Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Why make plain shredded chicken when you can make Instant Pot shredded chicken? It’s basically a no brainer for any Instant Pot aficionado.
Do you like making everything in the Instant Pot, even if a pot of water will suffice?
Well, you are in luck!
We’re going to teach you how to make Instant Pot shredded chicken today because, well, we can.
No need to settle for plain boiled and shredded chicken.
Now you can use the Instant Pot to boil that chicken and make delicious shredded chicken in minutes (not to be confused with the minutes needed to boil it on the stove top).
Using the Instant Pot allows you to add some extra flavor while cooking, so take that traditional boiled chicken lovers!
It also frees up a burner and adds less heat to the kitchen on a hot day, so, you know, winning.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
To make Instant Pot shredded chicken, you’ll need:
- Chicken Breasts – We used 3 chicken breasts or about 3 pounds of chicken. You can use really as much or as little as you like based on how many people you intend to serve.
- Chicken Broth – Cooking the chicken in broth helps to add some additional flavor to the chicken breasts as they cook. You can also use plain water, white wine, or a combination of these.
- Spices – We added in a bay leaf, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to infuse some flavor into the chicken.
This may come as a shock, but if you want to make Instant Pot shredded chicken you’ll need your Instant Pot.
Otherwise, you’ll need a pair of forks (they don’t have to be dating or anything or even match for that matter, they just need to be able to work together for like 5 minutes) or a food processor if you want to save some effort on your end.
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
1. Cook the chicken in the Instant Pot.
Place your chicken breasts in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
Pour the chicken broth over the chicken and add in the spices.
Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook 10 minutes, making sure to set that valve to sealing before turning it on.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes and then do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
Carefully remove the lid and place the chicken on a large cutting board.
2. Shred the chicken.
Get out a pair of sturdy forks.
OK, they don’t have to be a pair. They just need to be able to work together for a few minutes while you shred that chicken.
Keep using those forks to rip the chicken’s flesh apart, ignoring the screams of the innocent.
No matter how much it cries, do not stop until you’re satisfied with the size of the shredded chicken.
3. Dress up and serve.
Instant Pot shredded chicken is very neutral in flavor, so you can dress up the chicken as you see fit.
We often like to toss it with BBQ sauce and serve as sliders or on a regular roll.
You can add whatever flavors and dressings you like and serve with your favorite recipes that need cooked chicken, like pesto chicken salad.
Serving
You can go ahead and add some BBQ sauce to Instant Pot shredded chicken, like we did, and serve it on rolls with potato chips. Yes, we’re repeating ourselves here, but let’s face it, you used that button to skip to the recipe, ignorning all this anyway, didn’t you?
You could also use it as part of a chicken salad.
Use it to top a salad, like caesar salad.
You can also toss it with pesto sauce and use it instead of turkey in this pesto panini.
Storing
Give or take, shredded chicken will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days.
After that, you may want to toss it or roll the dice with getting food poisoning. Either way, it will be a good time.
Seriously though, throw the disease ridden chicken out before you regret it.
Make sure to place the Instant Pot shredded chicken in an air tight container before storing.
You can store it as is or after you toss it with a sauce, like BBQ sauce.
Yes, you can freeze shredded chicken for about 6 months.
Allow frozen shredded chicken to thaw naturally in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Tips and Tricks
- If you are lazy, have issues with your hands, or want to save some time, use a food processor to shred the chicken. To do this, don’t set it and forget it. It will turn to mush, which, maybe is your kink? Normal people should pulse the chicken, letting it settle before pulsing again, so they don’t make a nasty mush out of it.
- Shred the chicken when it is still warm. This helps to rip the flesh of the chicken apart, you sicko. Use ear plugs if the screams get to you.
- Add shredded chicken to your favorite recipes or dress it up with spices or sauces to match what you are making. For example, you can reheat the shredded chicken with fajita seasonings or make shredded tacos using the chicken. BBQ chicken works well too. If making a chicken salad, allow the chicken to cool before adding the mayo.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
Love using your Instant Pot? Check out these other recipes:
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Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Place raw chicken breasts in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add in the seasonings.
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure to cook for 10 minutes. Make sure the vent is set to sealed.
- Once it beeps, allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes before opening the vent to do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- When it is still warm but no longer burningly hot, use two forks to shred the chicken apart.
- Store, toss with your favorite sauces or spices, or add to another recipe.
- Serve as you see fit and enjoy!
