This Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe is simple, easy and ready to be eaten in minutes! Using a pressure cooker makes the most amazing, moist flavorful chicken. This version uses cream cheese and hot sauce for just the right little kick.
I love finding new recipes that call for chicken breasts. I buy them in bulk at the beginning of every week for my family. My husband makes shredded chicken in our Instant Pot every Sunday night to use for his lunches throughout the week.
What is Crack Chicken?
While he was making his weekly chicken I thought about making a version of a Crack Chicken Recipe I tried in the past. Crack Chicken is traditionally made with ranch dressing but I didn’t have a ranch dressing packet this time around so I added a little hot sauce and the result was amazing! If you are wanting more of the traditional Crack Chicken, you can add a powder ranch dressing packet to this recipe when adding the chicken to your pressure cooker and then add crispy bacon when you put the cheeses into the pot.
How do you Make Crack Chicken?
It is easy to make Crack Chicken at home in your slow cooker. Simply add the ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Then shred your chicken and add bacon. I personally like using my Instant Pot because I can get the same moist chicken in minutes versus the hours it takes for my slow cooker to make it.
I’ve been using my pressure cooker for a few years now and can’t imagine what it would be like to not have it. Pressure Cooking isn’t as intimidating as it once may have been.
To learn more about the benefits of pressure cooking check out our Pressure Cooker Guide.
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Enjoy all the benefits and get yours now!
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Recipe
- 1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 8 burger buns
- salt & pepper
Place chicken breasts into Instant Pot and add 1 cup water. Close the lid of the instant pot, close the pressure release valve and set the instant pot on Manual, High Pressure, for 9 minutes.
Once cooking is complete, let set for 3 minutes and quickly release pressure. 
Remove chicken from pan with tongs and discard the juices. Return chicken back to pan, one at a time, and shred with two forks.
Place cream cheese, shredded cheese and hot sauce into the pan and mix well.
For the purposes of photos, I have removed the instant pot pan from the actual appliance. Normally, I’d just leave the insert in the appliance and shred chicken and add remaining ingredients. This will keep the pan warm and help melt the cheese.
If the pan cools and you are having a hard time mixing the cheeses, turn your instant pot on warm and let it heat up, but be careful not to burn the cheeses.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken on buns. Makes 6-8 sandwiches.
We make this Crack Chicken recipe a few times a month. It has become one of our favorites.
Ge the printable recipe below!
- 1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 8 burger buns
- salt & pepper
- Place chicken breasts into Instant Pot and add 1 cup water. Close the lid of the instant pot, close the pressure release valve and set the instant pot on Manual, High Pressure, for 9 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, let set for 3 minutes and quickly release pressure.
- Remove chicken from pan with tongs and discard the juices. Return chicken back to pan, one at a time, and shred with two forks.
- Place cream cheese, shredded cheese and hot sauce into the pan and mix well. If you want the traditional ranch flavor, you can add a packet of powder ranch dressing as well.
- Shred the chicken using a couple of forks and add remaining ingredients. This will keep the pan warm and help melt the cheese.
- If the pan cools and you are having a hard time mixing the cheeses, turn your instant pot on warm and let it heat up, but be careful not to burn the cheeses.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken on buns.
Cooking time does not include the time it takes to get the pressure cooker up to pressure.
Another one of our recent Instant Pot favorite recipes is this tasty Hungarian Goulash recipe. Be sure to check it out! Crack Chicken is perfect for kids. For more Instant Pot kid recipes and Keto Instant Pot recipes like this one check out our favorites!
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