Break out the pressure cooker for this quick 30-minute dinner. Instant Pot Crack Chicken, otherwise known as chicken bacon ranch is SO easy & delicious.
Are you tight on time? I hear you! Between all the things the kids have going on & all the running around, I need dinner to be quick & easy. Fortunately, the pressure cooker helps in that department.
Dump & go Instant Pot dinners are my FAVORITE THING & this Instant Pot Crack Chicken is positively INCREDIBLE! So full of flavor, not complicated at all & everyone is begging for more. You really can’t beat that.
When it comes to recipes that we naturally gravitate towards, it is always going to be the ones that everyone begs for & that is super simple to make. If I can dump it all in the pressure cooker & have dinner pretty much done in less than 30 minutes, it is a keeper.
Have you ever had crack chicken before? Obviously, it doesn’t contain crack, but the joke that it is so good that people crave it like nothing else is where the name came from. It is also known as chicken bacon ranch – which is a pretty tasty flavor combo if you ask me. You just can’t go wrong with ranch & chicken together. But then adding bacon – that seals the deal when it comes to family favorites.
crack chicken recipe
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Honestly, making chicken in the instant pot has been a game-changer for me. It used to be that I would remember that I needed to come up with something for dinner around lunch time. By then it was way too late to toss anything in the slow cooker because I had also forgotten to thaw anything. So there I was looking at a bunch of frozen food & very little time.
The fact that I can take frozen chicken & have dinner in such a short amount of time is pretty remarkable if you ask me. Pressure cooker dinners have certainly changed life around here & we have to eat out a whole lot less.
This is especially true now that the kids are older. With some of them working odd hours & then their evening activities, getting us all to the table at the same time can be a challenge.
Sometimes I have a small window to get dinner done & other times I’m just looking for meals that reheat well for those getting home late. Fortunately, this Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is perfect for both those situations.
Here are my favorite Instant Pot Tools and Accessories!
- Instant Pot
- 5-Piece Accessory Set
- 3-Piece Bundt Pan Bundle Set
- Stackable Stainless Steal Insert Steamer Pans
- Glass Lid and Sealing Rings
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I make this recipe with frozen chicken?
Yes- of course you can make this with frozen chicken. Just add 3 minutes to your cooking time.
What is the best way to store leftover crack chicken?
After serving, place leftover crack chicken in an airtight container. Be sure to label with the date before refrigerating. This recipe should keep for up to 2 days if not left out for too long. As with most things, it is important to get food into the refrigerator within 1 hour after serving to prevent bacteria growth.
How many can this serve?
This will depend greatly on portion sizes & the appetites of your crowd. But in general, this recipe fed our family of 5 for 2 nights with a bit leftover for a couple people to have lunch the next day. We have 3 young adult children, so we usually don’t have a ton of leftovers of most things, but this was perfect for us all.
If you love easy dinners – you don’t want to miss our Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs and our Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings too!
chicken bacon ranch
Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely, I had plenty of room in my pressure cooker to double this recipe. So if you are hosting a party or doing a big tailgating event, this recipe would be perfect doubled. You might need to increase the cooking time by a couple minutes to make sure that chicken is cooked all the way through.
Can I use bacon bits instead?
YES – that would be fine if you are tight on time. I like to make bacon 1-2 times a week & just keep it in the fridge for those times when I just want to toss it into recipes like this one. This saves me a ton of prep time when it comes to making dinner.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Instant Pot Crack Chicken?
- Trim chicken breasts & cut into large pieces.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer in the pressure cooker pot.
- Sprinkle ranch seasoning on top of the chicken.
- Place the block of cream cheese on top.
- Add water or broth.
- Cover & set on HIGH (manual) pressure for 15 minutes.
- Natural release for 5 minutes & then quick release.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a medium bowl & shread by pulling with 2 forks.
- Turn cooker on to SAUTE LOW & whisk until cream cheese is melted & sauce is creamy.
- Add chicken back in, along with cooked bacon & cheese. Stir well.
- Remove pot insert from the cooker.
- Sprinkle with chives or parsley & serve.
what is crack chicken?
Crack Chicken is like a flavor explosion of chicken, bacon, & ranch seasoning mixed in a creamy cream cheese sauce. This is a quick & easy, family-friendly meal that is great for busy weeknights, tailgating & big summer holiday parties. Not only is is tasty but practically effortless to make!
Can I cook the bacon in the instant pot?
Yes, if you would like to cook your bacon in the instant pot, you need to do this preceeding the process of cooking the remainder of the meal. To do this, place the bacon in the pot & set the cooker to SAUTE. Once the pot is showing that it has reached full saute temperature, cook the bacon for an additional 2-3 minutes – stirring occasionally. Once cooked, remove & set aside before continuing to the other steps.
Can you freeze crack chicken?
Yes, absolutely. Once it has cooled to room temperature, I like to place mine in an airtight container, label with the date & place in my chest freezer. When you would like to enjoy it again, just transfer to the refrigerator the night before so that it can thaw. Then just reheat in the microwave for several minutes, or until it reaches your desired temperature.
What to serve with crack chicken?
What I love about crack chicken is how versatile it is. You can take this recipe & serve it on a bun. That makes it quick & easy. But you could also add this to taco shells with all the taco or burrito fixings.
We also like to add a little extra moisture & serve it over a bed of rice. If you are trying to keep this on the KETO plan, then wrap it in some lettuce instead of a tortilla & you have a delicious meal.
To make this recipe you will need…
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- cooked bacon or bacon bits
- ranch seasoning
- cream cheese
- water or chicken broth
- shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- chopped green onions or parsley
- salt & pepper to taste
- buns
Products I love when making crack chicken sandwiches…
This Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is so INCREDIBLY simple and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have many of these items on hand! OR maybe you have never made a dump & go dinner in your pressure cooker before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy this dinner is to make. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this awesome dinner.
- ranch seasoning
- cutting board
- chicken broth
- Instant Pot
- whisk
- bacon bits
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
I’m telling you- this will be your new FAVORITE!
So creamy, tender & flavorful. Each juicy bite makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. Then those pops of bacon, I’m telling you my friends – this is the one that you won’t be able to make enough. The kids will be begging for it ALL THE TIME!
Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe
Crack Chicken Instant Pot
If you love this pressure cooker crack chicken, you’re going to love these other quick & easy dinner recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Crazy Easy Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak
Air Fryer Apricot Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Dump & Go Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin
Better than Take Out Instant Pot Beef Broccoli
Instant Pot Creamy Fiesta Chicken
Pressure Cooker Brown Sugar Ham
pressure cooker crack chicken
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Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts)
- 1 pkg bacon cooked & roughly chopped or bacon bits
- 1 pkt ranch seasoning
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions or parsley
- salt & pepper to taste
- 12 buns
Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts & cut into large pieces.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer in the pressure cooker pot.
- Sprinkle ranch seasoning on top of the chicken.
- Place the block of cream cheese on top.
- Add water or broth.
- Cover & set on HIGH (manual pressure) for 15 minutes.
- Natural release for 5 minutes & then quick release.
- Transfer cooked the chicken to a medium bowl & shred by pulling with 2 forks.
- Turn cooker on to SAUTE LOW & whisk until cream cheese is melted & sauce is creamy.
- Add chicken back in, along with cooked bacon & cheese. Stir well.
- Remove pot insert from the cooker.
- Sprinkle with chives or parsley & serve.
Notes
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
