This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe is one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts! Slow cooker chicken takes just minutes to prep, and can be used in a wide range of dishes.
The results of our Gimme Some Oven reader survey are in! It was so awesome to hear from you and read all of your great (and encouraging) feedback about the site. So thank you to everyone who responded!
As far as your recipe requests go, the top two requested categories amongst many choices ended up being slow cooker and chicken recipes.
Like, by far. :)
So since you all apparently love your chicken and slow cookers as much as I do, I figured why not combine the two and start with a simple recipe for slow cooker shredded chicken!
If you are new to cooking or slow cookers, or if you are just looking for ideas to make weeknight meals all the speedier, I can’t recommend this slow cooker chicken enough. It is one of my favorite cooking time-savers! Your crock pot will do all of the work for you (I set mine for during the day while I’m at work!). Then all you have to do is spend literally less than 5 minutes before and after on prep. And voila — many meals’ worth of shredded chicken will be prepped and ready to enjoy whenever you need it.
I have included a few tips below on what chicken to buy, how to shred, how to store. And then I have also included a few quick recipes so that you can put it to use! This is definitely a staple in my kitchen that I regularly make once every few months, so I hope you might give it a try!
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- (optional) 1/2 cup water or chicken broth (**see note below**)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in slow cooker, and sprinkle with seasonings (and liquid, if using). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. (*If making a smaller batch, keep an eye on your slow cooker as the chicken will likely need less cooking time.)
- Remove the chicken with tongs, and shred using two forks or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Use immediately, or freeze in ziplock bags or a sealed container.
- **I almost always use frozen chicken when I make big batches of slow cooker shredded chicken like this. And the chicken has always released LOTS of extra juices while cooking, making plenty moist. Some of that extra liquid may be from the chicken breasts being a little icy and frozen. But if you are worried about chicken being dry, feel free to add in a little liquid while cooking.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!What Chicken To Buy:
You can either buy fresh or frozen chicken for this recipe. If you buy frozen, though, you need to be sure to thaw it to room temperature before adding it to the slow cooker. (Edited: apparently adding frozen meats to a slow cooker is unsafe!) You can use other cuts of chicken if you’d like, but I would just avoid any chicken with bones so that you don’t have to pick them out.
How To Shred Chicken:
My favorite method is the old fashioned two-forks method. Even with a really large batch of slow cooker shredded chicken, I can shred it all in about 2 minutes since the meat is so tender and easily pulls apart.
You can also add the chicken to a stand mixer and (very briefly!!) mix it with the paddle attachment to break it up.
How To Store Shredded Chicken:
If you are not using the chicken right away, I recommend freezing it in small ziplock bags or sealed containers. Be sure not to put the chicken all together in one huge ziplock bag, because then it is harder to separate and thaw in small batches.
How To Use Shredded Chicken:
I add mine to all sorts of recipes!!! Shredded chicken is awesome in soups, tacos, pastas, quesadillas, sandwiches, enchiladas, appetizers, you name it!
Recipes For Shredded Chicken:
Here are a few of my favorites from the blog:
5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili
Chipotle Chicken and Rice Soup
44 Clove Garlic and Chicken Soup
Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe! I buy my chicken in bulk so this was a great way to use the extra. I had frozen bone-in half chickens which needed to be used before they went bad and this was a perfect solution. I don’t mind getting my hands alittle dirty by separatingnthe bone from the chicken, however, the meat fell right off the bone! If you use bone-in I would suggest running your fingers through pulled chicken for any small bones that may have remained. I used water instead of broth, which was fine, because after I separated chicken and bones, I strained the extra liquid and now have some chicken broth to use when I make soup! (my cats were also excited for a small treat from the extra clippings)
Highly recommended to those out there who love to cook but don’t have much time on your hands, like me! Now I have lots of chicken to made quick, delicious and healthy recipes for my husband and I.
Great idea on shredded chicken. I am 60 and raising my step-son’s 10 & 11 yr old daughters, this will make meal planning much easier! Thank you!
Thank you for adding that you typically use frozen chicken. I’ve been looking at recipes for at least an hour now, trying to figure out if I could safely prepare some frozen chicken to shred for enchiladas tonight! Can’t wait to try this method!
If using fresh chicken, how much chicken broth or water do you add?
How long would you cook the chicken if using fresh – not frozen – chicken? TIA!
Hi Carla,
About 1 hour less.
~Ali
Is it possible to cook this on high if I didn’t start it early enough for same day dinner? How long would I do it for so I don’t overcook it?
Thanks in advanced.
Hi Sheree,
The chicken would need to cook on high for 3-4 hours, until it shredded easily with a fork. Good luck!
I know one lady who does this and freezes it on a cookie sheet and then puts it in bags, so she can pull out as much as she wants… for a salad or a recipe.
I’ve used this method SO MANY TIMES since I found this page. The chicken literally falls apart – you barely have to shred it. A few hours on high does the same trick but obviously if you wanna throw it in and leave it all day you’d want to use low. Thanks again!
QUESTION: So if I am making 3 lbs do I cook on high for 4 hours?
Yes, that will probably work. But I would keep an eye on the chicken around the 3 hour mark or so to start checking on it. When it shreds easily with a fork, it’s ready to go. Good luck!
Thank you for this recipe! So simple, its in my slow cooker right now and it smells delicious