Instant pot crack chicken got its name because it is so good, you cannot just eat one serving! Come and see why this instant pot crack chicken recipe is our most popular Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Recipe.
Instant Pot Crack Chicken is a tasty and versatile instant pot chicken breast recipe made with frozen chicken breast, bacon, cream cheese, ranch seasoning, green onions, and sharp cheddar.
New to the instant pot? Check out our instant pot guide here.
Why is it called Instant Pot crack chicken?
This recipe is called Instant Pot “crack chicken” because it’s hard not to eat it all in one sitting! You can serve it with crackers, rolls, or over salad. Yum!
How do you shred chicken breast?
This chicken comes out really tender, so I use two forks with the tines facing each other and pull them both away to shred the chicken. You can also shred chicken in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Just keep an eye on it because you can over-shred with a stand mixer and turn it into a gloppy mess.
Is there a lighter version of this recipe?
You can lighten up Instant Pot crack chicken recipe by using reduced-fat cream cheese and omit the bacon. Either way, it will still have a great flavor, thanks to the ranch seasoning. Also, if you love ranch, you may want to check out my recipe for Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Tenders.
How long is crack chicken good for in the fridge?
Crack chicken will stay fresh in the fridge for 3 days. Any longer than that and you are at-risk for the chicken going bad and making you sick.
If you plan on eating leftovers past 3 days, I recommend freezing it in an air-tight freezer-friendly container. You can freezer the dish as a whole or in individual portions for easy “frozen dinners”.
Can I make instant pot crack chicken with defrosted chicken?
Yes. Simply cut your cook time down to 15 minutes on high pressure. Everything else stays the same in this instant pot crack chicken recipe.
I just love using frozen chicken because I don’t have to plan ahead and defrost. Either way, you will fall in love with this crack chicken recipe.
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe (with frozen chicken)
Instant pot crack chicken got its name because it is so good, you cannot just eat one serving! Come and see why this instant pot crack chicken recipe is our most popular Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound chopped bacon
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ranch packet
- 2 pounds frozen chicken breast, approximately 3 large
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Set your pressure cooker to saute.
- Cook the chopped bacon and then remove and place a paper towel to drain fat.
- Pour chicken broth into the instant pot electric pressure cooker and deglaze the bottom of your pot. Make sure there are no bits of food stuck to the bottom of your pan or your pot may not come to pressure.
- Whisk in the ranch seasoning packet.
- Place the frozen chicken breasts in the pot and top with the cream cheese.
- Close lid and set to sealing.
- Cook on manual - high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Natural Pressure Release for 5 minutes and then remove the rest of the pressure.
- Remove chicken and shred.
- While chicken is removed, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the chicken broth mixture.
- Return chicken and bacon to the pot and mix until evenly coated with the sauce.
- Serve warm on crackers, rolls, or lettuce. Top with sharp cheddar and green onions.
Notes
Serve this without the rolls for a low carb/ keto version!
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 835
Other delicious Instant Pot Recipes:
Instant Pot Apple BBQ Ribs
Instant Pot Loaded Macaroni and Cheese
Did you try this recipe for Instant Pot Crack Chicken? Let us know what you thought in the comments!
Mary
I allowed myself to get really frustrated by going over and over your page with the Crack Chicken using the frozen chicken breasts.. I could find no instructions or time allowed for the Instant Pot. I did see where if the chicken is thawed you reduce the time on high to 15 minutes. Somehow I misinterpreted when I read because I used that time for frozen chicken and it wasn’t ready. I tried to fix it by cooking it another 5 minutes but without knowing the true time,… Can you please direct me to where I went wrong and where is that recipe?
Aileen
Hi Mary, I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t load for you! We are in the process of fixing a bug with my recipe card. I’m guessing that’s why it didn’t show up for you. The cook time from frozen is 25 minutes. I really hope it worked out for you!
Nikki
Hi there! I would love to make this for dinner but am I crazy or is the actual recipe missing? Please reply soooooon. I have the ingredients listed and want to make this to eat during the game and This Is Us tonight.
Nikki
Ok that was weird … I refreshed the page and there’s the recipe. I’m not sure if there’s something wrong with the mobile version but this did not show up on my phone or the first time I loaded the page on my PC.
Aileen
Nikki, I’m so glad you were able to grab the recipe. We are working on fixing a bug with my recipe card, so that was probably the issue. I hope you enjoyed This Is Us and the Crack Chicken!
Kat
If you were to double it or use about 5 lbs of chicken (in an 8 Duo Instant pot) how would that affect the cooking time?
Aileen
Hi Kat! The cooking time will stay the same. Enjoy!
Christy
Did you double the sauce or just add more chicken?
Aileen
Hi Christy! You double both the chicken and sauce.
John V.
I’ve made this recipe twice, first time a single batch and the second a double batch. Twenty five minutes seems to work great. The only thing I do different is once the chicken and broth mixture is all mixed, I just add the cheese and green onion right in and mix it again. We love this recipe…..IF there’s any left it makes a for quick delicious sandwich later.
Aileen
Thank you for the tip John! I’m glad you like it.
Meesa
So I’ve been wanting to try Crack Chicken for a while now and it just never seemed to appeal to my husband until we found this recipe. I substituted frozen thighs for the breasts and it was amazing! This is definitely going into our recipe book 😊
Aileen
I’m so glad you liked it, Meesa. 🙂
Laura
So good 😋 thanks for the recipe with frozen breasts. turned out perfect
Cindi
Made your recipe tonite and my sauce was so runny. What did I do wrong? It was still delicious just more of a thick soup!
Aileen
Hi Cindi. I’m not sure of exactly what went wrong, I’m sorry. Next time if you have a recipe come out to thin, try mixing in some corn starch or flour (3-4 tablespoons) and letting it cook on sauté for a couple of minutes. This should thicken it up for you. 🙂
Stacey
My insta pot won’t let me use the lid on sauté. How are you getting around that? Thanks
Aileen
Hi Stacey. I use a glass lid. Any lid you have on hand that fits the top of the Instant Pot should work. Otherwise, you can place a piece of foil on top. I hope that helps.
Courtney
How many does this serve?
Aileen
Hi Courtney. It serves 6. 🙂
Ali
Ok I’m not sure what I did wrong, the cream cheese was basically in a bunch of chunks and I whisked as much as I could but it still seems a little chunky. Not expired, followed the recipe to the T so I’m not sure if I over/under did something or if this is normal for cream cheese. It does smell good though and I made it tonight to serve tomorrow, so hopefully I figure it out by then 🙂 Thanks!
Aileen
Hi Ali. I’m sorry it didn’t come out quite as expected. The cream cheese in chunks means it hasn’t melted down all the way.
I would recommend turning your pot into sauté and let the cream cheese melt down for a few minutes. Mixing will help and then it will be done and ready.
Tandi
I made this tonight after a desperate search for dinner at 630pm. Instead of thickening the sauce, I threw in wide egg noodles and frozen broccoli and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes. Served it with cheddar on top and it was perfect. From frozen chicken and no direction to dinner on the table in 40 minutes total.
Aileen
That sounds delcious! Thank you for sharing your spin on it, Tandi!
Kay
I’m an Instapot newbie, does the 25 minutes mean I set the manual time to 25…let it pressurize and do it’s thing & then the 25 minutes start? And for the cool down/natural release…not included in time, is that right? Super excited for this to be my first Instapot dish! Thanks for your help
Aileen
Hi Kay! Yes, that’s what it means. Set it to cook for 25 minutes. The countdown will start after it pressurizes (about 10 minutes) and after it cooks, it will automatically naturally release (another 10-15 minutes).