Dump-and-Bake Crack Chicken

Name: Dump-and-Bake Crack Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts ((I used 4 chicken breasts that were about 8 ounces each)); ½ cup cooked, chopped bacon (about 6 slices); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 (1 ounce) packet dry Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix; 8 ounces cream cheese, diced into small squares; Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Lasted edited May 9, 2019. Originally published May 10, 2019 by Blair

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Shredded cream cheese chicken in a blue dish

In the oven or in the slow cooker, this Dump-and-Bake Crack Chicken is an addicting easy dinner recipe that your family will love! Serve the creamy, cheesy, bacon and Ranch chicken in sandwiches, in wraps, on a salad, or over rice or pasta.

Total Time: 1 hour

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In the oven or in the slow cooker, this Dump-and-Bake “Crack Chicken” is an addicting easy dinner recipe that your family will love! Serve the creamy, cheesy, bacon and Ranch chicken in sandwiches, in wraps, on a salad, or over rice or pasta. So versatile, and so delicious!

What is “Crack Chicken”?

I’ve seen a variety of “Crack Chicken” recipes across the internet over the years, and I have no idea where it actually originated. The name of this recipe suggests that the meat is so delicious that it’s as addicting as crack…but we obviously know that’s not literally true!????

While there are different versions of the dish with the same name, most of the recipes include slow cooked chicken breasts that are combined with ranch seasoning, cream cheese and bacon. Today, I’ve taken those same flavors to create my own dump-and-bake version of this popular dinner — with just 10 minutes of prep!

Front shot of Crack Chicken in a blue and white bowl served over rice

How to make Crack Chicken in the Oven:

To start, you’ll need:

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs)
1/2 cup cooked, diced bacon

Boneless chicken breasts and cooked bacon

Place the chicken and the bacon in a dish.

Raw chicken breasts and chopped cooked bacon in a blue casserole dish

Next, prepare the sauce. You’ll need:

a packet of dry Ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix (just the dry mix — not prepared according to package instructions)
olive oil
red wine vinegar

Whisk together the sauce in a measuring cup or bowl.

Ranch salad dressing mixture in a glass measuring cup with a whisk

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bacon.

Cover the dish and bake the chicken at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes (or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).

Pouring ranch seasoning mix over chicken and bacon in a dish

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the cover and add 8 ounces of diced cream cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 5 more minutes — just until the cream cheese starts to melt.

When you pull the dish out of the oven, the cream cheese will be soft, but it will not be blended into the sauce. That’s fine!

Baked crack chicken in a dish before shredding meat with forks

Just shred the chicken in the dish using two forks, and then give everything a good stir. The cream cheese will melt and blend right into the rest of the ingredients, creating a creamy, cheesy sauce for your meat!

Overhead shot of creamy baked Ranch chicken breasts shredded in a blue casserole dish

How to serve Crack Chicken:

This versatile dish can be served in a variety of ways, so pick whichever option works best for your family’s preferences. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

In sandwiches
In wraps or lettuce wraps
Over rice or cauliflower rice
Over pasta
On salad
Over mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower

Overhead shot of shredded baked crack chicken in a blue dish and in a serving bowl with rice

Can Crack Chicken be frozen?

I find that cream cheese-based sauces do not freeze well because the cream cheese can “break” when it’s reheated. This won’t make the dish unsafe to consume, but the texture isn’t very appealing.

Can you eat Crack Chicken cold?

You can absolutely refrigerate any leftover chicken to use at a later meal. The chicken will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Since the cream cheese firms up when it’s refrigerated, the texture of cold Crack Chicken is not nearly as good as the warm version. As a result, I suggest reheating your leftover chicken before eating.

Shredded cream cheese Ranch chicken in a baking dish with a silver serving spoon

How to reheat Crack Chicken:

To reheat your chicken, place the meat in a microwave-safe container, cover, and microwave until warm (about 2 minutes). Alternatively, you can put the chicken in a saucepan on the stovetop, cover, and warm over low heat.

Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:

Buffalo Crack Chicken: drizzle your chicken with buffalo sauce for a spicy kick!
You can substitute with 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the breast meat.
If you prefer, you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker instead of baking it in the oven. The Crock Pot instructions are included below.
Garnish the cooked meat with fresh herbs (I love a bit of fresh parsley or chives) for a bright burst of flavor and color.
I like to use store-bought cooked bacon for a shortcut, but you can certainly cook your own bacon to use in this recipe instead.

Baked crack chicken in a blue casserole dish

Other easy baked chicken breast recipes that you might enjoy:

Did you try this recipe? Don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment below! You can follow me on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest, and on Twitter!

5 from 4 votes