moist chicken breast for shredding

How to Make Shredded Chicken

Heres how to make shredded chicken thats fast, flavorful, and juicy every time! Use it to top salads, in tacos, on sandwiches, and in any of your favorite shredded chicken recipes.

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Ultimate Guide to Shredded Chicken + Recipes to Use It

Table of Contents

1. Ultimate Guide to Shredded Chicken + Recipes to Use It
2. How to Make Shredded Chicken: 4 Steps
3. How to Shred Chicken: My Secret Tip
4. Shredded Chicken Breast Recipes
5. How to Store Shredded Chicken
6. Why Not Just Buy Shredded Chicken?
7. What About Other Cuts of Chicken?
8. Shredded Chicken Yield and Serving Sizes
9. How to Make Shredded Chicken Recipe

Sure you can buy store-bought rotisserie chicken, but when you see how fast and easy it is to make shredded chicken at home, you wont want to.

While there are a variety of different methods to cook chicken for shredding or dicing, poaching (gently cooking the chicken in water) is the one Ive found to be the quickest and easiest, with the smallest amount of clean up.

• You dont need any equipment other than a pot to make it.
• The chicken comes out perfectly tender and juicy every time. (Ever wonder how some restaurants get their chicken so moist? Cooking in water is the secret!)
• This method works for boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• You can also refrigerate the chicken for up to 4 days or freeze it, so its perfect for meal prep!

Other options include shredded chicken in the oven (Baked Chicken Breast), or if you want to use your appliances like your pressure cooker or slow cooker, you can prepare Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Crockpot Shredded Chicken, or Air Fryer Chicken Breast.

How to Make Shredded Chicken: 4 Steps

STEP ONE: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) in the bottom of a large pot, then season them.

• Essential Seasoning. I opt for a generous pinch of salt and pepper. If you like, you can add other seasonings, such as a bay leaf, poultry seasoning, or a few springs of fresh herbs.
• Arranging the Chicken. You can overlap the breasts or thighs slightly, but if you have a lot of overlap, use a larger pot for a big batch.

STEP 2: Cover the Chicken with 1 Inch of Water

• You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth, though I find that with this cooking method, you dont need it. Unless you have some that you need to use up, save yourself an ingredient and make this shredded chicken without broth.

STEP 3:Bring the Water to a Gentle Boil on the Stove, then Simmer.

• Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and let the chicken breast or thighs simmer for 8 to 16 minutes, depending upon the size and number of chicken breasts or thighs that you are poaching.

STEP 4: Check for Doneness.

• Chicken is done when the center reaches 165 degrees F (use an instant-read meat thermometer for guaranteed safety and accuracyI love this one and use it regularly).
• Check your chicken OFTEN towards the end. If your chicken is dry or tough, it is because it is overcooked.
• For the Juiciest Chicken. Remove the chicken a few degrees early. Place it on a plate, cover it, and let rest for five more minutes. The carry over cooking will finish the job.

Thats it! From here, you can shred the chicken (or dice it), then use it however you please.

How to Shred Chicken: My Secret Tip

• The easiest way to shred chicken is with a hand mixer. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl, then use a hand mixer on low speed to break the chicken into shreds. This hack is a complete timesaver, especially if you are making a larger amount.
• If you are making a very large batch, you can also shred it in a stand mixer.
• No mixer? No problem. You can shred the chicken the old fashioned way with two forks (youll need forks or protective gloves to shred hot chicken by hand), or my other favorite method: shred the chicken with your fingers. As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle safely, gently pull it apart with your fingers.
• Instead of shredding the chicken, you can also slice or dice it, which is even faster and perfect for green salads, pasta salads, and wraps.

Shredded Chicken Breast Recipes

• Mexican Recipes. Make shredded Chicken Enchiladas, an easy Chicken Quesadilla, Shredded Chicken Tacos, chicken burritos, chicken tostadas, a Chipotle Bowlthe options are endless!
• Pasta Salads. This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a must.
• Chicken Salad. The classic! Try my Healthy Chicken Salad, Curry Chicken Salad, or dairy-free Whole30 Chicken Salad.
• Green Salads. ANY salad you like: Greek Salad; BLT Chopped Salad; BBQ Chicken Salad.
• Frittatas. This Chicken Broccoli Frittata is one of my favorite brunch recipes, and the leftovers are fantastic for lunch.
• Chicken Wraps. Chicken Caesar Wrap or Asian Chicken Wraps anyone?
• Chicken Casseroles. Chicken and Biscuits and Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole are classic, comforting, and forever scrumptious. For a different spin, try this Cheesy Corn Quinoa Casserole.
• Spaghetti Squash Boats with Chicken. A low-carb option thats to-die-for no matter what diet you do (or do not!) follow.
• Chicken Soup. Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Chicken Stew, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and Chicken Tortilla Soup are even faster and easier with pre-made shredded chicken.

How to Store Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken is perfect to keep on hand in the refrigerator during the week to cut down on meal-prep time and to add quick servings of protein to your meals.

• TO REFRIGERATE SHREDDED CHICKEN. Let the cooked chicken cool completely. Place in a shallow, airtight container and press a sheet of plastic against the top. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. (I love these easy-to-store plastic containers.)
• TO FREEZE SHREDDED CHICKEN. Follow the steps above, but instead of refrigerating, store the chicken in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also store it in heavy duty freezer bags. Be sure to squish out as much extra air as you can.

Why Not Just Buy Shredded Chicken?

I also use this method for making shredded chicken any time a recipe calls for store bought shredded rotisserie chicken.

While you can buy shredded chicken, the benefits of making it yourself are notable.

• Health Considerations. Shredded chicken that you make at home is almost guaranteed to be lower in sodium and fat than store-bought rotisserie chicken.
• Cook the Meat You Want. I like to make shredded chicken breasts, because most of the time I prefer white meat. If your household is more into dark meat, you can cook all chicken thighs. Want a mix? You can choose a blend too!
• Save Money. By weight, homemade shredded chicken is far less expensive than precooked store bought chicken.

What About Other Cuts of Chicken?

While I photographed this recipe with shredded chicken breasts, this method also works for making boneless, skinless shredded chicken thighs.

• If you use thighs, the meat may cook more quickly depending upon their size, so I recommend checking a few minutes early to ensure that you have moist, juicy diced or shredded chicken.
• I would not recommend this method with chicken wings or legs. Because neither contains a significant amount of meat, these cuts are better to cook for enjoyment on their own, versus for shredding to use in other applications.

Shredded Chicken Yield and Serving Sizes

The amount of shredded chicken your breast or thigh yields will vary widely depending upon their size. Generally:

• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken will yield about 4 cups of shredded chicken.
• 1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield about 1 1/3 cups of shredded chicken. This is a medium breast. The average ones at our grocery store tend to skew larger, but it will depend on the specific brand you purchase. Organic breasts are usually smaller.
• Plan on about 1/3 to 1/2 pound of uncooked boneless chicken per serving.
• If you are adding the shredded chicken to a recipe with a large amount of other fixings (such as chicken tacos), you will likely need less. For example, I find 1/4 pound per person for chicken tacos be plentyassuming we have plenty of chips and guac.
• The nutritional information in the recipe below is calculated for 1/2 pound or 1 (8-ounce) breast.

I hope this guide on making shredded chicken was helpful for you! What are some of your favorite ways to use shredded chicken? Id love to hear about them in the comments below!

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• Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot, then season them lightlywith salt and pepper. The amounts in the recipe are just a suggestion, so dont feel pressured to measure. Give each breast a nice sprinkle. If you are cooking a lot of chicken breasts, you can overlap them slightly. If you have a lot of overlap, use a larger pot.

• Cover the chicken with 1inch of water.

• Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer or is no longer pink in the center, about8 to 16 minutes, depending upon the size and number of chicken breasts that you are poaching.A 10-ounce chicken breast willneed to simmer for about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the chicken from water and let rest until cool enough to handle.Dice, slice, or shred as desired.

• This method for how to poach chicken is intended for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It also works well for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken breasts too, though you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If using bone-in chicken breasts, extend the cook time; for thighs, check them early.
• Store leftoverchicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If dicing the chicken, I prefer to cut the chicken just before serving. If shredding, I find that the chicken is the easiest to shred apart while it is still slightly warm, before I place it in the refrigerator. You can shred by hand or use a hand mixer on low speed.

Serving: 1(8 ounce) chicken breastCalories: 367kcalProtein: 34gFat: 4g

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How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Oven

There are countless recipes that call for shredded chicken and they assume you know how to pull that off. If youre stumped, get all the easy steps to make flavorful, juicy chicken in just the right amounts to fill your freezer or pile high in your next casserole.

Jump to Recipe

Shredded chicken might be one of the most versatile proteins you can make ahead. Im always in the freezer looking for a bag of it to toss in to chicken minestrone soup, add to my chicken and stuffing bake, or roll up in some super fast and cheesy 30-minute green chile chicken enchiladas.

I realize a lot of people make their shredded chicken in the Instant Pot or slow cooker but the oven roasting method is just short, sweet and to the point.

In a half hour youre done.

Oven roasting also concentrates flavorsnot dilutes them with water from boiling or bobbing around in a slow cooker and its a lot less likely to over cook as long as you keep an eye on things.

What cuts of chicken are the best to shred?

Breast or thigh meat will work best.

If you prefer dark meat, more fat and a stronger flavor use thighs. If you want a milder flavor and less fat go with breast meat. Wings and legs wont work here.

Bone-in, skin-on breasts (also called split breasts in the package) or bone-in skin-on thighs would be best for oven roasting but I find it hard to locate them in my stores.

If you use bone-in, please note that the cooking times will be different than listed in this recipe but I think the flavor is even better.

If you are mixing thighs and breasts thats fine. Just use all boneless or all bone-in so everything gets done at the same time.

How to choose quality chicken

Todays commercial chicken is huge. Have you noticed? Thats because most boneless skinless meat is injected with a salt water solution at the packing plant.

You can read how much retained water is in your favorite brand right on the package. Ive seen them range between 3% and 20%+ depending on the brand.

When you are choosing chicken to roast and shred, do your best to get a brand that has the lowest amount of retained water possible.

This ensures that your chicken wont weep water all over your pan in the oven, and that your money goes to buying actual chickennot water.

I also find that I like the flavor of chicken fed a vegetarian diet. Thats not a deal breaker, but the flavor just seems cleaner.

I also check the package for air cooled verbiage. This means my chicken didnt pass through a chlorine bath which also changes the texture of the meat.

My all time favorite chicken comes from Katies Best or weve had (referral link) great luck with Moinks chicken which you can mail order.

How to make shredded chicken step-by-step

Step One: Lay cuts of chicken on a cookie sheet. Use this opportunity to make as much or as little chicken as youd like and use all white meat or dark meat or a blend.

Im making a bit of both so that we get some of the flavor and fat from the dark meat (it helps keep things from drying out).

Step Two: Season with avocado oil, salt and pepper. Dont be shy with the seasoning.

Because youll be roasting your chicken in the oven under reasonably high heat (400 degrees) use an oil that can handle those temperatures without smoking. Avocado oil is perfect for this.

We no longer use vegetable oil but you can do that if you want to.

Step Three: Roast the chicken in the oven until just cooked through. Thats about 20-22 minutes max.

Theres no need to cook it to death, but you do need the chicken to reach 165 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer to check if you arent sure when youre there.

Allow the chicken to cool enough to handle before proceeding.

3 easy ways to tackle shredding

• I love to do this with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add three or four pieces of chicken whole to the bowl, get a good grip on it and turn it on. Keep mixing until your chicken is as fine or as coarse as you like it.
• You can also shred it with a powerful handheld mixer, two forks, or just your hands once it cools off enough.
• If you dont think you have the patience to shred it, just use a knife and cut your chicken in to bit size pieces. It will still work great in any recipe you have planned.

How to store shredded chicken

To refrigerate: Allow the shredded chicken to cool completely then transfer to an air tight container. Your chicken will keep in your fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Transfer the chicken in 1 or 2 cup measurements (or whatever amount makes sense for the recipes you need to make) to air tight containers or freezer bags and remove as much air as you can. Store for up to 3 months.

To use from frozen: Toss chicken right into a soup or skillet and allow to thaw or thaw overnight in the fridge. If you plan to use your chicken right away, you could even thaw it on a plate (never in the freezer bag) in the microwave.

Chicken servings and yields

• Estimate that youll need 1/4 to 1/3 pounds chicken per serving. So if youre making a dish that feeds 4 people, youll need at least one pound of shredded chicken in the recipe.
• 3/4 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts should yield about 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken.
• A cooked whole chicken will yield about 3 1/2 cups of meat.

Delicious recipes to make the most of your work

Never run out of ideas for all that shredded chicken again with these delicious recipes:

How to make shredded chicken

Shredded chicken is a staple protein you can make, freeze and have on hand for any recipe.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Author Rachel Ballard

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (make sure they have very little retained water)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• Preheat the oven to 400. Lay the chicken in an even layer on a large rimmed baking tray. I use a half sheet pan.If you dont have a large enough tray, use two separate ones.

• Drizzle over the avocado oil and sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

• You can also add other spices like onion or garlic powder here.Bake until just cooked through but not dry20 to 22 minutes.

• Allow to cool slightly then shred with a stand mixer on high, with two forks, or by hand.

• Allow to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days if you plan to use it right away, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 23gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 703mgPotassium: 372mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg

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