This site contains affiliate links. Please see Policies for more information.
Making this Weight Watchers Crack Chicken is easier than ever thanks to the Instant Pot. You can make this lighter version for sandwiches, dips, and more!
This creamy, ranchy chicken is made with Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, which lowers the fat content in the recipe. Instead of using ranch dressing or a ranch seasoning packet, this recipe uses homemade ranch sauce–cutting out a ton of extra sodium, fat, and preservatives.
Where’s the recipe?
Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes that anyone–and I mean anyone–can follow. Whether you’re brand new in the kitchen or you’ve been cooking for years, you’ll have recipe success here!
If you’re looking for all the details, read the post below for complete instructions along with a ton of cooking tips. If you simply want the recipe, go ahead and scroll down to the printable recipe for Weight Watchers Crack Chicken.
Ingredients:
These ingredients will give you the lowest WW points. If you substitute any of the ingredients, please recalculate your points.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs: the WW points were calculated with breasts.
- Turkey bacon: If you’d rather use regular bacon, just make sure to recalculate the points.
- Fat free cottage cheese: If you’re concerned about sodium levels, you can rinse the cottage cheese before blending it.
- Fat free greek yogurt: Unflavored yogurt makes for a creamy base for this recipe.
- Homemade Ranch Spices
- Fat free Cheddar cheese
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
This recipe takes about 15 minutes to get into the pot. The time estimate is including the cook time and release time. This doesn’t include how long it takes your pot to come to pressure, since that changes depending on location and your pot.
- Place the frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water or chicken broth, then lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
- Cook on high pressure using the manual function for 12 minutes. When cooking time is finished, let the pressure release naturally. NPR (natural pressure release) is when you don’t touch the sealing valve of your pot when it’s done cooking–it will release the pressure naturally over the period of about 10 minutes. This prevents the chicken from drying out.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the turkey bacon in the oven according to the package. Cut into small cubes and set aside until ready to use.
- Blend the cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill together in a blender. Mix well until you have a ranch-like dressing. Set aside until ready to use.
- Drain and shred the chicken. I love doing this with a hand mixer or stand mixer. You can also use two forks
- Pour the dressing from the blender onto the chicken. Add the turkey bacon and cheddar cheese.
- Mix well. You can turn the Instant Pot to sauté to help the melt the cheese if your chicken has cooled.
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- There are two ways to make this recipe in the slow cooker. Choose the chicken cooking method that works best for you.
- Cook the chicken on high heat for 4 hours, then drain and shred the chicken.
- Cook the chicken on the stove, drain and shred, and then add chicken to the slow cooker.
- Blend the cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill together in a blender or food processor. Mix well until you have a ranch-like dressing. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add the blended sauce, cooked turkey bacon, and cheddar cheese over the chicken. Mix well.
- Cook the dip on low heat for 1.5 hours. I think that as this recipe slow cooks, it gets tastier!
Stovetop Directions
- Bake or boil chicken, and cook the turkey bacon in the stove according to package directions.
- Shred the chicken and cube the bacon.
- Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill together in a blender. Mix well until you have a ranch-like dressing. Set aside until ready to use.
- Pour the dressing from the blender into the chicken, then add turkey bacon and cheddar cheese over the chicken. Mix well.
- Melt it all together by placing back on the stovetop for a few minutes.
Serve this recipe 3 ways!
- Follow the directions above to serve this as a dip with vegetables, crackers, or your favorite dip partners.
- To make Stuffed Peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees if you’d like to eat these warm.
- Cut 6 mini sweet peppers in half and remove the seeds.
- Stuff crack chicken into the peppers and top with cheese and parsley (optional, but delicious!).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and begins to crisp up.
- To make a Salad for 2:
- Chop 2 cups romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup bell pepper, and 1 tomato.
- Toss ingredients together and top with 1 1/2 cups of crack chicken (remember, for 2 salads). Add 2 tbsp cheddar cheese, optional.
Recipe Tips and Common Questions
- Double the sauce and use it for a dip–you won’t be sorry about that. The sauce is made from cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and spices.
- You can use thawed or frozen chicken in this recipe. The only difference is that frozen chicken in the Instant Pot takes a little longer to come to pressure.
Weight Watchers Instant Pot Crack Chicken Points
This WW Crack Chicken is just 1 Point on the 2023 Plan | 3 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving, when using fat free cottage cheese and fat free Greek yogurt. I use the WW website to calculate this recipe based on ingredients, not nutrition information. WW has told me that this is the most accurate way to count.
If you’re just making the dressing (omitting bacon, chicken, and cheese), your points are 0 2023 Points | 1 Green Plan Point | 1 Blue Plan Point | 1 Purple Plan Point
With 2 carbs ad 33 grams of protein, this is a keto friendly recipe.
More Weight Watchers shredded chicken recipes
click the stars to rate!
Weight Watchers Crack Chicken
Approximate Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Servings 4 servings
This Weight Watchers Crack Chicken Dip can be eaten three ways! Make it into a delicious dip, use it as a salad topping, or add it to mini bell peppers for a treat! This Ranch-Bacon-Cream Combo is going to be your new favorite meal!
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Sealing Rings
- Olive Oil Spray
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast frozen, or thighs
- 1 cup water
- 4 slices turkey bacon
- ¾ cup cottage cheese fat free
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt fat free
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp parsley
- 1 tsp fresh dill 1/2 tsp dried
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese fat free
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Place the (frozen or thawed) chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water, then lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to Seal. 1 lb chicken breast, 1 cup water
- Cook on high pressure using the manual function for 12 minutes. When done, let the pressure release naturally. This will prevent the chicken from drying out.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the turkey bacon in the oven according to the package. Cut into cubes and set aside until ready to use 4 slices turkey bacon.
- Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill together in a blender. Mix well until you have a ranch-like dressing. Set aside until ready to use. ¼ cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp parsley, 1 tsp fresh dill
- Drain and shred the chicken. Add the dressing from the blender, turkey bacon, and cheddar cheese over the chicken. Mix well. You can turn the Instant Pot to sauté to help the melt the cheese if your chicken has cooled. ¼ cup cheddar cheese
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Add 1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth to the crockpot. Add the chicken and cook on high heat for 4 hours. 1 cup water, 1 lb chicken breast
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the bacon in the oven. Cube it when it's finished cooking. 4 slices turkey bacon
- Blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill in the food processor or blender. ¾ cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp parsley, 1 tsp fresh dill
- Pour the sauce into your shredded chicken. Add turkey bacon and cheddar cheese. Optional: Add back to the slow cooker if you want to keep it warm for later. ¼ cup cheddar cheese
Stovetop Directions:
- Bake or broil the chicken to cook. I prefer boiling it in a pot of water. 1 lb chicken breast
- Cook the bacon at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. When it's done, cube it. 4 slices turkey bacon
- When the chicken is done cooking, shred it with two forks or a mixer.
- Mix the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill in a food processor or blender. ¾ cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp parsley, 1 tsp fresh dill
- Pour the sauce over the shredded chicken. Add the cooked bacon and cheddar cheese. ¼ cup cheddar cheese
Video
Notes
Weight Watchers Instant Pot Crack Chicken Points
This WW Crack Chicken is just 1 Points on the 2023 Plan | 3 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving, when using fat free cottage cheese and fat free Greek yogurt. I use the WW website to calculate this recipe based on ingredients, not nutrition information. WW has told me that this is the most accurate way to count.
If you’re just making the dressing (omitting bacon, chicken, and cheese), your points are 0 2023 Points | 1 Green Plan Point | 1 Blue Plan Point | 1 Purple Plan Point
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 935mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 122IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 1mg
Make This Recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum
This looks delicious, what is the serving size ?
About 3/4C ;)
Made last night – delicious. I’m going to make the dressing for more things!
Can I substitute fat free cream cheese for the cottage cheese? We do not like cottage cheese?
Let me tell you, I don’t like it either–not at all. But after blending it and adding the spices you can’t taste it. You could probably sub cream cheese but it’ll be a lot thicker.
Are the cottage cheese and yogurt full fat?
Hi Mary, I calculated these with low fat Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Using non fat will lower your points.
If I’m doubling this recipe, how long will I need to set the IP to cook the chicken? (IP newbie :)
Same time! Most recipe times don’t need to be doubled in the Instant Pot. :)
Weight Watchers Cracked Out Chicken recipe is amazing. I’ve made it for my family a few times!! Definitely a crowd pleaser at my house.
How many old points?
I don’t know, but you can run it through your calculator :)
Did you cook this in bell peppers like in picture?
You can! It’s one of the serving suggestions :)
Is the points with the bread or without?
Without. There are so many ways to serve this recipe, I didn’t want to assume anything :)
Are the nutritional facts for the entire recipe or for just one serving?
One serving :)
For anyone curious- used fat free greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, full fat grated cheddar. I am on the Green ww plan (most similar to old weight watchers plan) and it calculates to 5 SmartPoints.
Thanks for posting this!!!
I quadrupled this for our family of 7 and it is DELICIOUS! We are eating it on Ole Xtreme 1 point wraps. Definitely on our menu rotation now.
My husband especially loves this recipe! He said he could eat it daily! It truly is amazing how low fat and tasty this is! Usually, those two things don’t go together.
Ohh I love this! So glad he likes it, and I totally agree–I love this recipe!
Can you make this recipe in a slow cooker/crock pot? If yes, do you have times?
Yes, Gina! The directions are in the post itself:
1. There are two ways to make this recipe in the slow cooker. The first is to cook the chicken on high heat for 4 hours, then drain and shred the chicken. The second is to cook the chicken on the stove, drain and shred, and add it to the slow cooker. Choose the chicken cooking method that works best for you.
2. Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, parsley, and dill together in a blender. Mix well until you have a ranch like dressing. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Add the blended sauce, turkey bacon, and cheddar cheese over the chicken. Mix well. Cook the dip on low heat for 1.5 hours.
I didn’t see the instructions for the peppers. Do you precook them? Are they raw? Baked?
They can be eaten raw or baked! Directions are in the recipe post above. Just slice mini peppers in half and stuff them with the finished recipe.
Can you bake the chicken with the topping spread on it?
I haven’t done it this way, but you could! That sounds delicious! :)
This was delicious, but I needed to cook the chicken 2 more minutes in microwave, as 12 min on high pressure wasnt quite enough.
Thanks for letting me know! Sometimes the chicken needs another minute or two. It all depends on your pot, the size of your chicken breasts, and your elevation :)
Can you use all nf greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese?
You could, but using the two together gives the best results. As they’re blended, you don’t get that strange cottage cheese texture :)
Brand new to the world of insta pots and tried this recipe first. Anyone know why my chicken would come out still frozen after the 12 minutes?
Hi Stacie! Any chance your chicken was frozen stuck together?
My question is, did you make sure the instant pot was set to “sealing”, not “venting”? I could see that causing some trouble!
Do you have point value for just the Ranch/dill dressing? I made a double batch when making this recipe and use the left over for veggies and salads. Delish!
Hi Katie! When only making the dressing (which is SO good!), it makes 4 servings and it’s 1 point for each of the plans.
Hi! Have you tried making this a few days in advance? Or freezing it? Trying to find a bunch of healthy make ahead meals for busy sports nights!
Yes to both! This is a great recipe for meal prep – it freezes and reheats well :)