If you’re a mom working 9-5 like me (or heck, a busy college student—I still remember those days!), you know how much of a lifesaver meal prep can be. This Shredded Chicken recipe done in the crockpot is a serious time saver and the perfect recipe to use in a million different ways. Shred the juicy chicken and add BBQ sauce to part of the batch, then use the rest for chicken salad or tacos! You catch my drift…versatility, minimal dishes, and a bargain at the checkout line? That’s a win in my family!
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Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe
Weeknights in my house can be a scramble at times (and not the fun breakfast kind). That’s why I love using my slow cooker to make a big batch of shredded chicken for my family. I can toss everything in and have juicy, flavorful chicken that’s basically ready to go in just a few hours. It’s the kind of recipe that makes meal prep feel doable, even when life’s chaotic.
I’ll portion it out for lunches, throw some into quesadillas, or stir it into a quick pasta dish when I’m too tired to think. One batch of shredded chicken with endless options? It’s the kind of dinnertime shortcut that helps keep my week running smoothly!
Budget-Saving Tips
Chicken breast works great in this recipe because it shreds beautifully after slow cooking. It always comes out tender, juicy, and easy to pull apart with two forks. That said, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if that’s what you’ve got on hand! They’ll just have a slightly different texture as chicken thighs are higher in fat compared to chicken breast, which is leaner.
Frozen chicken breasts will work, too, but make sure it’s fully thawed in the fridge first. Cooking frozen chicken in a slow cooker isn’t recommended, as it can take too long to reach a safe temperature.
Shredded Chicken
Servings 8 servings (1 cup shredded chicken each)Ingredients
- 3.5-4 lbs chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, $7.84)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.19)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.08)
- 1 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.20*)
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Rub chicken breasts with olive oil. Then, rub with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Add chicken to slow cooker.
- Pour chicken broth over the top and cook on high in the crockpot for 4 hours.
- Remove breasts from the crock pot and shred with 2 forks.
- To keep the meat moist, you can add back some of the seasoned broth from the crock pot, but I find soaking it in that much liquid after cooking results in mushy pulled chicken. Freeze any leftover broth for future recipes!
- Serve warm in the crock pot or cold for chicken salad. This shredded chicken can be used however you prefer, and it’s great for meal prep!
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Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Notes
Nutrition
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Season the chicken: Drizzle 3.5-4 lbs chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then rub them with the 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
Cook the chicken: Place the seasoned chicken into your slow cooker and pour over 2 cups chicken broth. Now, cook on high in your crockpot for 4 hours.
Shred the chicken: Remove the slow-cooked chicken from your crockpot and place it in a bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
Add some broth (optional): If you want to, you can spoon some of the chicken broth from the crockpot onto your pulled chicken. This can help keep it moist during storage, but I find soaking it in that much liquid after cooking can make the chicken mushy. However, you should absolutely freeze the chicken broth for future recipes!
Serve: You can either serve your shredded chicken warm in the crockpot or let it cool and add it to salads. You can use it however you like, and it’s absolutely perfect for meal prepping!
Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions
- Your chicken is ready when it’s fork-tender and cooked through. For me, this was after 4 hours on high in the slow cooker. If you want to double-check, the internal temp of your chicken should also be 165°F.
- Shred the chicken while it’s still warm. The texture is softer and easier to pull apart while warm. Avoid letting it cool completely, or it may become tougher and harder to shred.
- Got a stand mixer? Pop the warm chicken (not shredded) into the bowl with the paddle attachment and mix on low for about 20 seconds. It shreds like a dream and saves your wrists!
to cook on the stove
To make shredded chicken on the stovetop, follow the directions through Step 2. Then, add to sauté pan or large pot on medium high heat. You want there to be enough surface area at the bottom so all of the chicken breasts are laying flat. Add chicken broth + 1 cup of water (or additional broth). I found the stovetop method required a little more liquid to keep the breasts moist and easy to shred.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads at least 165°F in the thickest part of each breast. Continue recipe at Original Step 5 until complete.
Serving Suggestions
When I’ve got a container of this shredded chicken in the fridge, I know dinner’s already halfway done. Here are a few ways you can use this simple, flavorful chicken to make mealtime quicker, easier, and a lot more delicious:
- Mix with mayo, red grapes, celery, and walnuts for a classic chicken salad that’s full of texture and flavor.
- Toss with buffalo sauce and use it in wraps, salads, or to top a baked potato with some ranch or blue cheese.
- Mix with BBQ sauce and serve on rolls for easy BBQ chicken sandwiches. Add coleslaw if you’ve got it!
- Layer between tortillas with cheese, beans, and salsa for quick quesadillas.
- Sprinkle on top of tortilla chips with cheese and make cheesy chicken nachos.
- Use it as a homemade pizza topping.
- Stir into warm pasta with pesto, marinara, or Alfredo for a fast and filling dinner.
- Make chicken enchiladas by mixing the chicken with seasonings and diced green chiles, then rolling it up in tortillas and topping with enchilada sauce.
- Add to soups, stews, or chili for an easy way to add protein.
- Layer with a simple white sauce, spinach, and lasagna noodles for a creamy white chicken lasagna.
Storage & Reheating
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can serve this crockpot shredded chicken cold on salads, or warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop. I like to add a splash of reserved chicken broth while reheating to keep it from drying out. You can also freeze the shredded chicken and broth (store them separately) for up to 3 months. Just let the chicken thaw in the fridge before reheating.
This chicken is fantastic! I love how versatile it is! I used it to make chicken salad and added it to pasta with a jarred red sauce. Awesome! Thanks for another winner!
Any suggestions if I don’t own a slow cooker?
We just added stovetop directions to the post! :)
I love my crock pot and the fact that it keeps the chicken or whatever other meat you cook nice and moist. That is important when having it for many nice meals throughout the week. You can add any sauces, veggies, etc. for a different meal every night! I am all about quick and easy! Great way the get my protein in each meal. No stress here doing weekly meal prep! Thanks!❤️
I don’t own a slow cooker. Can I make this on the stovetop or in the oven?
I’ve not been invited to answer this, but I poach chicken breasts all the time–it’s takes a while on the stovetop, and slow and low is still the secret. I use a low simmer and it takes at least an hour for them to be really tender. That makes the slow cooker ideal, but mine, rarely used for years, is currently in my DDIL’s pantry after loaning it a few years ago–so stovetop is my method. I add vegetables to the pot–a good sized yellow onion, with the skin attached to add color, a big stick of celery with a few of the leaves, a large carrot, a bay leaf or two and water to cover in a 4 qt or larger pot. I start everything in cold water to cover and bring slowly up to a simmer as shocking the chicken in boiling water will toughen it. I add a few teaspoons of chicken bouillon late in the process as salting the chicken early can make it tough, too. The bouillon is basically flavored salt, and of course I use Better Than Bouillon brand. I freeze some of the shredded chicken, but it’s so useful, it pretty much gets used up within a month without much effort. I don’t think I would freeze it long term.
So you can see that Jess’s version is much less work and still delicious. I think you can follow her streamlined recipe exactly and cook on top of the stove, too. For safety reasons, I never leave a pot cooking unless I’m in the house, so it does take a time commitment. I strain the broth and use it for Texas style tortilla soup–Hub’s favorite treat–which is a bit different from Beth’s delicious version. But a simple chicken noodle soup with the very flavorful broth is also wonderful.
Aldi often has family packs of boneless chicken breast for $2.29 a lb–almost the cheapest protein available, as anything that costs less has bones. Their regular price is only $2.49 per lb, which is the “on special” price for my local premium supermarket.
This deserves 5 stars for the great meal prep. ideas here…I’m going to use them. It’s low sodium, low sugar & high protein. Thank you.