Instant Pot Crack Chicken with Bacon and Cheddar Recipe
This Easy Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe combines tender shredded chicken breast with creamy cream cheese, flavorful ranch seasoning, crispy bacon, and melted cheddar cheese. Perfectly cooked under pressure, the chicken is juicy and infused with rich flavors, then mixed with a cheesy sauce and topped with bacon for an irresistible sandwich filling. Ideal for quick weeknight meals or game day snacks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Salt
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Protein
- 10 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
- 2.5 lbs chicken breast (boneless and skinless)
Dairy
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (cubed)
- 8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded)
Seasonings & Broth
- 1 oz Ranch dressing dry seasoning mix (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 cup chicken broth (or water)
Bread & Garnishes
- 6 hamburger buns
- Chopped green onions (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy and deep golden brown, checking around 12 minutes to prevent burning. Remove bacon and set aside to cool, then chop into pieces.
- Prepare Instant Pot: Add the boneless skinless chicken breasts and the cubed cream cheese into the Instant Pot.
- Add Seasonings and Broth: Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix, minced garlic, paprika, and onion powder over the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth (or water) to help create steam for pressure cooking.
- Pressure Cook Chicken: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure and opening the lid.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the Instant Pot and transfer them to a large bowl or cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken finely.
- Create Cheese Sauce: Switch the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Whisk the remaining cream cheese mixture in the pot until smooth and combined.
- Melt Cheese: Add shredded cheddar cheese to the sauce in the Instant Pot and stir until fully melted and creamy.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Turn off the Instant Pot heat, then add the shredded chicken back into the cheese sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
- Add Bacon and Serve: Stir in the chopped bacon pieces, reserving some for garnish if desired. Spoon the crack chicken mixture onto hamburger buns. Garnish with additional bacon, cheese, and chopped green onions before serving.
Notes
- You can use precooked bacon to save time, or cook bacon fresh in the oven as instructed.
- Adjust the amount of ranch seasoning to your taste preference.
- Chicken broth can be substituted with water if you prefer a lighter flavor.
- For a lower fat version, consider using reduced-fat cream cheese and cheddar.
- This mixture also works well served over rice or with a side of steamed vegetables.
Keywords: Instant Pot Crack Chicken, creamy chicken recipe, pressure cooker chicken, cheesy chicken sandwich, easy chicken dinner, crack chicken
