Instant Pot Chicken Crack Soup

Chicken crack soup in Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express pressure cooker or on the stovetop is a bite of cream cheese goodness your whole family will love. If you loved our Instant Pot crack chicken pasta dish you’ll drool over this one too!!

Pressure Cooker Crack Chicken Soup

I used my usual method here but if you don’t have this or a Ninja Foodi you could easily use a large pot. Just saute the meat a bit longer at the beginning and simmer until noodles are as tender as you want it to be.

Ninja Foodi Crack Chicken Soup

Using this machine, you’ll use the lid that is not attached with bite size skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs for the protein. Either is delicious but the latter offers up a bit more flavor. I’ve used both to make the thicker version, Ninja Foodi crack chicken and either is delicious.

I will tell you, we absolutely love Instant Pot soup recipes when it is chilly outside. When we were in California there wasn’t much of a temperature change, but once we hit Idaho we got all four seasons for real! Right around October I am ALL about Instant Pot casseroles, baking, and soup for dinner.

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Soup with Potatoes

If you wanted to add more into the mix you could dice russets and throw those in to get tender along with everything else. You can of course thin it out with a bit more broth but I like a really hearty dish full of this. Add a bit more meat if you like, thighs or breasts work.

Why is it called crack chicken?

The quick answer is that people saw this ranch dressing mix, bacon and cream cheese combination as addicting. Some don’t like the name for obvious reasons but I’m just answering the question you asked. 😉

The nice thing about using the “magical pot” is you can cook the bacon, saute the chicken, and get the noodles tender all in one pot. If you used precooked and bagged real bacon bits and leftover chicken breasts you could skip this first step entirely too.

I buy the main ingredients already made but you could also make homemade ranch dressing mix if you wanted to. You cannot always find buttermilk powder in stores so I would make sure you can find it locally or online before attempting it. I’m always about easy so I don’t bother with making that from scratch.

We added orzo pasta to the mix. You could certainly leave it out but it wouldn’t be quite as hearty of a dish. If you have never had or heard of this it tastes a bit like a firmer white rice of sorts. This is what you’ll need to make this:

Crack Chicken Soup Ingredients

1. Diced chicken thighs or breasts
2. Room temperature cream cheese
3. Olive oil for sauteeing
4. You could certainly add diced onions and/or minced garlic
5. Precooked bacon
6. Chicken broth is way better than water for the liquid
7. 2 Tbsp. dry ranch seasoning or 1 ranch seasoning packet which is 1 oz. Ranch packets are a powder dried and not the same as the liquid dressing for salads.
8. You can add salt and pepper if you like but remember there is a lot already in that pig you threw in…

Cheese can be added into the mix at the very end and/or at the top when serving it up. You can add as much as you like or leave it out entirely. An hour or two before you make this take your block of cream cheese out and set it on the counter. It is best to add in smaller chunks once it is room temperature.

If you don’t it is likely to not melt as well and get a bit chunky instead of becoming smooth immediately. It is still fine but doesn’t look nearly as appetizing to the eye.

Below is a quick explanation of how to make this in a pressure cooker. If you are making this in a dutch oven or large pot on your stovetop you will still saute on medium heat with olive oil or in bacon grease, add other ingredients, reduce heat and cover. Stir intermittently and simmer until pasta is tender, then remove.

How to Make Crack Chicken Soup with Cream Cheese

• Pour in oil to pot and press the saute function.
• Once hot add diced bacon and cubed chicken. Cook until outside of chicken pieces are no longer pink. Then turn pot off.
• Add chicken broth to deglaze the pot (scrape stuck on meat off of bottom of pot). Sprinkle in ranch seasoning mix, and pasta.
• Gently submerge orzo into liquid below Seal lid and pressure valve closed.
  • Set to high pressure for 5 minutes followed by a quick release. Lift lid and cut block of softened (room temp.) cream cheese into small cubes.
• This will create a creamy crack chicken soup. Add these into the hot soup. Stir until melted.

If necessary turn to saute and stir so it is all melted and creamy. The longer it bubbles the more it will reduce to become thick and creamy. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Can you cook noodles in soup?

Yes! We did this with the orzo which is a type of noodle that is very small. If you wanted to use another variety I would suggest something of similar size like small elbow macaroni. You could leave it out too if you wanted to.

Chicken Crack Soup Stove top

You would follow these same directions except in a pot on the stove over a low simmer until orzo is tender is all the time you need to make this. I provided you with the full printable recipe below with ingredients necessary.

It is not necessarily a low saturated fat dish but in moderation every once and while is fine. After the holidays you could easily make this as a leftover ham recipe as well to mix things up.

Serve with a baby spinach salad and/or some refrigerated biscuit pull apart bread. If you wanted to add more to this dish you could top with more shredded chicken and bacon bits too. Some like a sprinkle of some dill weed with oyster crackers thrown on there too.

For another delicious idea after this one, try our Crockpot crack chicken or Instant Pot crack chicken pasta dish!! Thicker with large wide egg noodles it is more of a casserole of sorts but still an easy one pot meal for your family.