All Purpose Shredded Chicken
This recipe for all purpose shredded chicken is a great way to meal prep a healthy protein. It will show you how to cook shredded chicken in your instant pot, stove top and slow cooker. A great option for tacos, enchiladas, chicken sandwiches and chicken salads.
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Calories: 179kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
- 2 tsp All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 cup Bone Broth Chicken Stock or Water
Instructions
INSTANT POT SHREDDED CHICKEN
- Add Chicken Stock or Water: Add 1 cup of chicken stock or water to the bottom of your slow cooker. While water is fine to use, stock or bone broth will add additional flavor and nutrients to the chicken.
- Prep Your Chicken: Add 2 pounds of chicken breast or thighs to your instant pot. Your chicken does not need to be on top of a trivet and can cook right in the liquid.
- Add Seasonings: Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder or your favorite all purpose seasoning on top of the chicken.
- Pressure Cook The Chicken: Set the valve to SEALING and cook the chicken on manual HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. A quick or natural release is ok. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit to be safe to consume.
- Shred Chicken: Remove from pressure cooker and shred using any of the methods below. Add back in some cooking liquid to keep it moist and flavorful.
- If Cooking Frozen Chicken: Follow all steps in this recipe except add 3 minutes of pressure to your cooking time making it 15 minutes of manual HIGH pressure. Be sure that the chicken is cooked all the way through as if the chicken breasts are too thick, it could not reach the proper temperature. If this happens, place back in the instant pot to cook for another 3-5 minutes.
SLOW COOKER OR CROCK POT SHREDDED CHICKEN
- Add Chicken Stock or Water: Add 1 cup of chicken stock or water to the bottom of your slow cooker. While water is fine to use, stock or bone broth will add additional flavor and nutrients to the chicken.
- Prep Your Chicken: Add 2 pounds of chicken breast or thighs to your crock pot or slow cooker.
- Add Seasonings: Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder or your favorite all purpose seasoning on top of the chicken.
- Cook The Chicken: Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-6 hours. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit to be safe to consume.
- Shred Chicken: Remove from slow cooker and shred using any of the methods below. Add back in some cooking liquid to keep it moist and flavorful.
STOVE TOP SHREDDED CHICKEN
- Season Your Chicken: Season your chicken with an all purpose seasoning or a simple custom blend of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Add To Pot: Add chicken to a large sauce pot tall enough to fit chicken, liquid and that won’t boil over.
- Cover With Liquid: Cover your seasoned chicken with enough chicken stock or water to about 2 inches above the chicken. Water works, but broth or stock is more flavorful.
- Cook The Chicken: Heat the water over medium high heat until a rolling boil is achieved. Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and internal temperature reads 165 degrees. If you filet your chicken in half, it may take less time for it to cook completely.
- Shred Chicken: Remove from cooking liquid with tongs and serve.
Video
Notes
HOW TO SHRED CHICKEN
There are 3 ways to shred chicken easily.- Use A Stand Mixer: I learned this trick while working in a restaurant. Add the chicken to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment start mixing on low speed as chicken shreds. Make sure you keep an eye on it as the higher the speed, the more it will shred the chicken and dry it out. Feel free to add some cooking liquid into the bowl while mixing.
- Using Meat Claw Shredders: Not sure if that is a technical term, but this plastic claw tool is one of the best ways to shred chicken, pork or beef. You can buy them here for under $10 and clean up is easy!
- Two Fork Method: Take two forks and use one in each hand to shred the chicken. This is my least favorite way to shred chicken as it takes a long time but it’s good in a pinch and you’ll have the tools on hand!
RECIPE TIPS:
- Save the liquid: Once chicken gets cooked, it will start drying out over time. Make sure you save some of the cooking liquid as you store it to make sure it stays moist and tender once it is reheated.
- How Long Will It Last? In an airtight container, shredded chicken will last up to 7 days in the fridge. Can I Freeze Shredded Chicken? Yes! This is a great recipe to make in bulk for meal prep as you can freeze some for later use. Add the shredded chicken along with some cooking liquid to a freezer safe bag or vacuum sealed bag and freeze it for up to 5 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 179kcal | Protein: 31g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 487mg