Description

This Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Crack Chicken recipe is an incredibly simple, creamy, and flavorful dish that uses minimal ingredients for maximum taste. Tender chicken breasts or thighs are slow-cooked with cream cheese and dry ranch seasoning, resulting in a rich and savory shredded chicken perfect for sandwiches, salads, or served as a main dish. It’s a perfect make-ahead meal requiring almost no prep time and easy to customize to your taste.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
8 oz cream cheese, cut into large cubes
2 tbsp dry ranch seasoning mix (store-bought or homemade)

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Instructions

Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts or thighs in an even layer at the bottom of the slow cooker. If using both breasts and thighs, mix them together to ensure even cooking.
Add Seasoning: Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of dry ranch seasoning evenly over the chicken, making sure the surface of the chicken is lightly coated for balanced flavor.
Top with Cream Cheese: Scatter the cream cheese cubes over the seasoned chicken, but do not stir to maintain the layering during cooking.
Cook the Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Cook until the chicken is tender and easily shreddable.
Shred the Chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken directly inside the slow cooker. Stir well to combine the melted cream cheese and ranch seasoning thoroughly with the shredded chicken.
Adjust Seasonings and Texture: Taste the mixture and add more seasoning if needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of warm chicken broth or milk and stir until smooth and creamy.
Serve: Switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting and serve the crack chicken straight from the pot, or transfer to a serving dish as desired.

Notes

Using chicken thighs instead of breasts will result in a juicier, more flavorful dish.
For homemade ranch seasoning, mix together garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, salt, and pepper.
This dish pairs well with low-carb sides like cauliflower rice, or can be served as a sandwich filling in buns or wraps.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of broth or milk to keep it moist.
Optional: Add cooked bacon bits or chopped green onions for additional flavor and texture.