This Keto Slow Cooker Crack Chicken earns its name by being unbelievably rich, cheesy, and addictive. Crucially, boneless, skinless chicken is slow-cooked until tender with a blend of cream cheese, salted butter, and dry ranch seasoning. Once shredded, it’s finished with a generous layer of shredded cheddar cheese and crispy bacon, creating a savory, creamy, and flavorful meal that is completely low carb and perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients and What You’ll Need
This recipe uses a simple combination of high-fat, keto-friendly ingredients to create a deeply satisfying dish.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: The lean protein base; slow cooking ensures it becomes tender and easy to shred.
- Salted butter: Adds necessary fat, moisture, and richness to the slow-cooking liquid.
- Dry ranch seasoning (1-ounce packet): The essential flavoring component; provides a savory, herbaceous, and slightly tangy flavor.
- Cream cheese: Cubed; melts into the sauce to create the signature creamy, smooth texture.
- Cooked and crumbled bacon: Provides a savory, salty crunch that is integral to the “crack chicken” flavor profile.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Added at the end to melt into the hot chicken, boosting the richness and cheese factor.
- Sliced green onion: Optional; used as a fresh, bright garnish to cut through the richness.
How to Make Keto Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
This is a classic “dump-and-go” slow cooker recipe, requiring only two stages: cooking and finishing.
1. Assembly and Initial Cooking
All the primary flavor components and the chicken are placed in the slow cooker to cook.
- Load Crockpot: Place chicken breasts into the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning. Add sliced butter and cubed cream cheese on top.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high for 4–5 hours or on low for 6–8 hours.
2. Shredding and Finishing
The cooked chicken is shredded and combined with the rest of the high-flavor ingredients.
- Shred: Once cooked, shred the chicken inside the slow cooker using a fork.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over the shredded chicken.
- Melt Cheese: Replace the lid and let the cheese melt for about 10 minutes.
3. Serving
Serve hot, either as-is or in a variety of low-carb applications.
- Serve: Serve hot as-is or on sandwiches, and garnish with green onions if desired.
Recipe Notes and Serving Suggestions
- Serving Suggestions: This shredded chicken meal prep is incredibly versatile. Serve it over cauliflower rice, inside low-carb tortillas, stuffed into bell peppers, or simply eaten with a fork. It also works great as a dip!
- Consistency: If your chicken breasts are very large, you may want to cut them in half before placing them in the slow cooker to ensure they cook evenly.
- Cheese Melting: Let the cheese melt for about 10 minutes off the heat if the chicken is very hot, or briefly on the warm setting. Don’t let it cook too long on high after adding the cheese, as this can cause the sauce to separate.
- Bacon: Use thick-cut bacon cooked until crispy for the best texture and flavor.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Total Time
4 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning (1-ounce packet)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 6 slices)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onion (optional)
Instructions
- Load Crockpot: Place chicken breasts into the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning. Add the sliced butter and cubed cream cheese on top.
- Cook: Cover and cook on HIGH for $4-5$ hours or on LOW for $6-8$ hours until the chicken is tender.
- Shred: Once cooked, use a fork to shred the chicken inside the slow cooker and mix it into the creamy sauce.
- Finish: Sprinkle the bacon and cheddar cheese over the shredded chicken.
- Melt Cheese: Replace the lid and let the cheese melt for about 10 minutes.
- Serve: Serve hot as-is or in your preferred low-carb vessel, and garnish with green onions if desired.
Notes
- Serving: Great served over cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps.
- Cheese: Use block cheese that you shred yourself for better melting consistency.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
per serving
Amount Per Serving:
15 Fast Keto Recipes That Actually Work
Calories: 580Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 24gCarbohydrates: 3gNet Carbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 48g