Have you heard of the infamous Crack Chicken? Well I've cut it down to size and turned that calorie bomb into this Instant Pot Mexican Inspired, Healthy Crack Chicken. Healthy Crack Chicken means: Bring on the Guac!
This post is sponsored by Litehouse Foods and they are reinventing how we all make guacamole . . . I'll get to that revolution in a sec. You are gonna Flip. Out.
Crack Chicken. Have you heard of it? Have you tried it? Does the name bug you in a way that makes you turn away from it then peek over your shoulder to see what exactly Crack Chicken is? I totally get it.
And peeked I did, long enough to see that it was probably delicious, but not quite worth the calories. Have a little chicken with your cream cheese, ranch, and bacon, why don't ya.
Triple Layered Chocolate Cheesecake . . . worth the calories. Chicken . . . not so much.
So to be straight with you, I don't know what the real Crack Chicken tastes like. BUT, I do know that this Mexican Inspired version of Crack Chicken is slimmed down, spiced up (but not spicy, so don't be scared), and irrrr-eeee-sistable. With a bonus of VERSATILE!
My first tasting of this was in this quesadilla form below. Next was a taco salad (I could eat that every day!). Then taquitos (this got the kid vote).
Then came the wrap you'll see in the video (whoa!). Now I'm thinking hard shell tacos, wonton wrappers, nachos, stuffed tomatoes, tostadas, tamales . . . Coming soon: Marci's Mexican Crack Chicken Food Truck . . . It's gonna be BIG!
I've received many rave reviews for this recipe, including this one from Ashlee:
“This was one of the first real Instant Pot recipes I tried and oh. my goodness. It was so good! Will definitely be making this again. Even my picky husband loved it!”
WHY YOU WILL LOVE HEALTHY CRACK CHICKEN
- Slimmed down but amped up in flavor and creaminess
- It's a one pot wonder meal that you likely have all the ingredients for already
- Soooo versatile. It can go on a roll, tortilla, rice, salad . . . you name it, it will work
- Pleases all ages and palates, thank heavens for sanity-saving recipes like this
- It can be doubled or even tripled! I typically make it in a 6 quart pot, but if you have an 8 quart pot, feel free to make more to freeze for later or to feed a larger crowd.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CRACK CHICKEN
- Place chicken, salsa, and seasonings in the pot
- Cook for 20 minutes
- Remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks or a food processor
- Add cream cheese and pepper jack cheese
- Stir until cheese melts
- Stir chicken and black beans back into the sauce
BEST WAY TO SHRED CHICKEN – THE TOP 3 METHODS
- Two forks – minimal mess and you have ultimate control over the size and shape of the chicken
- Stand or Hand Mixer – yep, use a mixer to shred the chicken. This results in a very fine, consistent shred
- Food Processor – By far my favorite method. Four to Five pulses and your chicken is ready to go
Note: I typically use chicken breast for this recipe, but chicken thighs work great too. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even buy a whole chicken, break it down yourself, and use it for this recipe!
HOW TO MAKE EASY GUACAMOLE IN UNDER 1 MINUTE
No joke. 1 minute using this revolutionary jar of Litehouse Guacamole Herb and Spice Blend.
Inside this magical bottle is a mix of freeze-dried red onions, cilantro, lemon peel, tomato, red chili, garlic, and cumin. All you do is mash an avocado, dump in this Guac mix, add a fresh squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt and BOOM! You're done!
You can eat it right away, but 30 minutes in the fridge is like, WHOA! Add extra lime or salt to taste and devour it with a side of Healthy Crack Chicken. Yum!
HOW TO STORE CRACK CHICKEN
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. Warm in the microwave or on the stove top when you're ready to eat. If you want some crispy bits, warm it in an Air Fryer – mic dropper this one.
HOW TO FREEZE CRACK CHICKEN
This healthy crack chicken freezes and thaws just like new.
To freeze, pour into 1 or 2 freezer safe bags and press it flat. This will help it thaw more quickly later.
You can also freeze the chicken and spices uncooked and cook it from frozen. More details on that awesome freezer meal idea in the recipe notes.
WAYS TO SERVE HEALTHY CRACK CHICKEN
- Lettuce wrap
- Taco Salad
- Stuffed Tomatoes or Bell Peppers
- Enchiladas
- Chip Dip
- Quesadillas
- Hard or Soft Tacos
- and so much more!
MORE INSTANT POT DUMP MEALS TO HAVE IN YOUR ARSENAL
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Grain Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Paprika Pork
- Instant Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
MORE EASY INSTANT POT CHICKEN RECIPES
- Instant Pot Easy Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- All our Instant Pot Chicken recipes
Enjoy this Healthy, Mexican Inspired Crack Chicken very very soon! I dare say it will become a regular in your home.
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE HEALTHY INSTANT POT CRACK CHICKEN
PrintInstant Pot Mexican Inspired Healthy Crack Chicken
A healthier Mexican inspired version of the very popular “Crack Chicken”, this Instant Pot Crack Chicken is as versatile as it is addictive.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs (if breasts are especially large, cut them in half horizontally. I feel like they cook up more tender this way)
- 1/2 cup salsa (if it's a very thick salsa, add 1/4 cup water to the pot as well)
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- cilantro to garnish
- optional toppings: pico de Gallo or salsa, guacamole, sour cream or plain yogurt, taco shells or flour tortillas
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the pressure cooker pot in a single layer across the bottom, as much as possible.
- Add salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare pico de gallo and guacamole if using homemade.
- When pressure cooking is complete, use a natural release.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks or place it in a food processor and pulse a few times for a smaller dice, being careful not to overprocess it to the point that it turns to mush.
- Add cream cheese and pepper jack cheese to the pot. Select saute to melt the cheese and whisk until smooth. Stir in the black beans and shredded chicken.
- Use the chicken for quesadillas, taquitos, hard shell tacos, soft taco wraps, taco salad, etc. Serve with pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, or any other favorite Mexican style toppings.
Freezer Instructions
- Place a freezer safe ziplock inside the pressure cooker pot. Arrange the chicken in a single layer with the other ingredients in step 1. Seal the bag and freeze inside pressure cooker pot until solid, then remove the bag from the pot and return to the freezer until ready to use.
- When ready to cook, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pressure cooker pot. Remove chicken and other ingredients from ziplock and place inside the pot.
- Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes then proceed with the remaining directions above.
Notes
- The cooked, shredded chicken freezes and thaws really well
- Black beans can be omitted for an even more versatile dish
- Whipped Cream Cheese can be found in a tub next to the other cream cheese packages
- Litehouse Guacamole Blend can be ordered online or maybe found in your local grocery store produce section
Keywords: Mexican food, instant pot crack chicken, healthy crack chicken
great post
I follow this recipe exactly as Marci shares it and it’s a winner! Made it several times and use as a filling in quesadillas and enchiladas. Yummmm!
★★★★★
You’re completely right, I’ve been making this regularly for 3 years now and it’s still a favorite. I add it over some cilantro lime rice and it’s soooo good, it’s like a healthy comfort food.
★★★★★
Loved this! Used straight avocado chunks on the accompanying lime-dressed salad. The food processor shredded the chicken perfectly! I posted a photo on Facebook. Thanks, Marci!
★★★★★
Marlena, I’m so happy you loved it! I just had a big salad with it this week 🙂
Also, what wraps did you use for your enchiladas? They look amazing!
Judy, I just used whole wheat tortillas. Corn tortillas always break so bad on me so I stick with wheat.
Ahhh that makes sense. Great colour! Thank you
Sounds delicious but everything I’ve read says you need at least a cup of thin liquid to prevent the dreaded burn notice. Is the 1/2 cup salsa sufficient for this?
Judy, As meat warms up, it creates a lot of liquid, and with the salsa here, it is plenty to bring it to pressure. I’ve never had a problem with this one, but if your pot is really “burn” sensitive, add 1/4 cup of broth before you put your chicken in and it should work great!
I made this with chicken tenders but they were not totally thawed and I needed to cook them for ten minutes so they would shred easily. The recipe was absolutely delicious. I used spicy Mexican cheese to replace the pepper jack but followed the recipe to a t otherwise and I will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Judy, Amazing! Thanks for reporting back! I Love using tenders so I’m going to try this next time.
I want to try this recipe with chicken tenders. Should I cut back on cook time? When I try it I will leave a review.
Judy, I find tenders only take 6 minutes. If you’re stacking them, add a couple more minutes. Report back!
Delicious! I made with the exact spice ingredients and salsa measurements per the recipe, used mild Pace Brand Picante, added a little water. Substituted cheddar cheese for pepper jack since I can’t do spicy anymore. After cooking the chicken breasts, I thought there might be too much liquid, so I took some out when I removed the breasts for shredding. Added the cheeses, the shredded chicken, and slowly added the liquid back to the pot, using almost all of it. Rolled in in tortillas and served with a side salad. This recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Danielle, Oh man, your description made me hungry. Sounds amazing, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
So I put this recipe into my recipe creator on myfitnesspal and every metric is waaaaay higher than the nutrition information posted. Even removing the pepper jack cheese the recipe is over in calories and fat. Anyone have any ideas?
Susan, I went back and checked that all the info I put in was correct. I’m not quite sure what’s causing the big variation! I’ll try reaching out to the plugin and see if they’re getting any complaints about inaccuracy. Thanks for letting me know!
A regular family favourite……makes everyone smile ….especially when the grandchildren….are the chefs!!!!!
Who knew it would be Instagram worthy “Gota take a shot of that”
★★★★★
Mary, I love it! You know it’s good when people want to throw it on IG 😉
This dish is really a lifesaver, and you can easily store it in the freezer and use it with lots of other food. It tastes quite good and is really easy to make. Thank you very much.
★★★★★
Leah, I make it so often! It’s so versatile. This week it was a quesadilla 🙂
I love this recipe! My husband and I make it about once a week! I am prepping freezer meals for when I have a baby in June. I’m curious: if I were to make the whole recipe, cream cheese and all, will it freeze ok? I have a food saver. I thought about freezing leftovers so all I had to do was reheat it. Think it would work ok?
★★★★★
Jocelyn, Yes! It does really well. I’ve done it several times. I make tamales out of it 🙂
Hi, if I have frozen breasts, how much additional time would you suggest I add?
Thanks!
Jacqui, I typically do time and a half for frozen, so for this I would do 30 minutes. Enjoy it!
This was so good and easy to make. Thank you
★★★★★
Leslie, Thanks for taking the time to let me know and rate it! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Very good, but you really should try the real crack chicken. Honestly, I don’t think this recipe has much less fat and calories than the original (I eliminate the bacon in mine though) if that’s what’s holding you back.
★★★★★
Cass, I’ve tasted it before and just felt it was quite heavy and gloppy. I really should make it in my own kitchen though!
Definitely do it your own way!
Absolutely Amazing!!!!!! Figured out mid-dinner that I forgot the chili powder. We hadn’t noticed and had already given it 5/5! Since it was so good without it, I’m very much looking forward to making it again with it -). Thanks for such a fun, easy and tasty recipe, Marci!
★★★★★
Robin, I’m so excited you liked it! It seriously is one of my all time faves and it’s so simple and versatile, which makes it that much better! YAY!!!
I made this as part of a Cinco de Mayo menu. When I was done, I tried it, and was like, “eh, pretty good.” But then ten minutes later, I was eating more. And then again. And then I realized how the dish earned its name.
Brought it in for lunch the next day and it was even better.
The only change I’d make next time is more spice and some hot sauce.
Give it a go; you won’t regret it.
★★★★★
Art, “And then I realized how the dish earned its name” haha, that was hilarious! I definitely like more heat in mine as well, I just have to add it to my dish afterward so my kids don’t complain. I’m glad you liked it!
This was one of the first real Instant Pot recipes I tried and oh. my goodness. It was so good! Will definitely be making this again. Even my picky husband loved it!
★★★★★
Ashlee, That’s awesome. It’s one my whole family can agree on as well!
ok, this may sound like a dumb question, but do you mean to butterfly the chicken breasts in half or literally cut in half from top side down?
Amy, Now that I read that from your perspective, that is a bit confusing. I don’t butterfly them, although that would probably work just as well. I cut them in half through the center, so side to side, not top to bottom, does that make sense?
Hi Marci, this recipe sounds amazing and is on my list. Just wondering, though, why is the reference to the Litehouse Guacamole Herb and Spice Seasoning lined through in your reference to it above.
Glinda, my biggest pet peeve! As some products go in and out of stock on amazon, the link is sometimes seen as out of stock. But this link is fine and Amazon is well stocked 🙂
Can you substitute goat chees for the cream cheese in the Crack Chicken recipe?
Darla, Hmm….I’m not sure, but being the goat cheese loving girl that I am, I think that sounds amazing! Let me know if you try it!
If I double this recipe, which my 6 kids love,
do I need to add any cooking time?
Bridget, The cook time should stay the same if you don’t stack them heavily on top of each other. Just try and spread them out as much as possible and that should work great!
Hi Marci, I’m going to try this recipe but when you say natural release after 20 minutes on high pressure, are you suggesting to do a natural release until the pin drops? Or natural release for a certain amount of time, then quick release for the rest? thanks!
Stephanie, I like to plan ahead enough that the pressure can release completely naturally. If I’m in a rush, I’ll let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then slowly let the rest of the pressure release through the valve.
AHH! This was delicious! Thank you for a healthy version! I too have shied away from crack chicken until now. And it was so tasty it hardly needs the cheeses! Is there any way to add the black beans in to cook from dried?
Tara, Isn’t it awesome!? We’ve had it just about every way possible. Just scooping it up with whole grain tortilla chips is about my favorite right now. I bet it would still be awesome without the cheese. I’ve never tried dried beans. You’d probably at least have to use soaked beans for it to work and I imagine it would need a lot more liquid. If you try it, let me know!
Excited to try this recipe! I had a hack or two that your other readers already mentioned. I always like to make my Instant or Crock Pot meals extra big so I have plenty to freeze for later. I’ve got two busy little ones at home so anything to make dinner easier is a blessing!
Patti, It’s wonderful having freezer back ups!
Oh. My. Gosh! This was the best thing ever! I took your class last month for this and the ham. This meal has surpassed the egg roll in a bowl! I added corn with the beans, and searched it with the healthy noodles from Costco. Next time, I’ll send it with cauliflower rice. Amazing! Thank you!
Hey Jen, isn’t it great!? I’ve used it for so many things too: salads, quesadillas, tacos, etc. I love the corn addition, I’ll be trying that soon. I’ve got one in my freezer.
My freezer – that is my best kitchen hack EVER! Seriously – I prep stuff in huge batches when it’s on-sale or I have time. Everything from fruit for smoothies to whole wheat muffins, to raw cookie dough balls that cook in 12 minutes, to steel-cut oatmeal blocks, goes into the freezer and makes my life so much easier.
I’m interested in your whole wheat muffins, Mandy!
Mandy, I agree! My freezer is LOADED!
One of my favorite kitchen hacks is I love to buy rotisserie chickens when they’re on sale, take them home and get all the meat off and freeze in 2 cup measurements. They keep for months and it’s so easy to take out and add to a recipe to make it quicker or even just to whip up some chicken salad for lunches. The possibilities are endless and you’re always ready with something to eat.
Jen, I do this all the time as well! Nothing beats the flavor of a rotisserie
This recipe sounds really yummy! Have you tried it without the cream cheese? I’m wondering what the difference would be.
Robin, It wouldn’t have the creamy factor, but the flavor would still be amazing.
Already gave you my favorite kitchen hacks, but wanted to say that at 5am, I am already drooling for dinner time, thanks to you describing the guac and the crack chicken…I think I should skip my eggs and bacon this morning and head right over to dinner! Thanks Marci!
Karen, hahahaha! Good to know it’s totally normal to be thinking about dinner while I’m eating breakfast 🙂
😉
Use the pizza cutter to cut pieces for kids when they are small. It’s much faster when you have multiple littles than to cut with the knife and fork.
Melody, Genius! I figured this one out when all my kids were 3 and under.
It’s gardening time and if you don’t have time to can extra homegrown tomatoes just rinse well put in gallon ziplock single layer place on cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen stack bags in freezer. When need tomatoes for soup salsa etc. take out however many you want skins slide off as they thaw.
Cathy, I have never even heard of doing this! What a great idea!
Whenever I am freezing food I try to flatten it so it defrosts faster. Love to use dried herbs but in the summer when I can get fresh I also found freezing them works well. Love trying new products especially when they can be used with fresh produce. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie, I finally learned the flatten trick a couple years ago and it really does work so good.
I would love to try these herbs! One hack that I constantly do is to freeze sliced bananas. I love having them available, like frozen mango, to add to smoothies. Love all these ideas!!
Barbara, My freezer is always, always stocked with frozen bananas 🙂
My favorite kitchen hack is to grate up fresh ginger root and then freeze it in about 1 tbsp measurements in an ice cube tray. I add a little water to each one to make sure they stick together. Then I can just pop them in anything in calls for. My husband loves to put a cube in his smoothies. I need to go try that guacamole one! I can never make a great guacamole!
★★★★★
Maegan, I love this idea! The frozen ginger I was buying at the grocery store had other additives in it which bugged me. Guess I won’t need that anymore! It is seriously my favorite guac now. I feel like I’m cheating when I make it, but it’s sooo good!
I don’t have any hacks. All those other comments are awesome! Such good ideas, I need to write them all down. Pinterest showed me that peeling a banana by pinching the nub instead of breaking the stem is way easier. Its the only way I peel a banana now. My toddler can peel his own, it’s awesome. Won’t go back to the traditional way. I told my Hawaiian friend and she just laughed at me. When she was a little girl, living on the island, they would climb the banana trees and pinch some open and eat straight from the tree. When the bushels were cut off they’d find all these half eaten bananas. 🙂
Laurel, Well you taught me something new! And that’s hilarious. My kids did the same thing with my peaches a couple years ago and I was not laughing then.
I love the pesto Costco has in the refrigerated section, but it is way too much for just me to use up before it goes bad. So I freeze it in ice cube trays and store it in ziplock bags, that way you can drop a pesto cube on pasta or add to sauces.
Linda, I always do this when my basil plant goes crazy 🙂
Rock-hard brown sugar? Put a piece of bread in and close the lid. A day or so later the bread will be completely desiccated and the sugar will be fresh and soft as new.
Robyn, My mom taught me this trick as a kid. It still amazes me!
I love cooking all types of food with my Instant Pot! Thanks for sharing all your delicious recipes!
My favorite dessert hack is to use my Instant Pot as a double boiler to melt chocolate and peanut butter for No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars! So easy; just place/balance a glass bowl on the pot filled with about 1 cup of water and your ingredients are melted faster and smoother than done in the microwave.
Kelly, what a great idea! I need to try this!
I am excited to try the guacamole seasoning! I have not tried any of their seasonings yet. My favorite thing to do is to buy several large blocks of cheese, grate them all in my food processor, get a bunch of snack-sized zipper bags and put a 1/3 cup of grated cheese in each bag, then place all the snack bag in various gallon-sized zipper bags, label with the type of cheese and freeze them so I have whatever cheese i need on hand at all times. The other thing I like to do is make my own chicken/beef/veg broths and freeze them in ice cube trays, bag and label them with the amount in each cube. Big time saver
Karen, I use this cheese trick as well! I’m always so happy at dinner time when I don’t have to grate cheese for whatever I’m making.
I love to use scissors in the kitchen. I cut herbs, pizza, sandwiches, veggies, noodles. The list goes on and on and on…
Wynne, You have me intrigued . . . I’m definitely going to test my shears out more now.
My favorite tip on Sundays I not only prepare my shredded chicken I also brown ground turkey and freeze recipe ready while I roast a variety of veggies in the oven to add as side dish or in my recipes such as frittatas!
Caryn, I find I’m so much more relaxed throughout the week if I do this!
My favorite thing in the kitchen that I did was to get a large griddle that goes over two of my gas stove burners. Who needs all four burners anyways? Having this griddle there has saved me so much time as I can do big batches or pancakes, sausages or patties all in one go. I have also switched to all heat resistant silicon whisk and spatulas and stirring spoons so that I don’t have anymore burned handles from leaving them in the pot for just a few seconds.
Isabelle, I need to do this!
My favorite tip is when you’re hosting a dinner party fill up the sink with hot soapy water. You can put all your dishes in the water to soak while you enjoy time with your guests. After they leave clean up is easy cuz you don’t have dried dirty dishes!
Courtney, So simple but why have I never thought of this!
When I make broth in my instant pot I freeze it in silicone molds that are 1/4 cup in size. When frozen I transfer to freezer bags with type of broth and date made. When I need a cup of broth , I know that I need 4 cubes or if I just want to add a little flavor throw in a couple of cubes.
Karen, I’ve been meaning to do this for so long!
My favorite time saving tip is to brown your ground beef in big quantities when you have extra time and freeze it. You can even season some of it with your favorite seasonings. It saves so much time when making tacos/taco salads/spaghetti or anything you would add ground beef to. You just remove the amount you want from the freezer and run under water to separate.
Tawney, My mom did this for me when I was pregnant and it was so very convenient
I grow bell pepers so when I get lots of them, I chop them, fill snack size ziplock bags and freeze them. That is just the right size to put in lots of different recipes and I don’t always need to have fresh peppers on hand.
Diane, I’m going to plant more peppers this year because of this tip!
Hi! My favorite Litehouse product is freeze dried cilantro! I didn’t know they made quacamole mix!!
The tip I tell everyone is that if you put just a bit 1/2 tsp- of butter in your potatoes to boil they will not boil over and make a mess on your stove! Best thing I ever learned in the kitchen!!
Dana, I love the cilantro, it really has awesome flavor compared to other dried brands. The Guacamole mix is amazing! Love the tip!
I always preset the kitchen table. But, when I got married my Mother in law told me her secret.
“When you’ve been out gallivanting all day and nothing is cooked, starting frying up onions so that when your husband walks in he’ll think you’ve been cooking all afternoon.” She was a great Mother in law.
Monica, My kids are finally old enough to “preset” the table for me. Your mother in law rocks, I love that 🙂
I love this advice! She sounds like an awesome lady.
My favorite kitchen hack is beans!! Seriously, I make at least a pound of beans a week, to add to all kinds of recipes (fiber! heart health!) Rinse and sort 1 lb of any dried beans. Throw in IP covered with 2″ veggie broth. Add two bay leaves. Set IP for 30 minutes on manual. NPR. Boom. Delicious beans for the week!
Mary Ellen, so easy, but I agree, IP beans are amazing!