      We have a slow cooker method in the blog post 🙂

      Reply
    • Kristin says

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing the whole family loved it!

      Reply
  5. Liz says

    SO SO SO good! Exactly what I needed after several days of plain meat. Question… what is a serving size? One cup?

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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).

      Reply
  6. Myriam says

    4 stars
    Hi Faith, I’m looking for recipes all over the world, the chicken is a new experience in my kitchen

    Reply
  7. Laura says

    3 stars
    Didn’t taste as good as it sounded. A bit too salty despite adding the exact amount.

    Reply
  8. Lorraine Hilton says

    HI how many servings does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      It serves 8 and makes about 7 cups

      Reply
  9. Sherry says

    Can you use frozen chicken breast

    Reply
    • Lara says

      Hi Sherry,

      You can. We have directions for frozen chicken breasts in the post 🙂

      Reply
    • Dawn says

      Sherry, I made this tonight in my instant pot using frozen boneless chicken thighs. I just added 5 minutes to the cook time. Came out fully cooked through.

      Reply
  10. Tiffany says

    Can you freeze it before making it? Or is it only freezable after cooking everything?

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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!

      Reply
    • Jacqueline Dudley says

      4 stars
      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!

      Reply
    • Nikki says

      5 stars
      Delicious. Whole family devoured this. Will definitely make again and again.

      Reply
      • Lara says

        HI Nikki,

        We’re so glad your family loved it!

  11. Lyndel says

    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!

    Reply
  12. Chris Johnson says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      Chris, You literally made our day! We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Andy says

    Hi, do the directions/times change if using a Crock Pot instead of the pressure cooker?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      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.”

      Reply
  14. Dawn says

    I need to make this for a large group. Can I triple everything and throw in IP for same cook time? Thanks

    Reply
    • Lara says

      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.

      Reply
  15. Jessica says

    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?

    Reply
    • Lara says

      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.

      Reply
  16. Sandra Grafe says

    5 stars
    I am so amazed at the quality of this recipe! Textures, flavors and OMG delish!

    Reply
    • Lara says

      Hi Sandra,

      We’re so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  17. Meggan Stanton says

    Can you use lower fat cream cheese?

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      Meggan, Lower fat cream cheese will work in this recipe, but it will change the nutrition information.

      Reply
  18. Alicia says

    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.

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Coleen says

    This sounds delish! I will be trying it this week. Do you think it would freeze well after cooking?

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Danni P says

    Hello!
    Is there really 390 g of Saturated fat?

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  21. Lisa T says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  22. Doris says

    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.

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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!

      Reply
  23. Viola says

    Will this work leaving the chicken breasts either whole or in large pieces? I’m not fond of shredded chicken.

    Reply
    • Faith Gorsky says

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  24. Donna says

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Lara says

      Hi Donna,
      We’re glad you loved the recipe!

      Reply
  25. Claudia says

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. We lay it on spinach.

    Reply
    • Lara says

      We’re glad you love it!

      Reply
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Hello! Whether you’re a keto newbie, already keto-adapted, or just keto-curious, you’re in the right place. Here at The Keto Queens, we share keto lifestyle tips, informative tidbits, and of course tasty low carb and keto recipes that your whole family will love. We want to inspire you, and show you that you can do this! Welcome to the family.

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