Learn how to make the best Instant Pot shredded chicken that is full of great flavor, nice and tender, and not overcooked.
Hey friends! I’m back today with a meal prep recipe that you all have been requesting — how to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot! ♡ Or more specifically, how to make Instant Pot shredded chicken that is:
- flavorful
- tender and easy to shred
- not overcooked
I agree that Instant Pot chicken can be a bit finicky at times. But I’ve been testing different methods and cook times these past few months, and am happy to report I’ve landed on a winner-winner-chicken-dinner recipe that’s incredibly easy to make and checks all of those boxes. I’ve included my favorite all-purpose chicken seasoning in the recipe (from my popular baked chicken breasts) that goes with pretty much everything. But if you are interested, I have also included some of my other favorite seasoning variations too if you would like to mix things up.
I pretty much always keep a container of shredded chicken in my freezer to pull out and use in everything from easy chicken soups, to chicken salads, to chicken green salads, to chicken enchiladas, to chicken stir-frys, to chicken casseroles, to buffalo chicken dip and so much more. It’s a healthy, affordable and versatile protein to always keep on hand. And of course, when making shredded chicken from scratch (versus shredding a rotisserie), you get to be the one to control the seasonings and you can choose to use organic chicken, if you would like.
So pull out that pressure cooker, and let’s make some Instant Pot shredded chicken!
Instant Pot Chicken Ingredients:
To make this Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken: I tested this recipe using boneless chicken breasts (which you all requested most) and boneless chicken thighs — either fresh or frozen. You are welcome to use bone-in chicken, but the cooking time may vary slightly.
- Chicken broth (or water): Which we will need to keep the chicken nice and moist, and also prevent a burn warning on the Instant Pot. I recommend using a cup of chicken or vegetable broth if you happen to have some on hand, to add extra flavor. Or if not, plain water will work just fine too.
- Seasonings: I typically use a simple mixture of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. But see below for alternatives.
How To Make Shredded Chicken In The Instant Pot:
To make this Instant Pot chicken recipe, simply…
- Combine the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Add the chicken breasts, seasoning and chicken stock. Then briefly toss to combine, being sure to arrange the chicken breasts in an even layer.
- Pressure cook. Cover with the lid and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release with whatever pressure remains.
- Shred. Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken. Give it a thorough toss with the remaining juices in the Instant Pot.
- Serve or store. Then serve the chicken while it’s nice and warm. Or transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (If freezing, I recommend portioning the chicken in small storage containers or storage bags, so that you have the option to thaw and use small portions rather than having to thaw the entire batch.)
Instant Pot Chicken Variations:
Want to customize this recipe? Feel free to:
- Use different seasonings: In place of the paprika/garlic powder blend, feel free to instead use a few teaspoons of:
- Use frozen chicken: To use frozen instead of fresh (thawed) chicken, just add 2 extra minutes to the high pressure cook time.
- Add a bay leaf: I always love the extra flavor of bay leaf with chicken, too. Just nestle one bay leaf in with the chicken, then discard after cooking.
- Add diced tomatoes: If you would like to mix some diced tomatoes into the chicken, just add in 1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes with their juices and use 2/3 cup (instead of 1 cup) chicken stock.
Ways To Use Shredded Chicken:
As I mentioned above, there are so (so, so, so) many ways to put a batch of shredded chicken to use! For example, I like to use this shredded chicken recipe in…
- Chicken Soup: Such as my favorite 5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, Cozy Curry Chicken Soup, Chicken Pozole, Tom Kha Gai, Aguadito de Pollo,
- Chicken Salad: Such as my Lightened-Up Chicken Salad, Healthy Curried Chicken Salad, Tahini Ranch Avocado Chicken Salad,
- Chicken Casseroles: Such as my Healthier Broccoli Chicken Casserole or Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
- Chicken Dips: Such as my Buffalo Chicken Dip, Spinach Artichoke Dip or French Onion Dip.
- Other Favorite Chicken Dishes: Such as Chicken Enchiladas, Thai Basil Chicken, or Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti.
Enjoy, everyone!
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken stock (or water)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. Add the chicken breasts, seasoning and chicken stock to the bowl of your pressure cooker. Give everything a brief toss to combine, then arrange the chicken breasts so that they are spread out in an even layer.
- Pressure cook. Cover and set the pressure cooker lid valve to "sealing." Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release (carefully flip the valve to "venting") to release whatever pressure remains.
- Shred. Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken. Give it a thorough toss with the remaining juices in the pressure cooker.
- Serve or store. Serve the chicken while it's nice and warm. Or transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (If freezing, I recommend portioning the chicken in small storage containers or storage bags, so that you have the option to thaw and use small portions rather than having to thaw the entire batch.)
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Very comprehensive and easy to follow recipe.
My chicken turned out tender, juicy and full of flavour.
Simple and straightforward I love this recipe. It’s the foundation of all my shredded chicken recipes!!
I would add that if you want finely shredded results without the arm ache to use a handheld blender.
Not gonna give a bad rating because I don’t like to. But the recipes out there saying you can have nicely shredded chicken at 10 mins doesn’t ever work for me. It areds but takes effort. The meat sure reaches 165 but anyone who knows meat.. Knows it takes higher Temps to break the fibers down. With thay said for years crock pot has done magic high to 160 low to 190 turn off let cool meat falls apart with no effort. Insta pot is 30 mins natural release.. Take our meat let.cool shreds like butter make the juice into a gravy of your choice then mix into the meat
Truly inspiring words, Mr Freeman
How do I make this with only 2 chicken breasts? Time wise
I will tell you I did 2 breasts exactly as directed and my chicken wasn’t even cooked all the way through.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker or instapot how would you cook this chicken recipe
I doubled everything but the water (5# chicken, doubled listed seasonings, added 1 t adobo seasoning and 1 t sugar) and pressure cooked on high for 15 minutes. Served with tortillas and taco fixings to rave reviews! The leftovers will be used for enchiladas, curried stew, and chicken salad. Thank you!
If I were to double recipe and make 5 pounds of chicken, what would the cook time be?
I would double the cook time honestly! Can’t make it too shreddy, it either shreds amazing or if you want it to shred better throw it in for another 10 minutes!
Came out perfectly! So happy I saw the recommendation to use hand mixer to shred it—game changer!!!
Stand mixer works even better if you have one
I use this recipe weekly! Chicken tacos, soups and wraps. It’s perfect. I don’t know how I loved without this recipe.
I too was unable to live before this chicken recipe
Just made this last night, using boneless skinless thighs. The chicken came out with perfect texture and so easy! I put a little oil, a whole ancho chile (to add depth), a cut-up onion plus a garlic clove (skipped the garlic powder), and 1 tsp powdered cumin, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder in the Instant Pot and sauteed those for a few minutes then added 2 lbs chicken and a cup of water. I pressure cooked the chicken per the recipe – the timing was perfect. I pulled out the ancho chile and disposed of it, then set aside the chicken and what was left of the onions & garlic in a bowl for shredding and put the pot with the cooking liquid back in the Instant Pot, adding roughly 1/2 cup of ketchup, couple Tbsp molasses, 1 tsp cayenne, a dash each of Liquid Smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Mixed it up and let it cook down to the texture I wanted, then added the shredded chicken plus the juices and back in. It was wonderful over rice! This will become a regular dish for us. Thank you for such a useful, easy way to make such good shredded chicken. I can imagine all kinds of neat recipes from this technique.
Oh man I’m going to have to try this with all those additions you added! Thank you!
Use a masher works great to shred it