Shredded Chicken Recipes – 5 Easy Flavors!

These Shredded Chicken Recipes are perfect for meal prep – I'm giving you 5 flavor combos to try, plus how to use shredded chicken in your day to day cooking. Try Mexican, Greek, BBQ and more! 

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3 easy ways to make shredded chicken

There are several methods you can use to cook your chicken. All of them will produce juicy and flavourful chicken. The methods are all easy, so choose the one that works best with your available time.

1. Poaching – You can poach chicken on the stove top. Just simmer it in water or chicken stock for about 20 minutes.
2. Slow Cooker – If you want to start your meal in the morning and come home to fully cooked chicken that is ready to shred, make it in your crock pot. Cook the chicken on low power for eight hours. When you arrive home from work or school, the chicken will be ready to be shredded. This shredded chicken crock pot recipe is the most hands-off option.
3. Instant Pot – If you need shredded chicken immediately, it’s time to use your Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes then do a quick release.

I’ve included five different recipes for ways to flavor chicken.

Plain chicken is a blank slate that can become any dish you want to cook. However, if you use these recipes, you have chicken that is deliciously flavorful to add something spectacular to your recipes. Even sandwiches and salads become more interesting when the chicken is pre-seasoned.

What’s the best way to shred chicken?

Chicken is the easiest to shred while it is warm. So, even if you plan to use the meat later in the week, I recommend shredding it as soon as possible after it finishes cooking..

You have several options for shredding chicken. One isn’t necessarily better than another. It really depends on what kitchen tools are available to you.

1. Forks – Warm chicken can be shredded using two forks. Holding one fork in each hand and use the tines to pull the cooked chicken apart.
2. Stand Mixer – If you own an electric stand mixer, this may be the easiest way to shred chicken. Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment and add the cooked chicken to the mixing bowl. Turn on the mixer at medium speed and the paddle will shred the chicken for you.
3. Food Processor – If you want more finely shredded chicken, you can use a food processor. However, it is important not to process the chicken for very long. Otherwise, you will end up with minced chicken or even chicken pate!

5 different shredded chicken flavours

Below you will find pictures of 5 different sauce combos for shredded chicken, and their associated simple meal idea. Here are the five flavours and meal ideas listed below:

1. BBQ – I've added shredded BBQ chicken as part of a sandwich. Just add the BBQ chicken to a hamburger bun and then add some coleslaw on top. Easy peasy!
2. Jamaican – This Caribbean-inspired chicken is perfect as part of a salad as you see pictured below. Add some diced red onion, red pepper, mango and lettuce, and you've got the most flavourful salad ever.
3. Greek – The Greek chicken is pretty versatile but I enjoy it most as a wrap! Add it to a pita with some cucumber, red onion and other veggies. Tzatziki would also be a great addition!
4. Mexican – The most obvious choice for the Mexican pulled chicken is tacos! Enjoy in corn or flour tortillas with some store bought salsa, cilantro and red onion. Boom, dinner is served!
5. Teriyaki – In order to keep this teriyaki chicken light, I've served it as part of a lettuce wrap. Add it to romaine lettuce, then add some shredded carrots and sesame seeds on top.

BBQ shredded chicken

Jamaican shredded chicken

Greek shredded chicken

Mexican shredded chicken

Teriyaki shredded chicken

How do I use shredded chicken recipes for meal prep?

It’s easy to double, triple or quadruple this recipe. Plan to cook enough chicken for several meals during the week. Or do several batches of the different shredded chicken recipes.

In the Instant Pot, you will need to increase the cooking time if you are preparing larger amounts of chicken. Chicken takes about six minutes per pound to cook in an Instant Pot.

In an airtight container, shredded chicken will last for four days in the refrigerator.

Seasoning the chicken during cooking also saves a step on busy weeknights.

Cold chicken is also delicious. Add it to your favourite salad fixings for lunches or use it to make sandwiches.

Freezing shredded chicken

Shredded chicken is super easy to freeze. When frozen in small portions, it’s a pre-measured boost of protein for soup, salad or pasta dishes.

To freeze, bring it to room temperature and freeze in individual portions (about 3/4 to 1 cup at a time) in freezer Ziploc bags or in glass bowls.

You can defrost in the fridge overnight or you can reheat in the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Be sure to sprinkle about 1 tbsp of water overtop if microwaving and stir halfway through the reheating time to avoid that pesky leftover chicken taste.

Reheating shredded chicken

A big complaint people have about meal prepping chicken is the leftover chicken taste. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help avoid that funky taste:

• Undercook the chicken slightly before reheating so that the chicken is cooking again when reheating in the microwave
• Add some water before reheating in the microwave – Splash a tiny bit of water overtop of your chicken and then microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through
• Reheat in a frying pan – Add a splash of water to mitigate the gamey taste you can get with leftover chicken
• Add extra sauce – Sometimes extra sauce or spices (soy sauce, buffalo wing, honey mustard, BBQ, etc) can help mask the taste

How else can I use these shredded chicken recipes?

The primary reason for creating these shredded chicken recipes is to make your meal prep easier! But if you need some inspiration for meals, here are some great ways to use shredded chicken as part of a full meal.

• Use it to make chicken quesadillas or even a shredded chicken taco or burrito bowls
• Instead of cooking chicken fresh, use shredded chicken in meal prep bowls (browse the meal prep archives here)
• In a sandwich or wrap
• Add a cup or two of shredded chicken to a batch of soup (chicken noodle soup or chili immediately come to mind)
• As a topping for nachos, frozen fries or baked potatoes
• Toss shredded chicken with your favourite pasta and sauce for a quick and easy dinner
• Make a batch of chicken salad

More chicken resources

If you're looking for more ways to use chicken in your weekly meal prep, I've got some other great resources for you below!

• Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
• Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs
• Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this shredded chicken into meal prep
• I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
• Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through
• Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're marinating the chicken then freezing it
• Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months

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Shredded Chicken Recipes 5 Ways

These Shredded Chicken Recipes are perfect for meal prep - here are 5 flavor combos to try, plus how to make shredded chicken taste good all week!

3.55 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken breast, chicken seasoning, leftover chicken, meal prep, shredded chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

Mexican

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp salt

BBQ

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Greek

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt

Teriyaki

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Caribbean

• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

Crockpot

• Add chicken and seasonings of choice to crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours, then remove chicken and shred before returning to the pot and giving a good stir.
• Serve as meals pictured in the post if desired - further instructions on how to use each type of shredded chicken are pictured above.

Instant Pot

• Add 1 cup water or chicken broth to the bottom of the Instant Pot then place in trivet. Add in chicken breasts and seasonings.
• Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure, or let the pressure release naturally for more tender chicken (will take about 20 minutes). Remove chicken and shred, then place back in pot and toss to combine.
• Serve as meals pictured in the post if desired - further instructions on how to use each type of shredded chicken are pictured above.

Stovetop

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop. Add chicken then cook for 20 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
• Remove chicken from water then shred chicken. Drain water from pot, then add chicken back to pot and mix in seasonings of choice.
• Serve as meals pictured in the post if desired - further instructions on how to use each type of shredded chicken are pictured above.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1697mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1010IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.9mg

*Nutritional info is for shredded chicken ONLY. Not including sides served with it*