crack chicken pinwheels

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pinwheels

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Crack Chicken Pinwheels are the perfect finger food for game day. They’re compact, bite-sized, and leave your hands free for drinking, cheering and high-fiving. In other words: pinwheels are the best kind of party food. If your home team loses and you end up with leftovers…don’t worry! These crack chicken pinwheels are so good that you won’t mind having them again a few days later. In fact, you might even prefer them cold because they taste even better after spending some time in the refrigerator.

crack chicken pinwheels on cutting board

Crack Chicken Pinwheels can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until game day. Just take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so they can come to room temperature again.

What is Crack Chicken

Crack chicken is a spicy, chicken recipe that is also known as ranch chicken. It’s a very popular recipe and is often served in sandwiches and wraps, or on top of salads. The chicken is seasoned in a ranch seasoning and spices mixture and then in the oven,slow cooker or instant pot. Crack chicken is the perfect pinwheel filling because it is super flavorful and very easy to make.

Why You Will Love Crack Chicken Pinwheels

  • Super easy to make
  • Great way to use up leftover chicken
  • Perfect finger food for parties, game day or snack or lunch item for the kids
  • Stores and freezes well
  • Great item to include in a charcuterie board
crack chicken pinwheel in hand

What to Serve With Crack Chicken Pinwheels

Crack Chicken Pinwheels make a great appetizer served with your favorite beer, margarita or non-alcoholic beverage, such as this Orange Mocktail. Include it on your party tray alongside Cheddar Jalapeno Pretzel Bites With Honey Mustard. For a meal, serve it with a tossed salad or Easy Amish Broccoli Salad With Bacon. These Crack Chicken pinwheels go with just about everything.

Additions and Substitutions

These crack chicken pinwheels are already jam-packed with flavor, but there are a few easy add-ons and substitutions that you can use to make them even tastier.

  • You can add a bit of crunch by adding some chopped almonds or sunflower seeds into the filling.
  • You can also make a simple fruity sauce to dip the pinwheels into by mixing together a few tablespoons of jam, jelly, or preserves with a teaspoon of orange juice or lemon juice.
  • Add fresh or dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots into the filling.
  • Try using a different tortilla, such as spinach tortilla or whole wheat.
  • Use a different cheese. Try Pepper Jack or Swiss for a different flavor.
  • For a bit of heat, add a little hot sauce into the filling or some chopped jalapenos.
  • Make with rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken for an even quicker meal.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pinwheels Are Easy to Make Using Leftover Chicken

This recipe includes cooking your own chicken but for an even easier and faster recipe, use leftover chicken or storebought rotisserie chicken. Simply shred the chicken and add it into the other ingredients.

If you like, you could even bypass cooking the bacon by buying precooked bacon and cutting it into pieces.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pinwheels

(exact amounts in recipe card below)

  • chicken breast – Great use of leftover chicken or use rotisserie chicken if you like.
  • salt
  • pepper
  • bacon – I like to cook my bacon but if you are in a hurry, you can use precooked bacon (not bacon bits.)
  • cream cheese – Makes the filling so creamy good.
  • ranch seasoning – Use whatever brand you like. Hidden Valley is a good choice.
  • cheddar cheese – Adds a bit of sharpness to the recipe.
  • milk – Helps to thin the filling, making it more spreadable.
  • tortillas – Use the 10 inch burrito size.
ingredients for crack chicken pinwheels

How to Make Crack Chicken Pinwheels

(complete instructions in recipe card below)

  1. Place trivet in instant pot.
  2. Mix salt and pepper and season each side of chicken.
  3. Cook chicken in instant pot. Remove chicken, shred and set aside,
  4. Saute bacon pieces in instant pot. Remove and set aside.
  5. In a large bowl combine your chicken, bacon, Cream cheese, ranch mix, shredded cheese, and milk.
  6. Distribute filling onto tortillas, roll and cut into 1-inch pieces.
chicken in instant pot
seasoned chicken
seasoned chicken in instant pot
seasoned chicken cooked
bacon pieces cooking in instant pot
sauteing bacon
crack chicken filling ingredients
Combine crack chicken filling ingredients
shredded chicken in bowl
shredded chicken
crack chicken filling
crack chicken filling
crack chicken filling spread on tortilla
filling spread on tortilla
crack chicken pinwheels rolled and cut
crack chicken pinwheels rolled and cut

Can I use leftover chicken for Crack Chicken Pinwheels?

Yes, you can use leftover chicken or a store bought rotisserie chicken. Simply bypass the cooking step for the chicken. Shred your chicken and add it in.

How far in advance can you make chicken pinwheels?

You can make these pinwheels 2-3 days in advance and store them tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Crack Chicken Pinwheels Recipe

holding a crack chicken pinwheel

Crack Chicken Pinwheels

Shredded chicken is a creamy sauce with cheese, ranch seasoning, cream cheese, bacon in a soft tortilla, sliced into pinwheels.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 18 pinwheels
Calories: 143kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 slices thick bacon (cut into small pieces)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • tablespoons ranch seasoning
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 4 10 inch soft tortillas

Instructions

  • Place your trivet in the instant pot and addone cup of water.
  • Mix together your salt and pepper. Seasoneach side of your chicken.
  • Put your chicken breast on the trivet. Closethe lid on the Instant pot and close the sealing valve. Turn your Instant Potto High pressure for eight minutes. When your instant pot is finished coming topressure, do a natural release (make sure your chicken reaches 160° temperatureto ensure it is fully cooked.).
  • Remove your chicken and shred. Set aside.
  • Remove your trivet the water from yourinstant pot. Turn your instant pot on to sauté mode. Once hot, sauté your baconpieces until fully cooked. Remove and then set aside.
  • Add to a large bowl your chicken, bacon,Cream cheese, ranch mix, shredded cheese, and milk.
  • Evenly distribute your crack chicken mix ontofour tortillas and roll them. Cut them into 1-inch sections.
  • Serve and enjoy!
     

Nutrition

Serving: 1pinwheel | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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crack chicken pinwheels in hand and on board

 

 

 

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