Name: Crack Chicken Melts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chopped cooked chicken; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; ⅓ cup cooked chopped bacon; 2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix; 1⅓ cups mayonnaise; 9 english muffins

Crack Chicken Melts – perfect for entertaining! English muffins topped with tender chicken, ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Exceptionally delicious! They’re wonderful when you need a quick and easy party appetizer or a snack. Only 6 ingredients – chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, and English muffins. Ready to eat in under 20 minutes.

chicken melts on a platter with text overlay

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Chicken Melts with Cheddar Bacon & Ranch

New favorite alert! These Crack Chicken Melts were the star of our football party last weekend. Chicken salad loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch baked on English muffins. SO good! These open-faced sandwiches are great for brunch and a quick lunch. Whip up a batch today. You won’t be disappointed.

What does CRACK mean?

If a recipe has “crack” in the title it means that the recipe has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the ingredients. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck.

According to the dictionary, the definition of crack is “of superior excellence or ability”. We think the flavor combination of cheddar, bacon, and ranch fits this definition! These sandwiches are most definitely of superior excellence! One taste and you will surely agree.

How to Make Crack Chicken Melts

These sandwiches are super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a large bowl, combine cooked chopped chicken, ranch seasoning, shredded cheddar cheese, cooked chopped bacon, and mayonnaise. Split english muffins in half. Place on a baking pan. Scoop chicken mixture on top of muffin halves. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes or until hot and cheese starts to bubble. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

I use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chopped chicken in the sandwiches. You can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and chicken tenderloins all work fine.
Make sure to use a high-quality mayonnaise in this recipe. I suggest Duke’s or Hellmann’s.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix made with buttermilk powder, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
Can make the melts on sub rolls or hearty sourdough bread slices.
- Try these on Kings Hawaiian Sub Rolls – SO good!
Add a few dashes of hot sauce for a kick.
Can Chicken Melts be made in advance? Yes. You can assemble the sandwiches and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Can Crack Chicken Melts be frozen? Yes. Assemble the english muffins and place them on a cookie sheet. Place the cookies sheet in the freezer. Transfer the frozen melts to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave or wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven.

What to Serve with Quick & Easy Chicken Melt Sandwiches

These sandwiches are great for parties, potlucks, lunch, and dinner. Feel free to top the melts with lettuce, pickles, and tomato slices. Serve them with some chips, pasta salad, or french fries. This is equally delicious with a green salad. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are some popular recipes from the website:

Pasta Salad