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Learn How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken following this easy shredded chicken recipe! You can shred chicken from fresh or frozen in just a few simple steps and under 30 minutes. This pulled chicken recipe is perfect for sandwiches, pizzas, salads, chilis, soups, and more!
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Shredded Chicken
Chicken is a go-to dinner in my household, and one of my favorite ways to prepare it is this easy-shredded chicken recipe. All you have to do is set your seasoned chicken in your Instant Pot, on the stove, or in the slow cooker, let it cook in liquid, and shred it!
Shredded chicken is great for use as an add-in to recipes of all kinds. It’s delicious with BBQ and in soups and chilis, or on sandwiches, salads, and even as a pizza topping (I love it with BBQ Chicken Air Fryer Pizza!).
You can season it however you like, and the result is tasty, perfectly cooked tender-pulled chicken. The best part is, you can make this easy recipe using fresh or frozen chicken, so you can have it ready with minimal prep.
Wow. This was so easy and so tasty. I love using it for meal prep for the week!
Marya on Pinterest
Pulled Chicken Ingredients
- chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
- salt and pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- chicken broth
How to Make Shredded Chicken
- Place chicken breasts inside Instant Pot. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Add chicken broth to Instant Pot.
- Cover and set to pressure cook on high for 14 minutes. If using frozen chicken breasts, cook on high for 18 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally once finished cooking. After the pressure is released, shred the chicken using two forks.
Note: There will be liquid remaining at the bottom of the Instant Pot. You can use this as a soup base or as cooking stock or discard it.
Shredded Chicken Recipes Tips
- You can season the chicken however you like. If you plan on using it for BBQ, use your favorite BBQ seasonings. If you’re making it for tacos, burritos, a southwestern soup, or chili, you may want to use taco seasoning.
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when completely cooked through and ready to shred. Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature.
- If you want to make more chicken, use ¾ cup of chicken broth for every 1 chicken breast. 2 chicken breasts is enough for about 2-4 people depending on appetite and what the chicken is used for. Just don’t go over the fill line of your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker and keep in mind, chicken should be completely submerged if cooking on the stove.
Shredded Chicken Recipe (Stovetop)
- Add chicken breasts to a pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Completely cover the chicken with water or chicken broth. It is important the chicken is fully submerged.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely.
- Shred using two forks or a mixer.
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Add seasoned chicken breasts to the slow cooker submerged in chicken broth.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Shred using two forks or a mixer.
You can make a large batch using the slow cooker! If you want to cook a whole chicken, see our Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe.
Pulled Chicken Recipes FAQs
The fastest way to shred chicken is to cook it in the Instant Pot. Pressure cooker takes 14 minutes to cook from fresh, or 18 minutes from frozen, so if you want it ready quickly, this is the way to go.
You can use a few different tools to shred chicken – it’s easy to do. Either shred the chicken by hand once it’s cooled enough to handle, use an electric hand mixer, or simply use two forks to pull the chicken apart. The chicken will shred easily using a mixer.
Recipes with Shredded Chicken
📋 Recipe
Pulled Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 6 qt. Instant Pot OR slow cooker OR pot on the stove
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts inside Instant Pot. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.2 chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Add chicken broth to Instant Pot.1.5 cups chicken broth
- Cover and set to pressure cook on high for 14 minutes. If using frozen chicken breasts, cook on high for 18 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally once finished cooking. After the pressure releases, shred the chicken using two forks.
Video
Notes
- Add chicken breasts to a pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Completely cover the chicken with water or chicken broth. It is important the chicken is fully submerged.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely.
- Shred using two forks.
- Add seasoned chicken breasts to the slow cooker submerged in chicken broth.
- Cook on low 4-5 hours, or on high 2-3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Shred using two forks.
- You can season the chicken however you like. If you plan on using it for BBQ, use your favorite BBQ seasonings. If you’re making it for tacos, burritos, a southwestern soup, or chili, you may want to use taco seasoning.
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when completely cooked through and ready to shred. Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature.
- If you want to make more shredded chicken, use ¾ cup of chicken broth for every 1 chicken breast. 2 chicken breasts is enough for about 2-4 people depending on appetite and what the chicken is used for. Just don’t go over the fill line of your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker and keep in mind, chicken should be completely submerged if cooking on the stove.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!