I know it’s a funny name but hear me out, Crack Chicken Salad is perfect if you’re looking for a fun twist on your basic chicken salad. It takes 30 minutes or less to make this tasty chicken salad that’ll have you going back for more!
I’d describe Crack Chicken Salad as if chicken salad and chicken bacon ranch had a baby. Seriously though! There’s cheese, bacon AND ranch in this and let me tell you, it’s delicious!
MORE EASY CHICKEN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Easy Chicken Taquitos | Buffalo Chicken Dip | Easy Chicken Fajitas
What We Love About This Recipe
There’s so many great things about this recipe since it’s so adaptable and easy to make.
- 30 Minute Meal: It only takes 30 minutes or less to get this from prepping to being on your plate.
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients are super easy to work with, very beginner friendly!
- Family Friendly: Kids will love the little cubes of cheese, bacon and pickles hidden throughout their sandwich!
- Adaptable: You can make it without the cheese and ranch and substitute a dairy free mayonnaise to make the whole thing dairy free.
- Makes Great Leftovers: Chicken salad stores well in the fridge for a few days for some grab-and-go sandwiches for work or school!
Ingredients
- Cubed Cheese
- Chopped Pickles
- Bacon Pieces
Ingredient Notes
- Cubed Cheese – A great addition to a basic chicken salad, use whatever cheese you like but I like cheddar or colby jack!
- Chopped Pickles – Chopped pickles will give a crunchy texture! I prefer to use sweet pickles on my chicken salad!
- Bacon Pieces – It’s better if you fry up some bacon and chop it up fresh, but the store bought bacon pieces work too.
Equipment Needed
How to make Crack Chicken Salad
These are the basic steps for making Crack Chicken Salad. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
STEP 1: Cook
In a pot, add chicken and water and put on high heat. Let boil and cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
Remove from heat and strain off all the water.
STEP 2: Prep
Shred your chicken with a fork or, my personal favorite, with a hand mixer! The hand mixer will do the exact same thing, just MUCH faster.
STEP 3: Combine
Add the shredded chicken, celery, mayonnaise and seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine. Then, add cheese, bacon and chives and stir until that’s combined too!
STEP 4: Season
Finish off by folding in ranch and season as desired. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
Cook and shred your chicken ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Cut up your celery, chives, cheese and pickles ahead of time and store in airtight containers until you’re ready to combine everything.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
Store in a freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is already quite healthy, however, you could take out the bacon and use low calorie mayo and ranch!
If you’re a fan of spice, use peppers instead! Peppers will give the same crunch factor that the pickles add to the mix.
Absolutely! This recipe would be super easy to both half or double!
What to Serve with Crack Chicken Salad
Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Chicken Breasts
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Ranch
- ¼ cup Chopped Celery
- ⅛ cup Bacon Pieces
- ½ cup Chopped Pickles
- 1 cup Cubed Cheese
- ¼ cup Chopped Chives
- 4 cups Water, to boil the chicken in
Instructions
- Add chicken and water to a medium sized pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
- Remove chicken from the stove and drain off the broth.
- Using a fork and knife, or (which is my favorite way to shred chicken) grab your hand mixer and shred your chicken with it.
- Add shredded chicken, mayonnaise, celery and seasoning to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add in cheese to the mixture.
- Then add bacon, pickles and chives.
- Top with ranch and fold-in to combine it all.
- Season as desired and enjoy!