How to Shred Chicken

Shredded chicken can fill everything from tacos to soups, making dinner a snap. Learn three easy methods for shredding chicken, plus how to store and freeze i!

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Shredded chicken is a great basic to prepare in advance for use in any number of recipes.

Just think how much faster it would be to make up a batch of your favorite chicken enchiladas or chicken tortilla soup (Yes, I’ve got Mexican food on the brain!) if you already have the chicken prepared!

Aside from dinner recipes, having a small stock of shredded chicken is great for making a quick lunch – you can add it on top of a salad, whip up a quick chicken salad sandwich, or add it to a simple quesadilla.

Not to mention that batch cooking shredded chicken allows you to take advantage of sales!

Tools You’ll Need

If you’re preparing to make your own shredded chicken breast, here are a few kitchen tools that will be helpful in the process:

• Pot, Slow Cooker, Baking Pan, or Instant Pot – depending on how you plan to cook the chicken, one of these cooking vessels will be helpful.
• Instant Read Thermometer – using a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of the cooked chicken is helpful to determine whether the chicken is cooked through or not.
• Cutting Board – a cutting board provides a nice work surface for preparing the shredded chicken while also protecting your counters.
• Forks – forks can be used to shred the chicken.
• Sharp Knife – a sharp knife can also be used.
• Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment or a Hand Mixer – these tools are great especially if you want shredded chicken fast and are making larger quantities.

How to Shred Chicken

Well, first you have to cook it. You can do this several different ways – in the slow cooker, in the Instant Pot, in the oven, or you can poach it on the stovetop.

Leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken also works well.

Katie’s Tip: If you used bone-in chicken, first you’ll want to pull all of the meat off the bones. Save the bones for making homemade chicken stock (yum!). If you aren’t going to make stock right away, just put all the bones in a freezer-safe storage bag and freeze until you’re ready.

Option 1: Shredding Chicken with Your Fingers

1. Use your fingers to pull the cooked chicken breasts apart into chunks. They can be as big or as small as you like.
2. If you end up with bigger pieces, just pull them apart into smaller ones.

Option 2: Shredding Chicken with 2 Forks

1. Hold one fork in each hand. (I like to use the fork in my non-dominant hand to hold the piece of chicken steady.)
2. With the fork in my dominant hand, I scrape at the piece of chicken to pull it apart.

Option 3: Shredding Chicken with a Stand Mixer (Fastest Method!)

1. Dump the meat into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Mix over low speed until the chicken reaches whatever shred-size you want.

FAQs

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Does it Matter if I Use Chicken Breasts or Thighs?

As long as you’ve removed the chicken bones, you can shred any kind of chicken: whole chicken, boneless chicken thighs, bone in breasts, boneless breasts, or even a mix. Just use whatever cut of chicken you prefer.

However, I don’t recommend using legs or wings for making shredded chicken because there just isn’t that much meat on them. Reserve them for adding into your homemade stocks instead.

Can You Use Frozen Chicken to Make Shredded Chicken?

The USDA says that it is totally safe to cook chicken from frozen (if you’re cooking it in the oven or the stove), so don’t worry if you forgot to thaw the thicken that you planned to shred.

In my opinion, the Instant Pot or poaching methods of cooking chicken for shredding are the best ways to use if the chicken is still frozen. The USDA doesn’t mention the Instant Pot, but given that it gets much hotter than an oven since it is cooking under pressure, I’d be willing to bet that it is fine.

They do warn, however, that you shouldn’t put frozen chicken in the crock pot. So, go ahead and take that method off the table if you’re planning to cook from frozen when making shredded chicken.

Katie’s Tip: Check out my tips for How to Defrost Meat Quickly and Safely.

Storage Instructions

If you’re wanting to cook shredded chicken at the beginning of the week to use in recipes or simple lunches all week long, refrigerator storage is the best option. After cooking and shredding the chicken, transfer it to an airtight container.

Cooked, shredded chicken is best used within about 4-5 days when stored in the refrigerator.

You will want to throw away any shredded chicken leftovers after around the 7 day mark, or any time before that if the chicken starts to smell funny or bad, has discolored, or is slimy.

Can You Freeze Shredded Chicken?

Absolutely! In fact, for purposes like these, I find it best to prepare a large batch of shredded chicken ahead of time and freeze it in the portions that I most often use.

You can freeze shredded chicken stored in a freezer bag, a vacuum seal bag, or in an airtight container.

Personally, I prefer to use freezer bags or a vacuum seal bag because they take up less space. With a vacuum seal bag, you can remove almost all of the air using your vacuum sealer which will prevent freezer burn.

Katie’s Tip: If you’re not using a vacuum sealer, add a little chicken broth or cooking liquid to the container you are freezing the shredded chicken in. This can also help prevent freezer bur.

What quantity you choose to freeze your shredded chicken in will depend on your personal preference. So, take a little time to think about: how you think you’ll use the chicken, what recipes you might make with it, and how much chicken will be utilized at a time.

I find that 1, 2, and 3 cup portions are ideal. Alternatively, 1 pound (16 ounces) is also a good increment because many recipes call for a pound of chicken. A kitchen scale is helpful for measuring weights.

Easy Recipes Using Shredded Chicken:

Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust is winter comfort food at its finest!

If you’re feeling under the weather, this Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup will make you feel better.

Pineapple, Chicken, Quinoa Salad is easy to make and packed with both flavor and nutrients.

Need a hearty winter recipe? Try this White Bean Chicken Chili Verde.

These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Gravy are one of my favorites!

When I’m craving a lighter enchilada, I love these Chicken, Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce.

Southwest Chicken Salad Wraps are a breeze to whip up. Shredded chicken is combined with black beans, corn, red peppers, cilantro, green onions, and a spicy creamy sauce, then stuffed in a tortilla wrap with greens and avocado slices.

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