Cracked Chicken Sandwiches are the best crock pot dinner with so many ways to serve. It only has 7 ingredients and a 15 minute prep time, making it quick and easy.
These sandwiches are packed full of mouthwatering cheesy chicken, and with a quick preparation, these are perfect for any busy night.
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Why this Crockpot Crack Chicken Sandwiches Recipe is a Keeper
Crack chicken recipes are time saving delicious dinner ideas. There’s so many ways to serve it, it comes together quickly and it’s great for meal prepping.
- 15 Minute Prep: Before letting the crock pot take over, you’ll need 15 minutes to prepare the best sandwiches.
- Easy Ingredients: You’ll only need 7 easy ingredients to make this instant pot favorite.
- Family Friendly: Everyone, even the kids, will love this crack dip. It will quickly become a family favorite crockpot recipe.
- Adaptable: Feel free to add any other ingredients you like to this crockpot chicken.
- Makes Great Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge to make crack chicken casserole later with noodles.
If you’re looking for more crock pot recipes, try these Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, Crock Pot Turkey and Stuffing and Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas.
Why Do they Call it Crack Chicken?
It’s called crack chicken simply because it’s so delicious. Once you have had crack chicken, you’ll understand how addictive and delicious it can be!
Ingredient Notes for this Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
You will need just a few simple ingredients to make this chicken crack recipes. All of the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store, or may be ones you have on hand already.
- Chicken Breasts: Use 2½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts to make these delicious crack chicken sliders.
- Cream Cheese: You’ll need two 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese for this crack chicken sliders recipe. You can also use plain greek yogurt or sour cream instead of cream cheese!
- Ranch Dressing Mix: A packet of ranch seasoning works best to give this recipe that yummy ranch flavor.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Crock Pot Crack Chicken with Bacon
There’s a few easy substitutions or variations that you can make to this recipe. Some of which include making it lower in fat or using different cuts of chicken.
- Cream Cheese: Feel free to opt for a low fat or fat free cream cheese to lower the fat content in this chicken sandwiches crock pot recipe.
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs tend to give meals a bit more flavor and are usually less expensive than chicken breasts.
Special Equipment Needed for this Shredded Chicken Recipe
- Crock Pot: We are using a crock pot or slow cooker in this recipe. A crock pot makes this recipe easy since you can throw your ingredients in, turn it on and let it work it’s magic!
Crockpot Chicken Pro Tip
Searing meat in a pan before adding it to the crock pot adds depth of flavor. This caramelizes the surface, creating a richer taste that translates to the final dish.
How to Make Crack Chicken Sandwiches
This chicken crack recipe comes together in just 3 simple steps. It’s so easy to make and perfect for when you don’t want to cook.
These are the basic steps for making Crock Pot Crack Chicken Sandwiches. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Cook Chicken in Crock Pot
Spray your crockpot with non-stick spray, and add the chicken breast into the bottom. Sprinkle over the ranch seasoning mix, and place the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours, or cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Cook Bacon in Oven
Before cooking finishes, cook the bacon as desired, we bake ours on a rack in the oven at 400°F for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and chop the bacon and onion.
3. Add Cheese, Bacon and Onion
30 minutes before cooking finishes, open the slow cooker and sprinkle the cup of shredded cheddar over top. Put the crock pot lid back on, and allow the cheese to melt.
When creamy chicken is cooked, shred the chicken and stir in chopped crispy bacon and green onion.
Crack Chicken Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
Store this slow cooker crack chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat in the microwave 1 minute at a time. I like to stir in between to make sure everything is being heated evenly.
You can use all kinds of bread for this instant pot crack chicken recipe. You should try sesame buns, regular bread, tortillas, Hawaiian rolls, wheat bread or whatever you like.
Yes! Leave out the bun and swap for a lettuce wrap, KETO bread or treat it as a dip and have your favorite veggies with it.
Sure! If you get real bacon bits it can be an easy short cut, but using bacon that you made yourself is always better.
Expert Tips Recipe to Make Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Sandwiches
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd, simply increase the ingredients proportionately. If your crock pot is big enough, go ahead and double it in there.
- Spice: To add some spice, use cayenne pepper or jalapenos.
- Different Cheese: Try using a blend of different shredded cheeses rather than just shredded cheddar cheese.
- Shredding Tip: Chicken shreds so much quicker when you use a hand held mixer!
- How to Serve: Put into quesadillas, on top of salads or baked potatoes.
- Thin it Down: If your ranch chicken mixture is a little too thick, you can thin it down with a cup of chicken broth.
- Toppings: Top with some extra onions, cheese and bacon! You can also top with whatever else you like, try this recipe with some sour cream or ranch dressing.
What Side Dish to Serve with Crack Chicken
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Crock Pot Cracked Chicken Sandwiches
Equipment
- Hand mixer or two forks
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Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1 ounce packet Ranch seasoning mix
- 2 8 ounce blocks Cream cheese, cubed
- 8 to 10 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1½ cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Green onions, sliced
- 8 Hamburger buns, for serving
Instructions
- Lightly coat the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken breasts in an even layer in the bottom.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over the chicken. Top with the cubed cream cheese.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- About 30 minutes before the cooking time is complete, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the chicken mixture. Cover and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.
- Using two forks or a hand mixer, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Stir until the chicken, cream cheese, and melted cheese are fully combined.
- Stir in the crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.
- Spoon the chicken mixture onto hamburger buns and serve warm.
Christina’s Notes
If the mixture seems too thick after stirring, add up to 1 cup of chicken broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Try different cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or a cheddar blend for a different flavor.
Add diced jalapeños, crushed red pepper flakes, or a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.
This filling is also delicious served over baked potatoes, rice, nachos, or in quesadillas.
Assemble the chicken, ranch seasoning, and cream cheese in the slow cooker insert the night before. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then place the insert into the slow cooker and begin cooking the next day.
Store leftover cracked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze the cooled chicken mixture in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.