The Best Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe Made In 30 Minutes

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! Not to mention, it's ready in just 30 minutes.

The Best Crack Chicken Casserole

This crack chicken casserole recipe has so much tasty tastiness going on – it’s creamy, cheesy, full of flavor from the ranch dressing mix, and has a little bit of crunch to it from the crispy bacon and crackers.

Honestly, it's so good, everyone who tries it will think it took you tons of time and effort to make it. But, the truth is that this is one of the easiest chicken casserole recipes around.

The "hardest" part is shredding the chicken and mixing everything together. Then, you just top it with crackers and bake! Easy, right?!

And, as I mentioned, this recipe is pretty quick too. Just 30 minutes is all it takes to make, and almost all of the time is hands-off baking. That means you can spend your extra time making some equally delicious sides, like this sweet potato cornbread recipe or this Outback mac and cheese recipe.

By the way, this creamy chicken casserole is also an awesome recipe to make for meal prep. The leftovers of this dish taste even better the next day since all the flavors in the cheesy sauce get a chance to meld together even more. So definitely don't sleep on making it for that as well.

Ingredients

So, this crack chicken casserole recipe is made with only 8 basic ingredients. And I bet you have a majority of these ingredients at home already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need for this delicious and easy chicken casserole:

• 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken (chopped chicken will work, too if you prefer a chunkier texture)
• 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

See?

Not bad, right?! And you can use almost all of these ingredients to make this crack chicken noodle soup, so you'll definitely want to give that a try next!

Oh, another great part about this recipe is you can make a ton of substitutions if you don't have - or don't want to use - any of these ingredients. I'll get into all of them next.

Ingredients Substitutions For This Crack Chicken Casserole

So, as I just mentioned, there are a few substitutions you can make with this recipe.

For instance, if you're not a fan of Ritz crackers you can really use any other type of cracker, Doritos, or even chopped-up pretzels.

For the chicken, you can also use boneless chicken thighs instead of the boneless skinless chicken breast. Also, feel free to use a rotisserie chicken - or even canned chicken - to make the prep even easier.

As far as the shredded cheese, I like to use cheddar cheese because it's nice and sharp and melts well. But, you could also use mozzarella or pepper jack cheese. As long as it can melt into gooey cheese, it's great to use!

Oh, and if you don't have sour cream, you can make this easy chicken casserole with cream cheese or even plain greek yogurt.

And if you don't have ranch seasoning mix - or dressing - try making your own with this ranch dressing recipe.

Anyway, now let's not waste any more time and get cooking!

How to Make Crack Chicken Casserole

Just 2 steps are all you need to follow to make this casserole. Honestly, the whole process is as simple as mixing the ingredients together and baking them.

Yup, that's literally all you have to do to make it.

And, as I mentioned, just 30 minutes is all it takes to make this chicken casserole recipe. Plus, most of that cook time is hands-off cooking - the oven does pretty much all of the heavy lifting.

Step 1: Mix the Ingredients

First, you're going to preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then, grease a baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside.

Now, in a small bowl, combine the ranch mix with the sour cream, and set it aside

Next, in a large bowl, shred whatever cooked chicken you're using, and then add the ranch mix - or ranch dressing if you're using that - shredded cheese, crispy bacon, and chicken soup to it.

Then, give everything a good mix - you want everything to be evenly distributed so every bite is flavorful.

Step 2: Bake The Casserole

Now that everything is combined pour the chicken mixture into your prepared baking dish. Then, top it evenly with the cracker crumbs, and bake it for about 30 minutes - until bubbling and golden brown on top.

By the way, if you're skipping the cracker topping, you'll want to add an extra half cup of shredded cheese. And, if you want, you can add more cheese on top of the crackers for an even cheesier casserole.

Anyway, once it's baked to perfection, let it cool down a bit before serving - it's going to be super hot! Then, you can top it with a bit of chopped parsley - or chopped green onions - and enjoy.

How to Store Crack Chicken Casserole

As I said earlier, this chicken recipe reheats beautifully, so it's fantastic for meal prep, or making ahead. And since this crack chicken casserole recipe will make 6 servings, you should have some leftovers even if you make it for a family dinner! 

So, if you do end up with leftovers, you can store them by either wrapping the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap or by keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze the entire casserole, so you have dinner ready to go whenever you need it. Once the crack chicken cools, just transfer it to a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Crack Chicken Casserole

If you're reheating this cracked chicken casserole from frozen, allow the dish to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Then, bake it at 350°F until heated through completely. You might need to add an extra 10-ish minutes to the baking time if it's coming straight from the freezer.

You can also microwave your leftovers but keep in mind that this can turn the cracker topping a bit soggy. If you don't mind that, then microwave individual servings in 1-minute increments until hot.

FAQs About this crack chicken casserole recipe

Why is it called crack chicken?

I'm not entirely sure where the name came from, but it has something to do with how irresistible and addictive this creamy chicken casserole is. It's one of those meals that you'll be craving all the time. Kind of like these crack green beans.

What is chicken crack made of?

There are lots of different recipes for chicken crack out there, but they all have a few things in common - tender chicken, cheese, ranch dressing, and crispy bacon. 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 can you serve with crack chicken casserole?

Rich chicken casserole recipes - like this crack chicken - are best served next to something light. So a simple green salad, dinner rolls, or some steamed vegetables make the perfect sides. But, 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.

What can you add to crack chicken casserole?

Since the flavors of crack chicken casserole are pretty bold, I wouldn't recommend adding too much to it. But, if you want to mix things up, here are a few ideas:

• Diced vegetables: Mix in some diced celery, broccoli, carrots, diced onion, mushrooms, or peppers.
• Frozen vegetables: Stir in a frozen veggie mix of any kind.
• Spices: Add a teaspoon or two of garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning. You can also add some chili flakes if you want a bit of spice.
• Noodles: Mix in some cooked al dente noodles before baking your crack chicken casserole for a heartier dish.
• Rice: Add some cooked white rice or brown rice to the casserole mixture to add another filling element.

Can you use mushroom soup for crack chicken casserole?

Yes, condensed cream of mushroom soup will work great to make this crack chicken casserole recipe! As long as it's a creamy soup with similar flavors to chicken soup, it will work well for the creamy chicken casserole base.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make crack chicken casserole!

Every component of this creamy chicken casserole plays an important role in its flavor profile. The savory ranch sauce cuts through the richness of the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, while the chicken soup gives it structure and a creamy base.

Anyway, I can't wait for you to try this casserole recipe! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do.

As always, if you make it let me know how it goes for you in the comments below!

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
• 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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