Quick, easy, and delicious Shredded Chicken ready in less than 30 minutes! Perfect in salads, soup, casseroles, tacos, and more!
Shredded chicken is an essential cooking skill anyone can master! Perfect for last-minute dinners or weekly meal prep, this shredded chicken recipe is versatile, delicious, and a must-have staple for protein-packed meals.
Shredded chicken is one of those cooking skills that literally anyone can perfect. Why do we love this? Because once you have shredded chicken, you can make just about anything. And now, when you see a recipe that calls for two, three, or five cups of shredded chicken, you’ll know how to make it perfectly.
This shredded chicken recipe is simple – poach the chicken in a pot of simmering water (or broth) on the stovetop with salt and black pepper (and maybe some other aromatics or seasoning). That’s it! Some recipes recommend sautéing the chicken beforehand, but I find this unnecessary (and a waste of time).
Why This Recipe Works
- Shredded chicken can be cooked using various cooking gadgets, like the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or air fryer. But cooking chicken on the stovetop requires minimal equipment and effort—just a pot and a few simple ingredients.
- Season simply with salt and pepper, or infuse the chicken with other flavors and aromatics, including garlic, onion, and fresh herbs, enhancing its overall taste.
- Using a digital meat thermometer provides the most accurate determination of doneness, preventing over or undercooked chicken.
- Shredded chicken is extremely versatile. Use the cooked and shredded chicken in hundreds of recipes, including salads, sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas, soup, and more!
- Make extra to use in meal prep or freeze leftovers for later.
Best Chicken to Use
The best chicken you can use to make shredded chicken is boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as long as they aren’t overcooked). I also love to use bone-in skin on chicken thighs or breasts. Yes, it is somewhat trickier when it comes time to shred them, but the skin is wonderful at protecting the outer layer from becoming overcooked and dry.
How to Make Shredded Chicken
1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Fill a large pot with water (the pot should be large enough to completely submerge the chicken in water (or broth) by 1-2 inches). Bring just to a simmer.
2. Add the chicken and simmer. Add the chicken, salt, and black pepper (plus any optional additions such as herbs or spices) to the pot. Return the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and cover immediately with a lid. Allow the chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer.
3. Rest. Use kitchen tongs to remove the chicken from the pot carefully. Set aside in a large mixing bowl or on a clean plate and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Shred the chicken. While still warm, shred the chicken with two forks, your hands (my preferred method), in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer.
5. Add some flavor (optional). There are tons of ways to add flavor and spice to this shredded chicken. Here are some of my favorites,
- Spice mixtures: Jerk seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and poultry seasoning.
- Sauces: Buffalo sauce (perfect for everything), barbecue sauce, alfredo sauce (yummy with pasta), chimichurri, basil pesto, homemade cheese sauce, enchilada sauce, etc.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken: The Instant Pot makes shredded chicken from frozen chicken breasts without the need to thaw them first.
- Prepare the Instant Pot. Place the metal trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add one cup of water or chicken broth to the pot.
- Add the chicken and cook. Arrange the frozen chicken on the trivet, close the lid, and set the valve to the sealing position. Press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button and cook the chicken breasts on high pressure for 12-15 minutes for medium chicken breasts (about 6-8 ounces).
- Natural Release. Release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining steam.
- Check for doneness. Using a digital meat thermometer.
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken: Useful for busy days.
- Prepare the slow cooker. Add enough liquid (water or broth) to cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and season with salt, black pepper, and any other seasonings you like.
- Cook. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Cooking times will vary.
- Check for doneness. Using a digital meat thermometer.
Shredded Chicken Recipes
- Chili and Soup: Chicken soup, chicken gnocchi soup, white chicken chili, crack chicken soup
- Casseroles: Chicken broccoli rice casserole, crack chicken casserole, chicken and wild rice casserole
- Enchiladas and Tacos: Sour cream chicken enchiladas or chicken enchiladas. Turn simple shredded chicken into delicious tacos by mixing it with a bit of homemade salsa verde or season with some taco seasoning.
- Sandwiches or Lettuce Wraps: Shredded chicken is a must-have for chicken salad.
- Pasta Salad: Use it to make countless variations of pasta salad like chicken Caesar pasta salad, buffalo chicken pasta salad, and green goddess pasta salad.
Jessica’s Cooking Tip: After the chicken has finished cooking, save the leftover cooking liquid and use it to make soups, stews, sauces, or rice.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I love popping frozen leftover shredded chicken right into a pot of simmering soup—no need to thaw.
RECIPE CARD
Shredded Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water (the pot should be large enough to completely submerge the chicken in water (or broth) by 1-2 inches). Bring just to a simmer.
- Add the chicken, salt, and black pepper (plus any optional additions such as herbs or spices) to the pot. Return the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and cover immediately with a lid. Allow the chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160°F as measured with a digital meat thermometer.
- Use kitchen tongs to remove the chicken from the pot carefully. Set aside in a large mixing bowl or on a clean plate and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
- While still warm, shred the chicken with two forks, your hands (my preferred method), in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or with a hand mi
Jessica’s Notes
- You can store leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I love popping frozen leftover shredded chicken right into a pot of simmering soup—there is no need to thaw.
- After the chicken has finished cooking, save the leftover cooking liquid and use it to make soups, stews, sauces, or rice.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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