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Home / Kitchen Tips / How to Cook / How to Make Shredded Chicken

How to Make Shredded Chicken

30 mins
| Leave a Comment |
5 from 1 vote
Jump to Recipe 04/18/21 | Updated: 04/18/21 | by Nora
Shredded Chicken Image Pin 1

Shredded chicken is an ingredient in many recipes and is so easy to make from scratch. This method is for boiled (poached) chicken, so it’s very quick.

This can be a great way to keep frozen chicken on hand that’s already cooked – perfect for busy weeknights!

overhead view of white bowl filled with shredded chicken

Boiled shredded chicken

  • It’s so easy to make shredded chicken on the stove – gently boil the chicken in a flavorful broth (this technique is called “poaching”) and then shred.
  • Use it on salads, for meal prep or to keep in the freezer for quick weeknight dinners.
  • The seasoning called for is simple but flavorful, to yield delicious chicken that can be used in any recipe.
Jump to:
  • Boiled shredded chicken
  • Ingredients you’ll need
  • How to make shredded chicken
  • Recipe tips
  • Storage tips
  • Recipe ideas
  • Printable recipe
  • More basic recipes

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for shredded chicken with text labels
Ingredients to make shredded chicken: Chicken, chicken broth, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken: Both chicken breast or skinless, boneless chicken thighs work for this recipe. You can also do a mix. Chicken thighs generally yield juicier meat, while chicken breasts are naturally leaner.
  • Onion/garlic: I love using fresh garlic and onion in this recipe for a great flavor. If you don’t have any fresh on hand, feel free to use ½ teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
  • Bay leaves: I like the bay leaves here because they add flavor without being overwhelming, so this shredded chicken works in pretty much any recipe. If you don’t have bay leaves on hand, feel free to leave them out. I do recommend replacing them with an herb that’s either not very strong/pretty universal (something like ½ teaspoon of dried parsley or Italian seasoning), or a herb that matches what you want to use the chicken for (some fresh thyme or a sprig of rosemary, for example).
  • Lemon? For a refreshing taste, try adding a few slices of lemon to the cooking liquid. This works great if you want to use the shredded chicken on top of a salad or something similar, where you may want to add a distinctive flavor to it.

How to make shredded chicken

1. Start by poaching the chicken – rub your chicken breasts or thighs with salt and pepper, then place them in a large pot with the remaining ingredients.

2. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the chicken for around 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

  • raw chicken in oval Dutch oven with broth and aromatics
    place ingredients in pot
  • four poached chicken breasts in oval Dutch oven with cooked aromatics and chicken broth
    simmer to poach chicken

3. Remove the chicken from the broth (do not discard the broth yet!) and shred.

You can use two forks to shred the chicken on a chopping board, or place it in a bowl with tall sides and use your hand mixer to shred it on low speed.

  • female hands using two forks to shred poached chicken breast on wooden board
    shred with forks
  • hand mixer beaters in glass bowl with shredded chicken
    or with hand mixer

4. For juicy chicken, I always spoon around ½ cup of the cooking liquid over the shredded meat and stir it well. The chicken will soak up the liquid, which plumps it up and makes it less dry. This is especially helpful when using all chicken breast meat!

female hand using white spoon to pour broth over shredded chicken in glass bowl

Recipe tips

  • Only bring the liquid to a boil once, then reduce to a simmer. Otherwise, the chicken can turn out gummy and release too much of its protein into the cooking liquid.
  • I find chicken is easiest to shred when it’s hot and just cooked. If you’re used to tearing it apart by hand, please allow it to cool until it’s comfortable to touch. Otherwise, I recommend allowing the chicken to sit for 5 minutes, then shred it right away.
  • Make sure to add enough water to cover the chicken, so it doesn’t get stuck on the bottom of the pot.

Storage tips

Fridge: Store the shredded and cooled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Pack the shredded and cooled chicken into freezer bags labelled with the name and date. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and fully heat through before serving.

freezer bag filled with shredded chicken on marble surface

Recipe ideas

Use your shredded chicken to top a salad (my favorites are a cucumber, tomato and avocado Salad or a spinach salad).

Use it in recipes like chicken salad, for a chicken tamale pie or for chicken quesadillas and enchiladas. Or use leftovers to make a buffalo chicken dip!

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card
overhead view of white bowl filled with shredded chicken
Save Recipe Saved!

Easy Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken is an ingredient in many recipes – it is easy to make from scratch. This method is for boiled (poached) chicken, so it's very quick.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
5 from 1 vote
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 30 mins
Servings 8 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ onion peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • water as needed

Instructions
 

  • Rub chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add enough water to cover chicken by 1 inch.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and poach chicken for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked through.
  • Remove chicken from broth (do not discard broth yet) and either shred with two forks or in a high-sided bowl using a hand mixer on low speed.
  • Spoon about ½ cup of reserved broth over shredded chicken and stir well to help meat absorb liquid.
  • Use right away or allow to cool for 30 minutes, then store in airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken: Both chicken breast or skinless, boneless chicken thighs work for this recipe. You can also do a mix. Chicken thighs generally yield juicier meat, while chicken breasts are naturally leaner.
  • Onion/garlic: I love using fresh garlic and onion in this recipe for a great flavor. If you don’t have any fresh on hand, feel free to use ½ teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
  • Bay leaves: I like the bay leaves here because they add flavor without being overwhelming, so this shredded chicken works in pretty much any recipe. If you don’t have bay leaves on hand, feel free to leave them out. I do recommend replacing them with an herb that’s either not very strong/pretty universal (something like ½ teaspoon of dried parsley or Italian seasoning), or a herb that matches what you want to use the chicken for (some fresh thyme or a sprig of rosemary, for example).
  • Lemon? For a refreshing taste, try adding a few slices of lemon to the cooking liquid. This works great if you want to use the shredded chicken on top of a salad or something similar, where you may want to add a distinctive flavor to it.

Recipe tips

  • Only bring the liquid to a boil once, then reduce to a simmer. Otherwise, the chicken can turn out gummy and release too much of its protein into the cooking liquid.
  • I find chicken is easiest to shred when it’s hot and just cooked. If you’re used to tearing it apart by hand, please allow it to cool until it’s comfortable to touch. Otherwise, I recommend allowing the chicken to sit for 5 minutes, then shred it right away.
  • Make sure to add enough water to cover the chicken, so it doesn’t get stuck on the bottom of the pot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 24gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 476mgPotassium: 433mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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