Crockpot Ranch Chicken

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This mouthwatering Crockpot Ranch Chicken recipe is just too good to be just an appetizer! It’s absolutely overloaded with flavor, is so dreamy and creamy, and is a bit addictive, keeping you coming back for bite after bite. Just 4 main ingredients makes it truly a dump and go main dish or appetizer. And I’ve made this small batch, but it easily doubles for a crowd.

Slow cooker ranch chicken is a staple on potluck and game day menus. Why? Because it’s so easy and so delicious! I don’t think I’ve met anyone who didn’t absolutely love this dish, kind of like this Cowboy crack dip! When garnished with bacon, melty cheddar cheese and green onions, it takes it from ho-hum to ho-YUM!

Plus it’s super versatile, be sure to read to the bottom for ways to enjoy this addictive, low-carb slow cooker recipe.

The crockpot version of this recipe is great because the chicken slow cooks in bold and tangy flavors for hours. It’s just so much more flavorful than the stovetop version, and it’s honestly even easier to make since the crockpot does all of the work for you.

If you are wanting a lower calorie version of this crockpot ranch chicken, you can also check out my healthy version of the same dish!

My sausage dip is another low-effort, high-reward appetizer that is almost deceptively delicious. It has only three ingredients and really proves the saying that sometimes less is more!

January is National Slow Cooker Month! I have joined other bloggers to bring you fresh new recipes this week, be sure to check out all the great recipes at the end of this post.

These three slow cooker recipes are on repeat in our house! Be sure to try them all, Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken and Crockpot London Broil. 

Ingredients

For the full recipe and measurements, see the printable recipe at the bottom of this post. 

• Chicken |  Boneless, skinless breasts (either frozen* or thawed) are easy to shred and stay moist and flavorful. The star of our dish! 
• Ranch Dressing Mix | I recommend using a package of organic dressing mix, it doesn’t have any MSG or other unwanted ingredients.
• Cream Cheese |  This ingredient is what makes this slow cooker ranch chicken recipe so creamy. No need to soften before adding! Neufchatel cheese (lower in fat) is always a great replacement.
• Green Chiles | Don’t drain the can of chiles for this recipe! The juice adds some moisture and helps the meat absorb the flavor. 
• Bacon |  I used about 6-8 slices, but feel free to cook extra for garnish!
• Cheddar Cheese | This melts into a deliciously gooey topping. Always buy a fresh block and grate it by hand to get the best results.

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix, add the green chilies, and then finally place a block of cream cheese right on top of the meat.

Cover and cook on Low for 4-6* hours or on High for 3-4  hours, though I don’t recommend high for chicken — low and slow is ideal to avoid dry, rubbery chicken.

Once cooked, shred your crockpot ranch chicken with two forks. Return the shreds to the crockpot, give it all a god stir, then top with your bacon crumbles and cheese as desired. 

Cover everything again so that it melts, and then you’re done! If you need to keep it warm, set the crockpot on the warm setting it will be ready to go when your guests arrive.

Variations

• Customize slow cooker ranch chicken with your favorite hot sauce or spicy ingredients. Jalapeños are also delicious, and banana peppers are great if you like a little less heat.
• Make a healthier version of this recipe with Neufchâtel cheese, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or sour cream instead of cream cheese. Use 1 cup as a replacement.
• You can also customize your cheese topping. For a little extra heat, use pepper jack or even blue cheese or as an opportunity to get rid of all those bits and bops of cheese in your fridge!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do You Eat Crack Chicken With?

This delicious slow cooker ranch chicken is also known as Crock Pot Crack Chicken, why you ask? I have never tried crack, but the general term implies that you cannot stop eating this delicious chicken dinner.

Here are some serving suggestions:

• As a hearty appetizer or dip | keep this crack chicken in the crockpot on warm, serve with lots of melty cheese, and your favorite dipping “tools”. Sturdy tortilla chips, pita chips, Fritos are all great choices. 
• Sandwich | Scoop this slow cooker ranch chicken onto a Brioche bun, Hawaiian rolls, or a pretzel roll. See my serving suggestion in the box below!
• Over a Baked Potato | wouldn’t that be amazing! I love stuffing baked potatoes with something, like my Pot Roast stuffed spud!
• Mashed Potatoes, Rice or Pasta | Go ahead, take it to the limit!
• Taco Style | Delicious as a lettuce wrap or go all out with flour or corn tortillas, this is a winner!
• Enchiladas | Stuff your favorite enchiladas with this delicious crack chicken mixture. 
• Lighter Fare | Naturally a low-carb recipe, get more greens and toss the mixture into your salad, like a taco salad, or simply eat by itself, with carrot chips, cucumbers and jicama!

SERVING SUGGESTION FOR A CROWD
Place generous amount of ranch chicken on Hawaiian roll sliders or similar, wrap sandwiches individually in foil and return to clean crockpot.
Cover and and place on warm! Portable sandwiches!!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. But this dish is so delicious that it won’t last that long!

Freeze leftovers up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

REHEATING

• My preference is to place in saucepan on the stove, add a tablespoon or two of water, cover and allow to warm over the lowest setting, stirring occasionally.
• Microwave in short 30-second bursts and stir each time to be sure it heats evenly.
• Place into baking dish, cover with foil and heat in 300-325 F degree oven for 30 minutes.

More Great Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Maple Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Veggies
• Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup
• Turkey Divan Recipe (or chicken)
• Wild Rice Supreme {Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole}
• Easy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

LOVE IT? PIN IT!

Welcome to our #NationalSlowCookerMonth Celebration!

January is National Slow Cooker Month and this week we are celebrating all things slow cooker! We have delicious recipes from across the country to fill your meal plans with delicious slow cooker recipes!

• Slow Cooker Taco Noodle Soup from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Slow Cooker Sago Kheer from Magical Ingredients
• Hot Creamy Sausage Dip from Devour Dinner
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
• Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Fajitas from Blogghetti
• Overnight, Slow Cooker Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal from The Spiffy Cookie
• Slow Cooker Brazilian Feijoada from Palatable Pastime
• Italian Sausage Soup from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Crockpot Ranch Chicken from The Fresh Cooky
• Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs from Life Love and Good Food
• Beef Tips from Art of Natural Living

Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and comment below the recipe!

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Author: Kathleen Pope

5 from 8 votes

This mouthwatering Crockpot Ranch Chicken recipe is just too good to be just an appetizer! It’s absolutely overloaded with flavor, is so dreamy and creamy, and is a bit addictive, keeping you coming back for bite after bite. Just 4 main ingredients makes it truly a dump and go main dish or appetizer. And I've made this small batch, but it easily doubles for a crowd.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Slow Cooker

Cuisine American

Servings 4 – 6 Servings

Calories 590 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Extra Thick Flexible Plastic Kitchen Cutting Board Mats Set of 4 
• ▢
  All-Clad SD712D51 4 Qt. Slow Cooker with Aluminum Insert, Silver
• ▢
  Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker with with Digital Timer.

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Into the Crockpot

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds chicken, about 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (may use frozen, see notes)
• ▢ 1 package ranch dressing mix, I use organic Ranch dressing mix
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese , does not have to be softened
• ▢ 4 ounces green chiles, 1 can, undrained

Garnish, Optional

• ▢ 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• ▢ 2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

 

• This is a small batch recipe, great for a small gathering or party, or family dinner, double the recipe for a crowd!
• Add chicken to bottom of crockpot, sprinkle with dry ranch seasoning mix, green chilies, then place cream cheese blog on top of chicken. Cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours or on HIGH 2 ½-3  hours. See notes for frozen chicken, I do not recommend using the high setting for chicken.
• Shred chicken with two forks, or place chicken in stand mixer with paddle attachment and turn on low, it will shred the meat, but watch it, you don't want it to turn it to mush.
• Stir ranch cheesy mixture, then return shredded chicken to slow cooker, sprinkle with cheese if desired, and sprinkle with bacon, cover until melted. 
• Serve Crack chicken on buns, in tacos, over rice, with pasta, in a salad, use in enchiladas, quesadillas, as a dip with chips– be creative! Garnish with green onions before serving.

✱ Kathleen’s Tips

Using Frozen Chicken Breasts in Crockpot

I typically use frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts when making crock pot dinners. If you are around, frozen chicken will be ready when cooked on low in the crockpot for 5-6 hours, but read on if you need it to hang out a bit longer. 

Start with frozen chicken when you know you are going to be gone for 8 or more hours. You are less likely to have dry chicken, by starting with frozen chicken in the slow cooker.

My recommendation is to start with frozen chicken, add your ingredients and set on low for 6-8 hours with it defaulting to warm after it’s done. Then all you need to do when you get home is shred the chicken and cook your pasta! PRESTO! Dinner!

Serving Suggestion | Place generous amount of ranch chicken on Hawaiian roll sliders or similar, wrap individually in foil and return to clean crockpot, cover and and place on warm! Portable sandwiches!!

Storage

My preference is to place in saucepan on the stove, add a tablespoon of water, cover and allow to warm over the lowest setting, stirring occasionally. Microwave in short 30-second bursts and stir each time to be sure it heats evenly.Place into baking dish, cover with foil and heat in 300-325 F degree oven for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 590 kcal Carbohydrates: 8 g Protein: 35 g Fat: 45 g Saturated Fat: 19 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g Trans Fat: 0.2 g Cholesterol: 185 mg Sodium: 935 mg Potassium: 428 mg Fiber: 0.5 g Sugar: 2 g Vitamin A: 1035 IU Vitamin C: 12 mg Calcium: 84 mg Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Kathleen Pope

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.