There are many ways to make shredded chicken: in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, stovetop, and oven. But what is the best way to cook shredded chicken? Read on to find out.
Shredded chicken is perfect to have on hand to toss into salads, stir fry recipes, sandwiches, tacos, nachos or soups. An ingredient with all of this versatility should be easy to make too, and I tried four methods to find out the best one.
Recipe Highlights
- It’s made with minimal ingredients (only four if you consider water an ingredient)
- It’s easy to make and convenient to have on hand in your fridge for a quick meal.
Here is what you will need
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Boneless chicken breasts (1 to 1 ½ pounds)
Sea salt & Pepper to taste
Water (enough to cover the bottom of the cooking vessel)
Depending on your cooking method: a Crockpot, Instant Pot, Saucepan or Covered Casserole dish
Meat thermometer
How to Make Crockpot Shredded Chicken
Place the chicken breasts into the crockpot, season the chicken and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot.
Cover it and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
The chicken is tender and juicy when made in the crockpot with very little shrinkage, but it is the most time-consuming method. If time is not an issue, this is a great way to make shredded chicken, especially if your slow cooker has a timer so that the chicken does not overcook.
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 3 to 3 ½ Hours
How to Cook Shredded Chicken in an Instant Pot
Place the boneless chicken breasts into the Instant Pot, add just enough water to cover the bottom.
Secure the lid and set the Instant pot to high for 10 minutes. Once the cooking time is over, let the pressure release naturally which will take about 8 minutes longer.
The chicken, like the Crockpot version, is moist and tender, but the chicken had more shrinkage than the other methods. If you are looking for a quick way to cook shredded chicken that is juicy and tender, this is it!
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 20 to 30 Minutes
How to Make Stovetop Shredded Chicken
Arrange the boneless chicken breasts in a saucepan and add water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes
Chicken is tender but not as moist as the chicken made in the Crockpot and Instant Pot, but a great choice if you don’t have one of these gadgets or the time to cook it in your slow cooker.
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 30 to 40 Minutes
How to Make Shredded Chicken in the oven
Preheat the oven to 350, and add the chicken to a casserole dish along with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.
Cover the dish and place it in the oven for 30 minutes.
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 30 to 40 Minutes
The chicken is not as tender when cooked in the oven, but still flavorful. It’s a good choice if you are already cooking something in the oven. Try brushing on a few teaspoons of olive oil or melted butter for extra moisture.
Ingredient Notes
I like minimal seasoning when I make shredded chicken so it can be used it in any recipe. The water and salt are added to keep the chicken moist and the pepper adds a little bit of flavor to mild-tasting chicken.
Water – If you prefer more flavor, an equal amount of broth can be used in place of the water and omit the salt.
Seasoning – You can also add a pinch of your favorite dried herbs to the liquid such as thyme, oregano, basil or dill.
Chicken – Boneless chicken thighs can be substituted for boneless chicken breasts or you can use a combination of both.
Recipe Tips
To avoid soggy shredded chicken, do not cover the chicken entirely with water.
Allow the chicken sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before shredding it which will allow it to cool and the juices to redistribute through the meat.
If you prefer smaller shreds, chop the chicken into large chunks before shredding it with the forks.
How to Shred Chicken
Some people like to shred chicken using a stand mixer which is pretty straightforward; place the chicken into a mixing bowl and mix at low speed until the chicken is shredded to the size that you want. This method makes more sense for shredding large batches of chicken.
I make smaller batches of shredded chicken, and I like the simplicity of shredding chicken with two forks or with my hands, it only takes a few minutes and there is more control over the sizes of the shreds.
How to Store and Freeze Shredded Chicken
Store it – Shredded chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container.
Freeze it – Measure into serving portions and place it into a freezer safe bag or container for up to four months.
Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using it in your favorite recipe.
What is the best way to cook chicken for shredding?
In my opinion, the most flavorful and moist shredded chicken comes from cooking the chicken in the Crockpot or Instant Pot. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist the chicken was.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or a Crockpot, the next best way is the stovetop, and the oven method last. The oven cooked chicken was not as tender and juicy as the other methods.
Things to Make with Shredded Chicken
Here are more Chicken Recipes
The Best Way To Cook Shredded Chicken
Shredded chicken is a staple in the kitchen and perfect for throwing a quick meal together.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- water
Instructions
Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
Pour enough water into a slow cooker so that it just covers the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper,
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours, chicken should be at least 165 degrees internal temperature. If not, place the cover back on and cook for an hour longer.
Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the crockpot and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes and shred it with two forks.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Place the chicken into the Instant Pot along with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the Instant Pot and set the chicken to cook at high for 10 minutes. After the cooking process, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Carefully remove the cover, let the chicken cool off for 5 to 10 minutes and shred it using two forks.
Stovetop Shredded Chicken
Place the chicken into a saucepan along with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the saucepan and cook it on top of the stove on medium to low heat for 25 minutes, check the internal temperature which should be 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the heat and let the chicken cool off for 5 to 10 minutes before shredding it with two forks
Oven Shredded Chicken
Preheat the oven to 350
Place the chicken into an ovenproof dish along with enough water to cover the bottom; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish and place it in the oven for 30 minutes. Check the internal temperature which should be 165 degrees.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the oven and let it cool off for 5 to 10 minutes before shredding it.
Notes
Allow the chicken sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before shredding it which will allow it to cool and the juices to redistribute through the meat.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: ¼ poundAmount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 35g
I use the stove top method most of the time and it does work well! Great tip about not adding too much water.