Description
Creamy slow cooker crack chicken combines tender shredded chicken with tangy ranch seasoning and rich cream cheese. Hearty flavors meld together for a crowd-pleasing dinner you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 (8 oz/226g) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (or 3 tbsps homemade ranch seasoning)
- ½ tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Layer raw chicken breasts in the slow cooker basin, creating an even cooking surface.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle ranch seasoning and garlic powder uniformly over the chicken, ensuring complete flavor infusion.
- Cheese Integration: Position cream cheese blocks atop the seasoned chicken to facilitate gradual melting during cooking.
- Cooking Process: Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours until chicken reaches optimal tenderness and easily pulls apart.
- Shredding and Mixing: Breakdown cooked chicken using two forks, then blend thoroughly with melted cream cheese to create a smooth, unified consistency.
- Final Touches: Incorporate shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, gently folding to distribute ingredients evenly. Allow an additional 10-15 minutes of cooking to meld flavors and melt cheese.
- Garnishing and Serving: Embellish with chopped green onions and parsley. Serve as a versatile dish on soft buns, over rice, in lettuce wraps, or alongside crackers for dipping.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Placement: Arrange chicken breasts in a single, non-overlapping layer to guarantee uniform heat distribution and prevent uneven cooking.
- Seasoning Technique: Generously coat chicken with ranch seasoning and garlic powder before adding cream cheese, ensuring maximum flavor penetration throughout the dish.
- Prevent Dairy Separation: Keep cream cheese blocks intact during initial cooking, allowing gradual melting to create a smooth, creamy texture without curdling or breaking.
- Dietary Adaptation Options: Transform recipe into low-carb version by serving in lettuce wraps, keto-friendly alternative using cauliflower rice, or gluten-free option with zucchini noodles for diverse dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 1100mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 120mg