Perfect Shredded Chicken {In the Crock-Pot OR the Pressure Cooker}

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been cooking chicken in the crock-pot. Whether you choose to use a slow-cooker or a pressure cooker, the process is the same.

Drop the chicken in the pot and then chop or shred the chicken when it’s done cooking. Making shredded chicken is not a complicated thing and there is no fancy skill required, but having shredded chicken on hand is a spectacularly convenient thing for countless recipes.

I’m sharing both my crock-pot and pressure cooker methods for cooking chicken today. I finally got my hands on a pressure cooker (I bought this 7-in-1 Instant Pot) a couple months ago and I’ve been pressure-cooking everything and anything I can. I’ve discovered that it is possible to cook chicken that is falling apart and perfectly shreddable in just 15 MINUTES!

I’m already completely hooked on the convenience of using a pressure cooker. I’ve been testing a number of our favorites recipes in the pressure cooker over the past month and I can hardly wait to share the pressure cooking recipes with you.

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5 from 4 votes

Perfect Shredded Chicken {In the Crock-Pot OR the Pressure Cooker}

Mary Younkin

Servings: 8 -10 servings

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
• ▢ 3 tablespoons  Mexican spice mix or store-bought taco seasoning optional
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions 

• PRESSURE COOKER DIRECTIONS: Sprinkle the chicken all over with the spices and place the pieces in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add the chicken broth and close the pressure cooker. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions and chop or shred with tongs.
• SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:  Sprinkle the chicken all over with the spices and place the pieces in the bottom of the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add 1 cup chicken broth and cover. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Shred with tongs or roughly chop the cooked chicken.
• Store the cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

Notes

I tend to use pre-cooked chicken in Mexican-style cooking far more than any other. So, the added spices work well for most purposes. The chicken also works great without the spices, and the unseasoned meat will work in any number of dishes.

While I typically choose dark meat over white meat, any combination will work and I tend to use whichever meat I have on hand. My preference is to use half white meat and half dark meat when preparing chicken this way. All dark or all white meat will work fine as well.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

Here are some more recipes that use shredded chicken:
Chicken Sloppy Joes by Taste and Tell
Chicken Salad with Green Olives, Celery, and Onion by Kalyn’s Kitchen
Saucy Shredded Chicken Tacos by I Wash You Dry
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup by Center Cut Cook
Chicken Artichoke Bites by Real Housemoms