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If you have a rotisserie chicken you don’t know what to do with it, this crack chicken salad is the answer. It’s a chicken salad with cream cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheddar mixed in, ready in minutues, and perfect on crackers or in a sandwich.
Having a whole chicken salad moment.
I’ve always been a fan of chicken salad, but this summer I’ve really taken that love to a new level.
Between my chicken salad with grapes and this chicken salad with cream cheese, I’ve just been on a serious chicken salad bender.
Pretty obsessed with the mix of flavors in this one – ranch, cheddar, bacon, green onion…it’s like all of my favorites in one!
I like to serve this with a side of crackers and then I take little spoonfuls of spread it onto each bite. The crunch + the creaminess is so good.
This also makes a great sandwich on white bread, toasted bread, or stuffed inside a buttery croissant. There’s really no going wrong here.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s ready in 15 minutes. If you start with already cooked shredded chicken, most of the work is done for you!
- It uses stuff you already have. Mayo, cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and whatever chicken and bacon you’ve got on hand. No specialty ingredients required.
- So many ways to serve it. Eat it with crackers, pile it on a sandwich, scoop it into lettuce wraps, or eat it straight off a spoon. No judgment here.
Ingredient Notes:
Shredded Chicken – This is a great use for rotisserie chicken! I also show how to poach chicken for chicken salad in my Maui Mama chicken salad recipe.
Bacon – Freshly fried and crumbled.
Cheddar – I like a sharp cheddar for this and generally keep it easy with a bag of pre-shredded cheese for this one.
Green Onion – This can easily be swapped for chives or diced red onion.
Pecans – You don’t normally find pecans in crack chicken recipes, but I like the buttery crunch they add to this chicken salad.
Dressing – We use a mixture of cream cheese + mayo as the base and mix it wit dry ranch seasoning.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions:
Add the chicken, bacon, cheddar, green onion, and pecans to a mixing bowl.
Combine the mayo, cream cheese, and ranch seasoning in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Pour the cream cheese ranch mixture over the chicken and stir well to coat.
Serve the crack chicken salad on bread, with crackers, or stuffed inside a croissant.
Helpful Tip!
Check that packet of ranch!
You’ll find ranch dip mix, ranch dressing mix, and ranch seasoning mix all together at most grocery stores. Highly recommend using ranch seasoning or dressing mix for this one. The dip mix has quite a bit more salt and you can really taste the difference in the final product.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Give it a quick stir before serving if it separates a little.
Freezer: Not recommended. The mayo and cream cheese won’t hold up well once thawed.
Make ahead: This actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld, so it’s a great make ahead option for lunches.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, the base recipe for this chicken salad with cream cheese makes a great low carb meal. You’ll want to be careful how you serve it, of course, as most bread and crackers contain quite a few carbs.
You can use canned chicken in this recipe, though it does tend to be a bit salty. Look for low sodium canned chicken for the best results.
Ranch dip mix contains quite a bit more sodium than ranch dressing mix and it really does make a difference in the finished product. Highly recommend using either ranch seasoning or ranch dressing mix. These are sold in packets or in a larger shaker container.
Crack Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup chopped pecans optional
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix see notes
Instructions
- Add the chicken, bacon, cheddar, green onions, and pecans to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the mayonnaise, cream cheese, and ranch seasoning to a small mixing bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the mayo mixture to the chicken and stir to coat.
- Serve with crackers for dipping or spread on a sandwich.
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