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.
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.