Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe

This crack chicken casserole is smothered in cheesy, ranch yumminess, and filled with tons of crispy bacon and meaty chicken. Then, all of that deliciousness is topped with buttery crackers before being baked to golden perfection. Honestly, as far as easy casserole recipes go, this crack chicken casserole is one of the best! 

The Best Crack Chicken Casserole

This crack chicken casserole recipe is straight-up delicious. It's creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor from the ranch dressing mix with a little bit of crunch from the crispy bacon and Ritz crackers.

It's a meal that tastes like it took a ton of time and effort to make, but it's actually a really easy weeknight dinner. It honestly might be one of the easiest chicken casserole recipes you'll try.

So you'll have no problem whipping up this sweet potato cornbread recipe or this Outback mac and cheese recipe to serve with the casserole.

Why This Recipe Works

Quick and easy. All you have to do for this recipe is mix everything in one bowl, and it takes just 5 minutes to prepare!

Less mess. Since everything comes together in just one bowl and a casserole dish, there's barely any cleanup.

Family favorite. Everyone always loves this casserole, so make this on busy weeknights, and dinner will be a hit. 

Ingredients

This recipe is made with only 8 basic ingredients, and I bet you have a majority of them at home already!

Check out what you'll need for this delicious and easy chicken casserole:

• 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 cup of cheese, shredded
• 1 cup of crispy, chopped cooked bacon
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
• ¼ cup of melted butter

Oh, and you can use almost all of these ingredients to make this crack dip and crack chicken noodle soup, so you'll definitely want to give those a try next!

How To Make Crack Chicken Casserole

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC) and grease a baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

2. Make the filling: Combine the cooked chicken, ranch dressing, shredded cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and chicken soup in a bowl. Mix to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

3. Make the topping: Combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter in a bowl and top the chicken mixture with it.

4. Bake and serve: Bake the casserole for 30 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown on top.

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Mix all of the ingredients in the baking dish instead of a bowl for even less clean-up.
• Change the topping and use Doritos, cornflakes, or pork rinds.
• Use boneless chicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or any cooked chicken.
• Add veggies. Mix in diced celery, broccoli, carrots, diced onion, mushrooms, or peppers to the filling.
• Add cooked rice or noodles to the filling for a heartier casserole
• Use mozzarella cheese and pepper jack cheese along with the shredded cheddar cheese.
• Swap the sour cream for cream cheese or even plain Greek yogurt for a different flavor.
• Use ranch dressing instead of the ranch seasoning mix.

How To Store Crack Chicken Casserole

In the fridge: Put a lid on the casserole dish or transfer everything to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

In the freezer: Transfer everything to a freezer-safe bag or container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating: Reheat the casserole in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until it's warmed through.

FAQs About This Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe

Why is it called crack chicken?

It's called crack chicken because the flavors of this casserole are addictive, kind of like these crack green beans.

What is chicken crack made of?

It's made of tender chicken, cheese, ranch dressing, and crispy bacon with a creamy filling mixture. Some recipes also include ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and hot sauce to give the casserole dish a bit of a kick. 

What side dish goes with crack chicken?

Serve it with a simple green salad, dinner rolls, or some steamed vegetables for a light side. If you're looking for something heartier, this chicken casserole also goes great with these twice baked mashed potatoes, skillet cornbread, or even Jamaican fried dumplings.

Can you use mushroom soup for crack chicken casserole?

Yes, condensed cream of mushroom soup works great in place of the cream of chicken soup for the creamy chicken casserole base.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

If you liked how simple this recipe was, we have a ton of other easy dinner recipes on the blog just like it.

Give one of these recipes a try next:

• Chicken divan
• Ritz cracker chicken casserole
• Philly cheesesteak casserole
• Million dollar chicken casserole
• Chili's southwest chicken soup
• Outback mac and cheese
  
• Meatball casserole
  

Also, be sure to check out our Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok pages for even more yummy yumminess. 

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