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Home » Instant Pot Magic

Instant Pot Crack Chicken - Jalapeño Popper Style

Published April 17, 2019. Last modified August 1, 2025 By Gary White

Jump to Recipe
Jalapeño crack chicken image for Pinterest.

This Instant Pot crack chicken has a different twist - it tastes kinda like you're eating jalapeño poppers, just not as spicy. Perfect for serving with pasta, on a sandwich, as a dip for tortilla chips, or (for a really low-carb option) on a salad!

Jalapeño crack chicken in glass bowl.

Ya know how a lot of times you hear these ideas that are so popular that you really want nothing to do with it? That was me for the longest time when it comes to "crack chicken." Who knew that all it would take was eating a low-carb diet to open my eyes to the madness. And thanks my wonderful wife, who pointed out that crack chicken has many of the same ingredients as jalapeño poppers, I think I was actually able to bring something new to the concept of crack chicken. While researching crack chicken recipes online, I was kinda shocked that no one had ever combined two of the most addictive foods around - crack chicken and bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. Well, this Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe had me going to town on the bottom of the pot while Rachael was taking pictures. It's as addictive as the name suggests! 

Jalapeño crack chicken in glass bowl.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

  • Pressure Cooker Ranch Chicken Salad
  • Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken
  • Pressure Cooker Chicken Pho

The Process

Uncooked bacon pieces in pot.
Using sauté setting - add bacon to pot...
Crispy bacon pieces cooking in Instant Pot.
... and cook until crispy.
Sautéing bacon pieces with sliced jalapeños.
Add jalapeños and continue cooking for another minute or so. Then remove bacon and jalapeños and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
Browning chicken breasts in pot.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, then sear them for about 3 minutes on each side in the bacon fat. Then transfer them to a mixing bowl and set aside momentarily.
Fond and chicken broth.
Discard remaining bacon fat, but do not rinse pot. Instead, add 2-3 tablespoons of jalapeño brine from the jar, along with ¾ cup of chicken broth, and scrape up all the fond (brown bits) from the bottom of pot.
Chicken breasts seasoned with ranch spices in broth.
Return the chicken to pot and season with remaining spices - chives, parsley, dill weed, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Chicken breasts in ranch-flavored broth.
Gently turn the chicken breasts so that the seasonings are mostly in the broth. Lock lid and cook for 7 minutes at high pressure.
Cooked chicken breasts in ranch-flavored broth.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally.
Shredding chicken in bowl with two forks.
Remove lid and transfer chicken breasts back to mixing bowl. Then, using two forks, pull the chicken apart into bite-size pieces.
Block of cream cheese in broth.
Pour off all but about 1 cup of broth from the pot, then add the cream cheese...
Cream cheese mixed with broth in pot.
...and mix until completely melted.
Shredded chicken on top of cream cheese mixture.
Return chicken to pot with cream cheese mixture and give a good mix.
Bacon and jalapeños on top of shredded chicken.
Finally, add bacon/jalapeños...
Shredded cheddar cheese on top of bacon.
...and cheddar cheese.
Fully cooked crack chicken all mixed in pot.
Give one last mix until cheddar is melted. Serve over pasta, on a sandwich, as a dip for tortilla chips, or (for a really low-carb option) on a salad!

And the AMAZING Result…

Jalapeño crack chicken in glass bowl.

★ Did you make this Instant Pot Crack Chicken? Please give it a star rating below! ★

Jalapeño crack chicken in glass bowl.

Instant Pot Crack Chicken - Jalapeño Popper Style

This Instant Pot crack chicken has a different twist - it tastes kinda like you're eating jalapeño poppers, just not as spicy. Addiction level: 10!
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 465kcal
Author: Gary White

Ingredients 

  • 12 oz. bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup canned jalapeños sliced
  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 2-3 Tbsp. jalapeño brine
  • ½ tsp. dried chives
  • ½ tsp. dried parsley
  • ½ tsp. dill weed
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Using sauté setting – add bacon to pot and cook until crispy. Add jalapeños and continue cooking for another minute or so. Then remove bacon and jalapeños and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
  • Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, then sear them for about 3 minutes on each side in the bacon fat. Then transfer them to a mixing bowl and set aside momentarily.
  • Discard remaining bacon fat, but do not rinse pot. Instead, add 2-3 tablespoons of jalapeño brine from the jar, along with ¾ cup of chicken broth, and scrape up all the fond (brown bits) from the bottom of pot.
  • Return the chicken to pot and season with remaining spices – chives, parsley, dill weed, garlic powder, and onion powder. Gently turn the chicken breasts so that the seasonings are mostly in the broth. Lock lid and cook for 7 minutes at high pressure.
  • Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. 
  • Remove lid and transfer chicken breasts back to mixing bowl. Then, using two forks, pull the chicken apart into bite-size pieces.
  • Pour off all but about 1 cup of broth from the pot, then add the cream cheese and mix until completely melted. Return chicken to pot with cream cheese mixture and give a good mix.
  • Finally, add bacon/jalapeños and cheddar cheese. Give one last mix until cheddar is melted. Serve over pasta, on a sandwich, or (for a really low-carb option) on a salad!

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 585mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 905IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy Cowden

    July 15, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    5 stars
    This was a huge hit! The flavors are amazing and it was a breeze to make! One of our new favorites!!

    Reply
  2. Clair Dennis

    August 31, 2019 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    This is terrific!!!! Wow! Loved it - thank you so much 🙂

    Reply
  3. Mbahamonde

    September 18, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    We loved it. Added more bacon and swapped pepperocinis instead of jalapenos so it wasnt so spicy. Tasted even better as leftovers. Highly recommend.

    Reply
    • Gary White

      September 19, 2019 at 7:20 am

      Sounds like a good idea! I think I may try that next time I make this.

      Reply
  4. Jen

    October 22, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    We loved it. I used turkey bacon and stirred penne noodles into mixture. I cooked the noodles on the stove while the chicken was in the insta pot.

    Reply
  5. Gaylene glover

    April 27, 2020 at 6:37 am

    I did this months back. What I found is you can put anything in crack chicken you and your family like. I used first recipe and added green chili, bacon, green onion wonderful

    Reply
5 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Meet Gary

I'm Gary... dad, recipe developer, and comfort food nerd. I believe in real food for real life. This blog? It’s where I share the recipes my family actually eats. Simple, soulful, and full of flavor. More about me...

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