Crockpot Chicken Sandwiches (Crack Chicken)

These crockpot chicken sandwiches are the original crack chicken but in sandwich form. Chicken breasts cook for 6 hours in a slow cooker with cream cheese and a packet of ranch dressing mix until they can be shredded with a fork.

Stack the creamy ranch chicken on a hamburger bun, add some melted cheddar, crumbled bacon, and finish with green onions. All done.

The Set-It-and-Forget-It Dinner

A friend told me about it. The viral recipe went big in the mom Facebook groups with ALL CAPS raving endorsements. It's called "crack chicken."

I was doubtful about the name. I did it regardless.

Just under an hour from dinner time I knew. The mixture of cream cheese, ranch, bacon, and cheddar hits some kind of flavor jackpot. The kids eat it without complaints, and my husband requests for it to be made again the following week.

It was put in the rotation right away. This is what I make on Sundays when I want something for the week that I can set and forget.

Shredded chicken is also great on baked potatoes and in quesadillas. Plus it's great over rice and can be wrapped in a tortilla too! 1 pot of chicken can prep most of your meals for the week.

What Goes In (and Why the Cream Cheese Must Be Soft)

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (4, about 2 lbs.)Four medium breasts. If yours are extra thick, butterfly them or cut in half lengthwise — thick uneven pieces don't cook through at the same rate. Boneless skinless thighs work too and stay even more tender over the long cook.

Cream cheese (8 oz., softened) One standard block, full-fat, 8 ounces. Softened is important. Cold cream cheese doesn’t melt all the way and you’ll get white lumps in the chicken at the end. Soften by leaving on the counter for 30 minutes or microwave on a plate for 20 seconds. Do not use fat-free; it doesn’t melt as cleanly in the slow cooker.

The standard is Hidden Valley Buttermilk Recipe (1 packet, 1 oz.). Use the entire packet; don't try to use half. A half packet gives you ranch flavor that's almost there, but definitely underwhelming. Don't use other seasoning mixes as the ranch flavor is the whole point.

Bacon (8 strips, cooked and crumbled) Make sure to cook the bacon first before adding it to the chicken. If put in raw, the bacon won't render properly in the slow cooker and you will have chewy strips instead of crispy crumbles. You can cool and crumble the bacon after baking it at 400°F on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. No babysitting required!

Shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups)Mild or sharp both work. Block cheese shredded yourself melts cleaner than the pre-shredded bags. Pre-shredded still works, just doesn't melt quite as smoothly.

Green onions and hamburger buns The addition of green onion brings a fresh taste that helps balance the other ingredients. A soft and sturdy option for a hamburger bun is their brioche buns, which are an obvious upgrade and should be lightly toasted before assembly to avoid sogginess.

How to Make Crockpot Chicken Sandwiches

Put the chicken breasts in a single layer on the bottom of the crockpot (at least 4 quarts ). Place the softened cream cheese on top – there's no need to spread it perfectly. The cream cheese will melt and spread while the crockpot warms up.

Pour all the ranch packet seasoning on top of everything. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours. Do not open the lid while it cooks. Each time you open the lid, you lose heat and add more time.

Let the chicken cook while you bake the bacon on a sheet pan for 15 minutes at 400°F. When done, cool, crumble, and set aside.

After 6 hours, the chicken should pull apart with almost no effort. The hand mixer trick: stick the beaters right into the crockpot, run on low for about 30 seconds, and the chicken shreds itself into the creamy ranch sauce. Easy way to do it. If you're worried about scratching the insert, transfer to a bowl first.

Using two forks takes a few more minutes but also works.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon on top. Cover, and leave on warm for 15 minutes for the cheese to melt. Stir to combine. Add green onions on top.

Scoop onto buns and serve while they are hot.

How It Keeps and How to Use It All Week

You can keep leftover chicken mixture in the fridge for four days. When you’re ready to eat it, reheat in the microwave. Before microwaving, add a bit of milk to the sauce to make it less thick. Microwave it for 90 seconds.

You can freeze the mixture well for up to 3 months. Because you can use the chicken in so many formats — sandwiches, baked potatoes, quesadillas, nachos, pasta, wraps — this is one of the best options for meal prep.

Crack Chicken Sandwich FAQ

Can I set this to high instead of low? Yes, you can do 3 hours on high instead of 6 hours on low. But in this case low is better. The cream cheese needs time to melt and combine with the chicken, as cooking on high means the outside of the chicken will cook before the cream cheese has time to mix with it, leading to dry spots. If you have the time, 6 hours on low is the best option.

Can I substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts? Yes, and I would recommend it. Boneless skinless chicken thighs keep moisture and are more forgiving to cook to. Plan about 2 pounds. Same cooking method and time.

What happens if the cream cheese doesn’t fully melt? It may look a bit lumpy when you peel back the top. That’s okay — take the hand mixer or forks to shred and stir, and the cream cheese incorporates fully as you mix. The most important thing is that it was softened before going in, not cold from the fridge.

To avoid soggy buns, toast them lightly before putting the sandwiches together, and be sure to drain any extra liquid from the chicken mixture. Also, serve as soon as possible, as the more time the sandwiches sit, the more soggy the buns will get.

Can I use frozen chicken? Yes, but you'll need to add about an hour to the cooking time. Although for food safety the USDA advises thawing first, chicken cooked on low for 7 hours will be brought to a safe temperature well before it's time to eat.

Other Slow Cooker Dinners in the Same Family

• Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Pasta — the same chicken bacon ranch combo with pasta, all done in the crock pot
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken — pressure cooker version done in under 40 minutes instead of 6 hours
• Crescent Roll Crack Chicken — same flavors wrapped in buttery crescent dough and baked in 25 minutes
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole — same flavor profile in a baked pasta casserole format, feeds 6 to 8
• Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches — slow-cooked chuck roast on hoagie rolls with au jus for dipping