You may be wondering, "What the heck is Crack Chicken"? Well, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the recipe, let me do a little explaining before getting into my Whole30 Creamy Ranch Chicken dairy-free version of this delicious dish.
Although I could not officially come up with the originator of the "crack chicken" recipe, this delicious meal involves throwing some chicken, ranch seasoning and 2 blocks of cream cheese in a slow cooker. 3-6 hours later, you have a chicken dish that is supposedly very addictive, hence the title "Crack Chicken".
I heard about this recipe and was intrigued by the concept. I try to make my meals on the lower carbohydrate side (since vegetables and fruit make up most of my carbohydrate consumption). This recipe, as originally developed, would not fall under my definition of "healthy".
Why do you ask?
Well, it all comes down the "ranch" seasoning. Here is the list of ingredients in a Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning packet:
- Salt, monosodium glutamate, dried garlic, modified food starch, dried onion, maltodextrin, spices, less than 2% of guar gum, buttermilk, calcium stearate, natural flavour (soy)
Did you notice what the second ingredient is? Monosodium Glutamate (A.K.A. MSG)! For anyone that doesn't know, ingredients are listed from high to low which means that the concentration of MSG is very high. Not too mention that the original "crack chicken" recipe calls for 2 entire packages of this seasoning.
What are my issues with MSG?
According to Dr. Mercola:
- It's also one of the worst food additives on the market
- It is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees, and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities
- Common adverse effects linked to regular consumption of MSG, include: obesity, eye damage, headaches, fatigue and disorientation, depression, rapid heartbeat, tingling and numbness
- Early studies suggested 25 percent to 30 percent of the US population was intolerant of MSG at levels found in food. Today, new studies suggest that the percentage may be as high as 40%!
Now, please don't assume that I am telling you that by eating the original version of "crack chicken" that you are going to get fat, lose your vision, get depressed or have a heart attack. That is NOT what I am saying at all.
What I am saying is that in today's world, with so many unknown causes of an increase in a disease state, if there is a way to eliminate as many possible toxins as possible, I am all for it!
How to make Whole30 Creamy Ranch Chicken
Step 1: Cook the chicken
- At the bottom of your slow cooker, add ½ cup of leftover pickle juice.
- If you don't have any pickle juice, feel free to add chicken stock instead.
- I like to save my pickle juice because it is an easy and natural way to brine your chicken!
- Layer your chicken on the bottom of your slow cooker and sprinkle a little salt, pepper and dried dill over the chicken.
- Set your slow cooker on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- If you have leftover chicken or want to use chicken from a rotisserie chicken, feel free to skip this step.
Step 2: Prepare the "Ranch" mixture
- Instead of using cream cheese, I used a can of coconut cream.
- Place a can of coconut cream in the fridge while your chicken is cooking or overnight. I always have a can in my fridge just in case of emergencies.
- By placing the can in the fridge, you will be able to separate the cream from the liquid.
- Since we are looking for a "thickness" like that of cream cheese, we need to get rid of some of the liquid. Keep the liquid that is left and store it in the fridge for later use.
- Unfortunately, you can not use coconut milk in this recipe as it is too liquid and will never give the thickness that we are looking for.
- Ranch seasoning is known to have a mild "buttermilk" flavouring so by adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, we can achieve a similar taste.
- Next, add in all the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 3: Combine the ranch mix with the chicken
- Drain the liquid from the chicken
- Next, carefully shred the chicken using to forks. When all the chicken has been shredded, add in the ranch sauce and stir to combine.
- Set the slow cooker on low for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
There you have it!
I was able to take an otherwise "unhealthy" recipe and convert into a delicious, Whole30, Keto approved meal.
How to serve the Whole30 Creamy Ranch Chicken:
- Use it as a dip for my Almond Flax Seed Crackers (Whole30, LC, GF) or my Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Low Carb) recipes.
- Serve it on top of my Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with a Review of Different Air Fryers (Whole30)
- Serve it with a salad or side such as my Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts and Onion Skewers (Whole30, Low Carb)or my Beautiful Potato Bacon Roses (Whole30)
Whole30 Ranch Chicken (Keto, Dairy-Free)
This Whole30 version of the famous "Crack Chicken" is easy to make. Simply using coconut cream, vinegar and some spices, a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing is created. Throw everything in a slow cooker and a Whole30 dinner is ready in no time.
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp dill, dried
- 1 cup pickle juice or chicken stock
For the Sauce:
- 1 can coconut cream, liquid removed
- ½ cup Whole30 mayo
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp parsley, dried
- 1 tsp dill, dried
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Place the liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and dill. Set slow cooker on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Prepare the cream sauce by comining all the ingredients and mixing well. I used my Vitamix blender but a hand held mixer will work as well. Store in the fridge
- Once chicken is cooked, remove all the liquid. Using forks, shred chicken. Next, add cream sauce and stir to combine. Set slow cooker on high for 20 minutes with the lid off to allow flavours to blend.
Notes
- This recipe seems to be even better the next day
- I like to add a little hot sauce for some added kick.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Meals
- Cuisine: Whole30, Keto, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 285
- Fat: 17.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.9 g
- Protein: 30.2 g
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