Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
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Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken uses only 4 ingredients and is so simple to make! You can even cook from frozen for a healthy meal prep recipe! Paleo, keto whole30, and perfect for adding to soups, salads or with veggies.
This is the easiest instant pot shredded chicken recipe you’ll find!
Whether you’re an instant pot pro or newbie – I promise this recipe is absolutely foolproof. The chicken comes out perfectly juicy and delicious!
Liz’s top tip for instant pot shredded chicken
- My favorite hack for shredding chicken is to put the cooked chicken breasts into my stand mixer and turn it on low for a few seconds until it’s all shredded. SO EASY!
Ingredients
Substitutions
Chicken: I prefer to use chicken breasts but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders too! Both come out delicious using this method. You can use bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks too, add one minute to your cook time.
Doubling the chicken: Increase your cook time by 1 minute. For 3 lbs, increase your cook time by 2 minutes
Frozen Chicken: We do not recommend making shredded chicken from frozen chicken breasts. Cooking frozen chicken is a food safety issue because it may not cook all the way through. Additionally, the chicken would be very tough.
Broth: You can use any kind of broth in this recipe (chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef will work) or you can just use water.
Salt/Pepper: You don’t have to add salt and black pepper to this. You can leave the chicken plain and season as you eat, or you can add other spices to it! It’s good with paprika, onion powder or garlic powder. We have made this with Italian seasoning and it was delicious!
Seasoning: You can use any seasonings on this. We like to use our Healthy Taco Seasoning on it, but any spice mix will do! If you like Mediterranean flavors, try this Greek Shredded Chicken.
Tomatoes: I like to add 1/4 salsa or crushed tomatoes to the pot for flavor. You can also try this Salsa Verde Chicken!
Crockpot: You can cook chicken in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours or try our crockpot whole chicken.
How to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Add chicken, broth + spices to the instant pot. Set to Sealing, Pressure Cook or Poultry for 14 minutes.
- When finished – either pressure release naturally or manually release pressure, shred + enjoy!
Best Way to Shred Chicken
You can shred your chicken with two forks or with a mixer.
With Forks: You can shred this chicken simply by pulling it apart with two forks. It will be super tender.
With a stand mixer: My favorite way to shred chicken breasts is by using a mixer. I toss the cooked chicken into my KitchenAid Mixer with the paddle attachment and give it a few whirls. That’s all it takes!
Is it better to shred chicken hot or cold? It’s best to shred chicken when it is still warm, but not super hot. When the chicken has finished cooking it will shred much easier than if the chicken is cold. You can shred the chicken with two forks or use a stand or hand mixer to shred the chicken!
Storage
Storing: This chicken will last for 4 days in your refrigerator in an airtight container. We like to store it with the broth leftover from cooking to keep the chicken moist.
Freezing: I have frozen this shredded chicken in small bags or these containers for freezing. When ready to defrost, simply take it out the night before and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight or simply heat from frozen in the microwave or in a pan. The chicken should last 2-3 months in the freezer.
What to do with dry chicken:
If your instant pot chicken is dry, you may have overcooked it. Don’t worry – you can fix this!
Stir your cooked chicken with 1/2 cup of chicken broth and store it with excess broth. The chicken will absorb the liquid and get a moist texture. Next time, try cooking your chicken for 14 minutes on high pressure.
Can you make shredded chicken in the crockpot?
If you don’t have an instant pot you can make this in the crockpot.
You can cook chicken in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Or check out this Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe.
How to Use Up Shredded Chicken
Here are some instant pot shredded chicken ideas for you! This chicken is so versatile, it really goes with anything!
- We love to add it to our favorite soups like Lemon Chicken Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup or Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Add it to a Healthy Chicken Pot Pie
- Use it in chicken salad or make sandwiches with it! Here are some of our favorite healthier chicken salads: Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Everything Bagel Chicken Salad
- Greek Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip is my favorite way to use up cooked chicken!
- It’s also great in chicken tacos or chicken enchiladas!
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in instant pot base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth into base.
- Cover the instant pot and set to Poultry OR Pressure Cook. Set to Normal, High Pressure for 14 minutes. (If frozen chicken breasts, do 18 minutes). Make sure your pot is set to sealing, not venting.
- Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure + cook. (It should take about 5 minutes to come to pressure)
- Once it is finished cooking, manually release pressure or naturally release the pressure.
- Remove chicken from instant pot and place in separate bowl. There will be extra liquid in the instant pot. You can use this in soups, as cooking stock or discard.
- Shred chicken apart with forks + enjoy! (Note: chicken can also be shredded by placing in mixer on low speed!)
Video
Notes
- Broth – You can use any kind of broth in this recipe (veggie or beef will work) or you can just use water.
- Salt/Pepper– You don’t have to add salt/pepper to this. You can leave the chicken plain and season as you eat, or you can add other spices to it! We have done this with Italian seasoning and it was delicious!
This has been a game changer in making shredded chicken! Only method I use now and literally fool proof. I sometimes even switch up the seasonings (especially taco) depending on what I’m using the chicken for.
This tab stays open on my phone because it’s the best and easiest way to make shredded chicken!
I made this again using frozen, bone-in thighs and it turned out perfect. It does every time. This recipe is easy, quick and the chicken can be used in so many ways. Thank you for another great recipe!