This Crockpot Crack Chicken is seriously addicting! Chicken thighs are slow cooked to tender perfection in a rich, tangy cream sauce and topped with bacon. Serve it on sandwiches, in wraps, over mashed potatoes, you name it!
Remember crack dip? It’s an addicting appetizer served chilled with chips and crackers – YUM. Today, I’ve turned crack into a main dish. Although, I wouldn’t judge you for eating crack dip for dinner either. 😉
What is crack chicken?
Crack Chicken is basically crack dip — a cream cheese based dip with ranch, cheese, and bacon served with crackers — but made into a meal by stirring it into chicken!
Chicken is slow cooked in a rich, tangy, and smoky cream sauce…and it’s SO GOOD. In fact, it’s pretty darn hard to stop eating once you start…hence the name Crack Chicken…so brace yourself!
Ingredients
This simple ingredient list uses every day ingredients that you probably already have on hand already!
- Chicken Thighs – when used in the slow cooker become ultra-moist and tender. Feel free to use chicken breasts, but it will likely be drier.
- Cornstarch and Half-and-Half – make up a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce for a creamy texture and rich flavor.
- Ranch Seasoning and Taco Seasoning – gives the chicken and the sauce that signature “crack” flavor: slightly sweet, spicy, smoky, and DELICIOUS! Feel free to use store-bought seasonings or make your own taco seasoning.
- Diced Green Chiles – use mild, medium, or hot to take the heat up a notch! This cuts the richness of the cream sauce.
- Cream Cheese – melted over the chicken to form the base of a rich, tangy, creamy sauce.
- Bacon – adds a crispy, crunchy texture and perfectly smoky flavor. Make sure you stir the bacon in after cooking so it doesn’t become soggy. Check out my post on how to make bacon in the oven for mess-free prep!
- Green Onions – for serving, if desired.
How to make
This addicting slow cooker recipe takes 10 minutes to prep!
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and half-and-half until well combined.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into a greased crockpot then place chicken thighs on top.
- Add on green chiles, ranch and taco seasonings, and cubed cream cheese then cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the crockpot and set aside then use a whisk to whisk the sauce together until the cream cheese is smooth.
- Cube the chicken, add it back into the crockpot, stir in the bacon, then serve on buns with green onions!
How to serve crack chicken
- On a sandwich. Serve it on your favorite hamburger buns, in a pita, or on a croissant. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired!
- As a wrap. Roll it up in a tortilla or serve on a lettuce wrap.
- With potatoes. Stuff it inside a baked potatoes or serve it over top a pile of mashed potatoes.
- As an appetizer. Serve it on slider buns or in a bowl with your favorite crackers or fresh veggies.
What to serve with crack chicken
However you decide to serve your crack chicken, it’s delicious alongside a couple of sides. Here are some ideas!
How to store
Leftover crack chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then microwave to warm before serving as desired.
– Jennifer
Crockpot Crack Chicken
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
- 1 (1 oz) packet Ranch Seasoning, Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese cubed
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- Sliced green onions for serving, if desired, highly recommended
- Buns for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk cornstarch and half-and-half together until well combined.
- Pour into prepared crockpot.
- Place chicken thighs on top.
- Sprinkle the thighs with green chiles, ranch, and taco seasoning.
- Top with cubed cream cheese.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from crockpot. Set aside.
- Use a whisk to whisk together the sauce until the cream cheese has been incorporated.
- Cube or shred chicken thighs, then stir back into the crockpot.
- Stir in the bacon, top with green onions, and serve on buns, if desired!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Notes
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Anonymous Waukesha, Wisconsin
Monte United States
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Carolyn Sapulpa, Oklahoma
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy