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This shredded chicken recipe is quick, simple, and the chicken can be used 100 different ways.
I love keeping shredded chicken on hand for easy dinners. It’s perfect for chicken salad, tacos, soups, easy chicken pot pie, and my favorite green chicken enchiladas. With my easy stovetop shredded chicken recipe, you’ll have juicy, flavorful chicken ready in under an hour.
If you prefer a hands-off method, try our slow cooker shredded chicken, but for speed and flavor, this stovetop version is hard to beat.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: The best chicken for shredded chicken is boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as they stay extra tender, but chicken breast works well, too. You can even swap in turkey.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and a bay leaf add so much flavor as the chicken simmers.
- Spices: A simple mix of salt, cumin, and black pepper keeps the chicken well-seasoned and versatile for all your favorite dishes.
- Water or Broth: Water works perfectly (the aromatics and spices add plenty of flavor), but feel free to use chicken broth or vegetable broth for even more flavor.
Find the full recipe with exact measurements below.
How to Make the Best Shredded Chicken
Tip 1: Simmer gently for tender chicken. The best way to make tender shredded chicken is to simmer it gently, similar to poaching chicken.
Place the chicken in a pot with onion, garlic, and spices, then add just enough water (or broth) to cover. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender enough to shred easily with a fork.
Tip 2: Reduce the broth for more flavor. After cooking, remove the chicken and let it cool slightly before shredding. Return the cooking liquid to the stove and simmer until it reduces by one-third. Then, you can use some of it to spoon over the shredded chicken, making it extra juicy and flavorful. You’ll have some broth leftover, which I highly recommend saving for a bowl of soup (it’s delicious!).
Ways to Use Your Chicken
You can use this so many different dishes. Here are a few of my favorite shredded chicken recipes for inspiration:
Easy Shredded Chicken
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This is my favorite method for making shredded chicken. It’s quick and easy, and the chicken turns out tender, juicy, and flavorful. After cooking, we take one extra step and reduce the cooking liquid before spooning some over the shredded chicken. This easy step keeps our chicken moist and adds extra flavor. You’ll have some broth leftover, which I love turning into a soup (it’s really tasty!).
Makes 5 cups
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 pounds boneless chicken thighs (1360g)
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Water
Directions
1Combine chicken, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, cumin, and pepper in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the chicken. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, then remove any foam or scum that floats to the top.
2Adjust the heat so that the water simmers very gently around the chicken. Cook until the chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes.
3Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks or your fingers.
4While the chicken cools, boil the liquid left in the pot until it has reduced by one-third or until its flavor has concentrated.
5Spoon about 1 cup of the concentrated cooking liquid over the shredded chicken and toss to coat.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: The chicken and broth will keep refrigerated up to 4 days and can be frozen for 3 months.
- Skin-on chicken: We have made this recipe using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and chicken thighs with skin still attached. Both work very well. If you use chicken with skin, simply remove and discard the skin before you shred the chicken. You may also find that you need to skim some of the fat from the cooking broth before spooning it over the chicken.
- Leftover cooking liquid: You will have cooking liquid leftover. It is quite delicious on its own as a light soup. You can also use it as broth for other recipes. Or, if you’re keeping the chicken more than a day, add a spoonful or two to add a little extra moisture.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/2 cup
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Calories
139
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Protein
18 g
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Carbohydrate
2 g
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Dietary Fiber
0 g
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Total Sugars
1 g
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Total Fat
6 g
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Saturated Fat
2 g
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Cholesterol
99 mg
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Sodium
356 mg
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