Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole with tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, gooey cheddar cheese, and creamy ranch flavors blend perfectly in this comforting recipe. Effortlessly prepared in a slow cooker, it's the perfect meal for busy weeknights.
Another weeknight favorite recipe is my traditional Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole.
This family favorite is often called crack chicken for good reason! It’s highly addictive, just like our Crock Pot Crack Chicken Recipe.
All your favorites, including bacon, cheese, and potatoes, in one delicious slow cooker casserole! Get ready to savor every bite of the irresistible cheesy goodness of this easy-to-make comfort food.
If you’re looking for other huge hits for your slow cooker, try my Crock Pot Pizza Casserole with ground beef and our cheesy Slow Cooker Mexican Casserole.
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Why This Recipe Is So Good
- COMFORT FOOD. You’ll love how the cheesy chicken pairs perfectly with the bacon and ranch flavors nestled between golden tater tots.
- EASY & MINIMAL PREP. It’s a layer-and-go recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare.
- FEEDS A CROWD. Need a hearty recipe to feed your family? This is it! It also feeds a crowd on game day or whenever you have a large gathering.
Ingredient Notes
- TATER TOTS - You’ll need a 32-ounce bag of frozen tater tots to layer in the recipe. Any brand will do, but we do like Ore Ida.
- CHICKEN - This recipe is delicious, with boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes.
- BACON - You’ll need 6 slices of cooked & crumbled bacon. Thick-cut bacon works nicely.
- CREAM CHEESE - To give this recipe a nice creamy flavor with a little bit of tang, you’ll need an 8-ounce block of regular cream cheese.
- CHEDDAR CHEESE. We like sharp cheddar, but mild cheddar also works well. We recommend grating the cheese yourself since pre-packaged cheese has anti-caking ingredients that prevent it from melting well.
- MILK - You only need ⅓ cup of milk—low-fat or full-fat both work.
- RANCH SPICES. To make your own ranch seasoning, you’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried dill, salt, and pepper.
For the full recipe and instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
Topping Ideas
- Sour Cream
- Green Onions or Scallions
- More Bacon Bits
- Diced Jalapeños
Substitutions
- RANCH SEASONING: It’s easy (and a little healthier) to make your ranch seasoning because it doesn’t contain any questionable ingredients. However, you can also buy a 10-ounce packet of ranch mix (ranch dressing mix to use instead).
- BACON: We like the flavor of real bacon, but if you’re pressed for time, you could use a bag of pre-cooked bacon bits.
- CHEESE: If you want something a little spicier, try Pepper Jack Cheese.
Step-By-Step Instructions
PREP: Cook your bacon in the oven or a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, crumble or cut it into small pieces. Cut up your chicken, and then coat the inside of your 6-quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
PRO TIP: To save time, you can cook your bacon up to several days in advance.
STEP 1 - START LAYERING TATER TOTS, BACON, & CHEESE. For your cheesy chicken and bacon casserole, place half of the bag of frozen tater tots into the crock pot and spread them evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker (Image 1). Sprinkle with ½ of the bacon pieces and ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
STEP 2 - MAKE CHICKEN, RANCH, CREAM CHEESE LAYER. Place uncooked chicken cubes on top of the tater tot layer. Sprinkle the chicken mixture with garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dill, and salt and pepper (the ranch seasoning) (Image 2). Place the cream cheese, cut into pieces on the chicken. Top that with the other ½ of the bacon pieces and another ⅓ of the cheese (Image 3).
STEP 3 - TOP WITH ANOTHER LAYER OF TOTS AND CHEESE. Spread the remaining frozen tater tots over the chicken layer and top (Image 4) with the remaining ⅓ cheese. Finally, pour the milk over the top of the crock pot contents.
STEP 4 - COOK. Once you assemble your slow cooker chicken casserole, cover the crock pot with a paper towel and then the lid (Image 5) and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (LOW for 6 hours) or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F.).
Serve warm, and enjoy! Garnish with green onions or more bacon if you'd like.
PRO TIP: Cooking the tater tot casserole with paper towels under the lip of the slow cooker helps absorb moisture so your tots come out crispier!
Oven Recipe
We have an incredible Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole you bake in the oven, but if you want to make this chicken tater tot casserole in the oven:
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer all the ingredients in the dish and bake (no need to add the milk) at 350 degrees F. for about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Top with green onions and serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Try cooking bacon in the oven if you feel like something other than frying bacon and smelling up the house.
- Placing raw chicken on top of your tater tot layer is totally safe.
- This recipe is designed to be cooked in a 6-quart slow cooker and is about 8 servings.
- MAKE-AHEAD: You can cook your bacon, cube your chicken, combine your ranch spices, and shred your cheese a day ahead. Then assemble and cook when ready.
What to Serve With Crock Pot Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
Roasted Brussels Sprouts make an excellent side dish, as do steamed broccoli or green beans with this delicious cheesy chicken tater tot casserole. A simple green salad is also a good choice.
Storing & Reheating
Store any leftover Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
REHEATING: To reheat, transfer leftovers to an oven-safe casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes. This is the best way to restore some of the crispness of the tots. You can also reheat them in the microwave, but the tater tots won’t remain as crispy.
Recipe FAQs
You can use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken in place of raw chicken in the recipe. We suggest cutting the cooking time in half if that’s the case.
With a few modifications, you can cook the recipe in a crock pot without tater tots on top and then add cooked tater tots just before serving. First, make sure to add the first layer of tater tots as your base, and then add all the ingredients besides the other half of the tot and the final ⅓ cheese. Second, once the casserole is finished cooking, add the cooked tater tots and cheese and place the lid on the casserole for a few minutes to help melt the cheese.
More Delicious Slow-Cooker Casseroles
Love this Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
- cheese grater
- skillet
Ingredients
- 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into cubes)
- 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled. We like thick cut.)
- 8 ounce block of cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ cup green onion (diced)
- ⅓ cup milk
- salt & black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- PREP: Cook your bacon in the oven or a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, crumble or cut it into small pieces. Cut up your chicken, and then coat the inside of your 6-quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
- START LAYERING TATER TOTS, BACON, & CHEESE. Place half of the bag of frozen tater tots into the crock pot and spread them evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with ½ of the bacon pieces and ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
- MAKE CHICKEN, RANCH, & CREAM CHEESE LAYER. Place uncooked chicken cubes on top of the tater tot layer. Sprinkle the chicken mixture with garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dill, and salt and pepper (the ranch seasoning). Place the cream cheese, cut into pieces on the chicken. Top that with the other ½ of the bacon pieces and another ⅓ of the cheese.
- TOP WITH ANOTHER LAYER OF TOTS AND CHEESE. Spread the remaining frozen tater tots over the chicken layer and top with the remaining ⅓ cheese. Finally, pour the milk over the top of the crock pot contents.
- COOK. Once you assemble your slow cooker chicken casserole, cover the crock pot with a paper towel and then the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (LOW for 5-6 hours) or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F.). Serve warm, and enjoy! Garnish with green onions or more bacon if you'd like.
Video
Notes
-
- RANCH SEASONING: It’s easy (and a little healthier) to make your ranch seasoning. However, you can also buy a 10-ounce packet of ranch mix (ranch dressing mix to use instead).
-
- SLOW COOKER: This recipe is designed to be cooked in a 6-quart slow cooker and is about 8 servings.
-
- MAKE-AHEAD: You can cook your bacon, cube your chicken, combine your ranch spices, and shred your cheese a day ahead. Then assemble and cook when ready.
- STORING & REHEATING: Store any leftover Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, transfer leftovers to an oven-safe casserole dish, cover it in aluminum foil, and reheat in a 350 degrees oven for 20-30 minutes.
Beverly Eland says
I love this recipe. It's so easy and my pickiest eater had 2nds!! I did forget to put the milk at the end which is important for cooking the chicken. But I added it last minute & cooked an additional 30 minutes and it was great. Next time, I might put Texas Pete in with the cream cheese since we prefer a little kick. Thanks for sharing!
Erin Henry says
So glad you gave the tater tot recipe a try, Beverly. Great idea about adding the Texas Pete next time!
Allyson Zea says
My kids gobbled this up for dinner! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Erin Henry says
So good! I'm so glad you kiddos enjoyed this easy comfort food!
Kristyn says
My family devours this dish!! It has a ton of flavor & the crock pot makes it super easy!