Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili—addictive and delicious creamy chicken chili with bacon!
Related: INSTANT POT crack chicken chili recipe
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili
There’s a recipe that’s going around the internet called “crack chicken.” It’s usually made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot and it has chicken, bacon, cream cheese, cheddar and ranch dressing mix in it. Sound good? It is. It’s terribly good. But if you’re looking to add a little more nutrition and oomph to crack chicken then you should make my slow cooker crack chicken chili. It has all the ingredients of normal crack chicken but it also has beans, tomatoes, green chiles and added seasonings. And I’ll tell you what, it was so good that my entire family plus a friend couldn’t stop eating it. We ate it until it was gone. YUM! We all agreed that the flavor was spot on. I’m looking for a reason to make this again real soon.
A couple ingredient notes:
Cream cheese–I used full fat cream cheese. And guess what? I added it in at the beginning of the recipe. I was a little nervous that it would not hold up under the pressure (usually dairy does NOT) but it did! It was fast and easy and incorporated nicely after I stirred it in and thickened with the cornstarch slurry.
Corn–I used frozen sweet corn and it was one of my favorite parts of the chili. Little pops of sweetness in every bite. Canned corn would also work, although I personally don’t think it tastes as good.
Chili Beans–Chili beans are found next to the regular canned beans at the grocery store. Some common brands that sell chili beans are Bush’s and S&W. Chili beans are pinto beans that are canned in tomato sauce and have seasonings added. I found that the use of these beans gave the chili an extra boost of flavor.
Bacon Crumbles–I like to buy the big bag of bacon crumbles from Costco. They are so convenient. You can cook bacon and crumble it, if you prefer.
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Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili–Tiffiny said, “My whole family loved it!“
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili–Kurt said, “Just made for a chili cook off…I won! what an amazing amazing taste… I’ll be making this for years to come.”
Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup–WB said, “I just wanted to say that this is one of my favorite recipes ever. It’s so so good.”
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
To make Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.* My favorite feature of this slow cooker is that it has a stove top function. This is perfect for sauteing or browning before you slow cook.
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Addictive and delicious creamy chicken chili with bacon!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (frozen is fine and you can use a combination or types of chicken)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15.5 oz) can seasoned chili beans (Bush’s and S&W brands are good)
- 1 cup frozen corn (you can also use a can of drained corn)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup bacon crumbles (I buy the big bag from Costco)
- 1 packet or 3 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (I use full fat)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp cheddar for more flavor)
- Cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients besides the cheddar and cornstarch into your slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board. Shred up the chicken well and add it back into the pot. Stir the chili so that the cream cheese incorporates. Stir in the cheddar cheese.
- To thicken use a cornstarch slurry. Take 2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch and 2-3 Tbsp of cold water and stir together in a small bowl until smooth. Then turn the slow cooker to the high setting. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker and the chili will thicken quickly. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
How would I adapt this using chicken quarters?
I would use the same cooking time. Then when time is up I would take the chicken out and remove the chicken off the bone and add it back into the pot. Will be very flavorful.
Just made this! Super yummy. Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes that should work fairly well.
Does the cream cheese need to be added with the other ingredients, at the same time or at a later time?
I added it in initially. You can choose to add it in later too. It’s up to you.
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!