My crack chicken tacos bring me straight to taco heaven with every bite! Stuffed into crunchy shells and baked in the oven, this shredded chicken taco filling is creamy, cheesy, bacon-y, and full of delicious ranch flavor. I love that these cream cheese chicken tacos are ready to dig into in just 20 minutes, so dinner is always just around the corner. Plus it doesn’t hurt that my kids love them too!
Top Reader Review
My kids loved this recipe. It was simple and delicious
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Cream Cheese Chicken Tacos Loaded with Bacon and Ranch Seasoning
I’m obsessed with creamy crack chicken, so I figured, why not put it in a taco? The creamy, cheesy chicken filling is unbelievably delicious, and when it’s baked into crispy taco shells, it just tastes even better! This recipe is one of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken and get dinner on the table fast.
My crack chicken taco recipe combines cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning, bacon, and Colby jack cheese into one gooey filling. It only gets better when topped with green onions and more bacon for the perfect finish!
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One Simple Tip!
I recommend setting your cream cheese and sour cream out on the counter about 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook. This makes it so much easier to mix the ingredients!
Crack Chicken Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 12 crunchy taco shells (such as Old El Paso)
- ½ cup cream cheese (½ brick, room temperature)
- ¼ cup sour cream (room temperature*)
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning (1 packet)
- 1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese (divided**)
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (***)
- ½ pound cooked bacon (chopped and divided)
- green onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the taco shells in a 9×13-inch baking pan standing straight up.12 crunchy taco shells
- Bake the taco shells for 5 minutes to crisp them up. Remove from the oven and set aside for now.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and ½ cup cheese.½ cup cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning, 1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese
- Microwave the cream cheese mixture for 30-45 seconds, then mix until it’s well combined.
- Fold in the chicken and all but a bit of the bacon.3 cups shredded cooked chicken, ½ pound cooked bacon
- Fill each shell with the chicken mixture, almost to the top of each shell.
- Sprinkle each taco with shredded cheese.1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve garnished with more bacon and green onions.green onions
Notes
- Use room temperature dairy ingredients for easy mixing and the best texture.
- Carefully press the taco shells against each other so that they all brace each other up. It may take a bit of finagling, but they should all fit well and stand up.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Make it Spicy!
If you’d like to spice up this crack chicken recipe, feel free to add taco seasoning in place of (or in addition to) ranch seasoning. You could also add green chiles or crushed red peppers to really add some heat!
How to Make Shredded Crack Chicken Tacos Step by Step
Prep: Gather the ingredients for these cream cheese chicken bacon ranch tacos. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the Taco Shells: Next, place 12 hard taco shells in a 9×13-inch baking pan, so they’re standing straight up. Bake for 5 minutes to crisp them up, then remove from the oven and set aside while you making the filling.
Make the Filling: In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of cream cheese, ¼ cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning, and ½ cup of shredded Colby jack cheese. Keep the rest of the cheese for topping. Microwave the cream cheese mixture for 30-45 seconds, then mix until it’s well combined.
Add the Chicken and Bacon: Fold in 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken and ½ pound of cooked bacon. Save just a little bit of the bacon for later to garnish.
Fill the Tacos: Fill each taco shell with a portion of the crack chicken mixture, almost to the top of each shell.
Bake the Tacos: Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top of the tacos (about 1 cup, or as much as you like). Bake tacos for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned.
Serve: Remove crack chicken tacos from the oven, and serve garnished with more bacon and green onions.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover cream cheese chicken taco filling tightly covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and stuffing the tacos.
You can also wrap the fully-cooked tray of crack chicken tacos tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
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