Instant Pot Healthy Crack Chicken

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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!

We’ve gotten so many rave reviews from this recipe, including one of our readers Ashlee. This is what she has to say about our Instant Pot Healthy Crack Chicken recipe:

“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

1. Place chicken, salsa, and seasonings in the pot
2. Cook for 20 minutes
3. Remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks or a food processor
4. Add cream cheese and pepper jack cheese
5. Stir until cheese melts
6. Stir chicken and black beans back into the sauce

BEST WAY TO SHRED CHICKEN – THE TOP 3 METHODS

1. Two forks – minimal mess and you have ultimate control over the size and shape of the chicken
2. Stand or Hand Mixer – yep, use a mixer to shred the chicken.  This results in a very fine, consistent shred
3. 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

OTHER 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.

Want some more Instant Pot Healthy recipe ideas? Our favorites are Creamy Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal , Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup, and Instant Pot Pot Roast.

TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE HEALTHY INSTANT POT CRACK CHICKEN

• Instant Pot
• Litehouse Guacamole Herb and Spice Blend
• Food Processor or
• Hand Mixer

Instant Pot Mexican Inspired Healthy Crack Chicken

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 11 reviews

A healthier Mexican inspired version of the very popular “Crack Chicken”, this Instant Pot Crack Chicken is as versatile as it is addictive.

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 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

1. Place chicken breasts in the pressure cooker pot in a single layer across the bottom, as much as possible.
2. Add salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking, prepare pico de gallo and guacamole if using homemade.
5. When pressure cooking is complete, use a natural release.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Marci

Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.

I love to see what you're cooking from my blog! Show me your creations on Instagram using hashtag #MARCITIDBITSFor more TIDBITS food talk, join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube