Today I am sharing one of my cooking basics: how to make easy shredded chicken in the slow cooker.
Shredded chicken is a staple in most kitchens. If you have a good method for how to make easy shredded chicken in bulk, you can save yourself a LOT of prep time. And it’s just as easy to make a bunch as it is to make for one recipe.
Shredded chicken is great for soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. If you have some already made, it can make preparing dinner a lot easier.
It freezes just fine too, which is really handy.
For this recipe I am starting with three pounds of frozen boneless skinless chicken breast. Yes, frozen. I have never had a problem starting with frozen meat. I love that I don’t have to think ahead to lay some out to thaw. I can just grab some frozen chicken breasts from my freezer stash and make this whenever I want to.
You can do more or less than three pounds (depending on your slow cooker capacity!). But beware that cooking times may vary for different amounts.
Also, you may make this with fresh (not frozen) chicken breasts too. This would work well if you are making this right after bringing some chicken breasts home from the grocery store. Again, the cooking time will be less than what I suggest here.
Tools Used for This Recipe
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- Two forks for shredding
- Slow Cooker
- Freezer bags or storage containers
- Optional – food scale for dividing up the meat (You can totally eye-ball it without a scale too, though!)
How to Make Easy Shredded Chicken
How to Make Easy Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic garlic powder
- teaspoon Salt and pepper to taste about 3/4 salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the water into the slow cooker.
- Add the frozen chicken, and season with the garlic, salt and pepper.
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Place the lid on and cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours, until chicken shreds with a fork.
- Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker, using two forks.
- Divide up chicken into storage containers.
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- If you don't plan to use the chicken right away, you may freeze it.
Recipe Notes
Every slow cooker is a little bit different, so cooking time may vary slightly. If your chicken comes out dry, try reducing cook time the next time around.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! It is so versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Pin and share!
Erica says
This recipe yields the most tender and delicious shredded chicken. Thank you! I do have a question, as this time around I am a little short on time. Can I slow cook on high? If so, for how many hours would you recommend?
L.H says
So if I use 3lb raw chicken breasts, how much cooked shredded chicken will that yield?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
It would yield just under 3 pounds, as the fats and much of the water will cook out of it. If I had to guess, I would suggest using 3.5 pounds, for example, if you want to yield 3 pounds of cooked meat. Hope that helps!
Asha says
Awesome! Just what I was looking for. Can I add small bits of russet potato and carrots to the crockpot later on in the slow cooker? If I cook the chicken for 6 hours, when would we add the potatoes and carrots, around hour 5? Thank you!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Asha! I have never done this before, so this is purely a guess. I would add them more like half-way through – maybe at hour 3 or 4. This is what I do when I make pot roast, for example. Hope that helps!