This shredded chicken is seriously juicy and tender, made in the Instant Pot. With a secret for making this better than your average shredded chicken, it’s quick, easy, and loaded with flavor. This is my favorite way to make shredded chicken, and my hack for shredding makes it faster than ever! Perfect in any recipe that calls for shredded chicken, like chicken salad, casseroles, soups, and more.
This easy shredded chicken with a super savory seasoning uses a secret ingredient for the absolute juiciest chicken you’ll ever eat. Cooking it in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker makes it the easiest chicken you’ll ever make! This chicken is absolutely perfect for other recipes and is even great for freezing. And check out the top tips for my hack on how to shred chicken with basically no effort!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
Chicken broth or stock – The secret ingredient! Cooking in broth and adding more after cooking helps make this the juiciest shredded chicken you’ll ever eat.
How To Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot
Stir together the seasonings in a small bowl and season the chicken on both sides.
Pour the broth in the Instant Pot’s cooking pot and place the trivet over, then add the chicken on top of the trivet.
Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then natural release for 5 minutes.
Drain the pot (but save the liquid!).
Shred your chicken (see the top tips for how to). Add in some of the reserved broth and toss. Keep adding as much broth as you like for super juicy chicken!
Top Tips For Making
- You can shred your chicken with two forks, or use my easy hack! Use a hand mixer directly in your Instant Pot to shred your chicken. I actually love to use this same method with the paddle attachment on my stand mixer. So easy!
- There are tons of recipes you can use this shredded chicken in, including my Buffalo Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes and Coleslaw, or Shredded Chicken Salad.
More Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Southwestern Egg Roll in a Bowl
- One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2-4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wine pairings (no wine on Whole30!)
Instructions
- Stir together seasonings in small bowl. Pour broth in cooking pot and place trivet over. Season chicken on both sides. Place on trivet.
- Cook manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then 5 natural release.
- Drain pot, saving liquid, remove trivet. Shred using one of the methods in the notes. Add in a 2-4 tbsp of reserved broth and toss. Add more as desired to make shredded chicken super juicy.
Notes
- How to shred chicken: Use 2 forks or use a hand mixer directly in your Instant Pot to shred your chicken. You can also use this same method with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer.
- Recipe suggestions: Buffalo Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes and Coleslaw, or Shredded Chicken Salad.
(Remember – no wine on Whole30!)
I recommend buying wine from Scout and Cellar, especially for lower carb or sugar and the health conscious. There’s no added sugar to these wines, and they’re all much lower in carbs, calories, and sugar. For me, there’s no headache or fogginess the next day!
It really depends on what kind of recipe you are using your chicken in, but you almost definitely can’t go wrong with one of these choices:
– Sauvignon Blanc, like 2019 Gallivant Sauvignon Blanc from Lake County, California
– Pinot noir, like 2017 Conte de la Terre Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of two who lives in Memphis, TN.
Melissa says
Can I use frozen chicken?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
You may want to start with this recipe, here: https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-frozen-chicken-breast/, then follow the shredding steps in this recipe. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Heather says
I still don’t have an instant pot – what would the settings be for a crock pot?
Amelia Camurati says
Try this recipe but swap the salsa for chicken broth if you don’t want a Mexican-inspired dish.
Deni says
I used to spend a ridiculous amount of time shredding chicken but not anymore. The stand up mixer hack really works. This is a great, versatile recipe to use when making a large batch of any recipe that calls for shredded chicken. Thanks!
Amelia Camurati says
Glad to help Deni!