Enjoy chicken so tender it falls apart at the touch of a fork, tangled up with bright green broccoli and melted cheddar, all under a golden, buttery cracker topping. This slow cooker Cracker Barrel chicken and broccoli bake is the kind of family-friendly dinner that smells like Sunday dinner but comes together on a random weeknight.
I’ll admit it, the first time I tried Cracker Barrel’s Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, I practically licked the plate clean. But frequent restaurant visits add up fast, and cooking our favorites at home is a much more budget-friendly option. Turns out I can make that same warm, cheesy comfort food for a fraction of the price.
I love that this is a simple slow cooker recipe. Just add the ingredients, walk away, and let it do its thing. The chicken stays juicy, the broccoli is tender, and that cracker topping adds just enough crunch to keep every bite interesting.
And easy doesn’t mean you’re cutting corners. This is real food that feeds your family well, trims your restaurant budget, and gives you one less thing to think about after work on a busy day. Below, I’ll walk you through the ingredients, step-by-step directions, and how to make it ahead. You will love recreating this crowd-pleasing Cracker Barrel classic at home.
Looking for more copycat Cracker Barrel recipes? Try my recipes for Cracker Barrel meatloaf, Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings, or Cracker Barrel glazed baby carrots.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Oil
- Broccoli florets: Fresh or frozen both work, though I prefer fresh for texture.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Sour cream
- Chicken broth
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Seasoning: You will need salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Buttery round crackers: Ritz crackers are the classic choice here. One sleeve is about 35–40 crackers, which crushes down to roughly 1½ cups.
- Butter
- Parsley
How to Make Copycat Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly browned. You’re not cooking the chicken through here; you are just giving it a nice golden crust.
- Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Lay them flat in a single layer if possible. If they overlap a little, that’s okay, but try to keep them mostly spread out.
- Add the broccoli florets evenly around and over the chicken. Tuck it into the gaps and scatter some on top. It’ll soften as it cooks and soak up all that cheesy goodness.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chicken broth, 1½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, onion powder, and paprika until smooth. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the chicken and broccoli.
- Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- When the chicken is done, combine the crushed buttery crackers and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the chicken mixture, then top with the buttery cracker crumbs.
- Cover for another 10–15 minutes until the cheese melts slightly and the topping softens just a bit.
- The crackers won’t get crispy in the slow cooker, but they’ll soften and blend into the dish. If you want that crispy, golden top like you’d get at Cracker Barrel, transfer everything to a baking dish and pop it under the broiler for 2–3 minutes. Just watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Serving Ideas
This slow cooker broccoli cheddar chicken is already pretty much a complete meal. But I love having options, so here are some of my favorite ways to serve this restaurant-inspired dish.
- Serve it straight from the slow cooker. This is my go-to move. Ladle it into bowls, make sure everyone gets plenty of that creamy sauce, and call it a night: no fuss and no extra dishes beyond what you’ve already dirtied.
- Go the rice route if you want to stretch this dish further or make it feel a little different; spoon the chicken and broccoli mixture over fluffy white rice. The rice soaks up all that buttery, cheesy sauce like a dream.
- Make it over pasta. Stir in cooked egg noodles or rotini right before serving. The noodles add substance and make the sauce go further, which is never a bad thing when you’re feeding a family on a budget.
- Load it up with bacon. Because bacon makes everything better, right? If I have leftover bacon, I crumble some on top just before serving.
- Add a side salad. You can’t go wrong with a healthy salad, especially for a main dish like this one that is on the heavy side.
How to Store
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. If I know I’m going to have leftovers, I take half of the recipe out of the crockpot before I add the cracker topping. Those buttery crackers get a little soggy overnight, so I add fresh cracker topping when I reheat it.
To reheat, you can microwave it in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each one, until it’s warmed through. Or transfer it to an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and reheat at 350°F for about 15 minutes. The oven method is gentler on the sauce and keeps everything from getting too hot around the edges while the middle stays lukewarm.
You can also freeze the chicken and broccoli mixture (without that cracker topping) in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it in a slow cooker on low for about 2 hours, or in the oven at 350°F for 20–25 minutes. Add your fresh buttery cracker topping right before serving so it stays crispy and delicious.
The key to all of this is keeping that cracker topping separate. Those buttery crackers are what make this dish feel special, so save them for when you’re actually serving it.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Those few minutes of browning the chicken add a depth of flavor that makes this dish taste restaurant-quality. Make sure your skillet is nice and hot before adding the chicken, and resist the urge to move it around. Let it sit for the full 2–3 minutes to develop a golden crust.
- If you’re picky about texture (like my husband, who will literally pick out soft broccoli), add the florets during the last 1–2 hours of cooking instead of at the beginning. You’ll get bright green, slightly crisp broccoli.
- Don’t even think about skipping the buttery cracker topping. It’s what takes this from chicken and broccoli in cheese sauce to a Cracker Barrel copycat that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a rocking chair on their front porch.
- The slow cooker does amazing things, but creating a crispy, golden topping isn’t one of them. If you want to really nail that casserole vibe, transfer everything to a baking dish after slow cooking, add the cheese and cracker mixture, and put it under the broiler for 2–3 minutes.
- Either fresh or frozen broccoli works. If you are using frozen, don’t thaw them first. Add them straight from the freezer during the last 1–2 hours of cooking. They’ll release some water as they cook, but not enough to ruin the sauce.
Reader Questions
Nope. First, you can’t sear frozen chicken properly. Second, frozen chicken releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, which waters down the cheese sauce. And most importantly, it is not safe to cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker because it won’t reach a food-safe temperature quickly enough. Thaw your chicken in the fridge overnight for the best results.
A few things could cause this. First, make sure you’re not lifting the lid during cooking. Every time you peek, you release steam that then condenses back into liquid. Second, if you skip searing the chicken, it will release more moisture during cooking. Third, your slow cooker might run cooler than average, preventing enough evaporation. Next time, try removing the lid during the last 30 minutes to let excess liquid evaporate.
Yes, but you’ll need a large slow cooker (at least 6 quarts). Layer the chicken if needed, and make sure the sauce covers everything. You might need to add an extra 30 minutes to an hour to the cooking time to ensure everything cooks through properly.
Definitely, chicken thighs are more forgiving in the slow cooker since they have more fat and won’t dry out as easily. Use boneless, skinless thighs and follow the same cooking times. Just know that thighs will release a bit more fat, so you might want to skim the top of the sauce before adding the cheese and crackers.
Sure. Carrots, cauliflower, and mushrooms all work well with this flavor profile. Add heartier vegetables like carrots at the beginning with the broccoli. Add delicate ones like mushrooms during the last hour. Just remember that every vegetable you add releases moisture, so your sauce might be a bit thinner.
This can happen when pre-shredded cheese is used. Many pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents which can cause graininess. It also could be because the slow cooker got too hot. Try grating a block of cheese or cooking on low rather than high.
You don’t have to, but I recommend it. It only takes about 5 minutes total and adds a lot of flavor. If you’re truly in a rush, you can skip it, but the dish will taste more one-dimensional.
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Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers like Ritz, crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.4 chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly browned.1 tablespoon oil
- Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the broccoli florets evenly around and over the chicken. Or, if you prefer a firmer broccoli texture, skip this step and add the broccoli in the final 1 ½ hours of cooking.2 cups broccoli florets
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chicken broth, 1½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, onion powder, and paprika until smooth.1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika
- Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the chicken in the crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- If you held the broccoli back, add it during the final 1- 2 hours of cooking.
- Once the chicken is done, combine the crushed buttery crackers and melted butter in a small bowl.1 sleeve buttery round crackers, 4 tablespoons butter
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the chicken mixture, then top with the buttery cracker crumbs. Cover for another 10–15 minutes until the cheese melts slightly and the topping softens just a bit.
- Optional: For a crispier topping, transfer everything to a baking dish, add the cheese and cracker crumbs, and broil for 2–3 minutes before serving.2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Notes
- Those few minutes of browning the chicken add a depth of flavor that makes this dish taste restaurant-quality.
- If you’re picky about texture, add the florets during the last 1–2 hours of cooking instead of at the beginning. You’ll get bright green, slightly crisp broccoli.
- Don’t even think about skipping the buttery cracker topping. It’s what takes this from chicken and broccoli in cheese sauce to a Cracker Barrel copycat that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a rocking chair on their front porch.
- The slow cooker does amazing things, but creating a crispy, golden topping isn’t one of them. If you want to really nail that Cracker Barrel vibe, transfer everything to a baking dish after slow cooking, add the cheese and cracker mixture, and put it under the broiler for 2–3 minutes.
- Either fresh or frozen broccoli works. If you are using frozen, don’t thaw them first. Add them straight from the freezer during the last 1–2 hours of cooking. They’ll release some water as they cook, but not enough to ruin the sauce.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
