This crack chicken salad has no business being this good! It’s creamy, packed with ranch, bacon, and cheddar, and disappears way too fast. Pile it on a croissant or eat it straight from the bowl. I promise I won’t judge!
Get Ready to Be Hooked
Flavor That Hits Different: Ranch, bacon, cream cheese, AND cheddar? Yes please! Skip your grandma’s chicken salad and make this instead. So Simple! Just mix it up, toss it in the fridge, and lunch is done. It gets even better as it sits, so it’s perfect for meal prep.Endless Ways to Eat It: Croissants, crackers, lettuce wraps, a spoon straight from the bowl, however you serve it, it slaps every single time!Ingredients for Crack Chicken Salad
Chicken: Use leftover or rotisserie chicken, or cook and shred your own, whatever is easiest.Bacon: Pre-cooked bacon is a quick, simple way to save time.Cream cheese: This is the key to that rich, creamy ‘crack’ flavor.
How to Make Crack Chicken Salad
Try this crack chicken salad, and you’ll see exactly why it got its name! If you love it, make sure you also try my crack chicken tacos and crack chicken pasta next!
Combine: In a large bowl, mix together the mayo, softened cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined.Stir Ingredients Together: Add the chicken, celery, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and green onions, then stir to combine.Serve: Enjoy crack chicken salad on croissants, in sandwiches or wraps, over lettuce, or with crackers.
lyssa’s Pro Tip
Add Some Heat: Swap in pepper jack cheese for the cheddar for a kick. For even more spice, add diced jalapeños.
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Crack Chicken Salad
#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }Creamy crack chicken salad loaded with ranch, bacon, and cheddar for an easy lunch everyone actually wants.Course Dinner, lunchCuisine AmericanKeyword cheddar bacon ranch chicken salad, crack chicken salad recipe, loaded chicken salad, ranch chicken saladPrep Time 10 minutesminutesTotal Time 10 minutesminutesServings 6ServingsCalories 615kcalAuthor Alyssa RiversEquipment
Mixing BowlKnifeCutting BoardChicken ShredderIngredients
3cupschopped cooked chicken breastor shredded1 ¼cupsmayonnaise3tablespoonssoftened cream cheese2tablespoonsdry ranch powderteaspoongarlic powdercupchopped celerycupshredded cheddar cheesecupcooked and crumbled baconcupdiced green onionsInstructions
In a large bowl, combine 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise3 tablespoons softened cream cheese2 tablespoons dry ranch powder, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Stir well to combine.Add 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast1 ¼ cups mayonnaise3 tablespoons softened cream cheese2 tablespoons dry ranch powder½ teaspoon garlic powder½ cup chopped celery¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon, and ¼ cup diced green onions to the bowl.Stir to combine with the mayonnaise mixture. Serve on fresh croissants, on a bed of lettuce, or with crackers!Notes
Make-Ahead and Leftover InstructionsMake-Ahead: Prepare it, cover it tightly, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy. Before serving, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to add moisture if the salad needs a refresh.Fridge: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.Nutrition
Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 29gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 23gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 976mgPotassium: 284mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 1mg
More Favorite Chicken Salad Recipes
If you’re looking for more easy lunch ideas, check out these other popular chicken salad recipes! They’re quick to make, full of flavor, and perfect for everything from simple lunches to easy meal prep.
Dinner
Million Dollar Chicken Salad
10 minutes
Chicken
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
10 minutes
Salads
Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad
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Recipe Skill Levels
