Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.This is about as easy as cooking chicken gets, I kid you not. If you are a "set it and forget it" cook, this is your new favorite recipe, for real.
My personal favorite thing about this recipe though, is that it’s completely customizable, and incredibly versatile! I’ve made this chicken at LEAST once a week for a couple months now. It makes meals in my near future so much less intimidating knowing that the protein is already cooked. Here’s just a few uses for this crazy good chicken:
How to Use It
Straight up - You can serve this straight from the crock pot, either shredded or even whole, for a simple super-tender chicken main entree with a side or two.
Pizza topping - I love a chicken pizza! This would be great sprinkled over a white pizza, especially along with spinach, tomatoes, basil, bacon, or artichokes.
Soup - One of the most annoying parts for me about making a pot of homemade soup is just the cooking of the protein. This way, you can whip everything up quickly, dump in the shredded chicken, and have a hearty, delicious soup in no time at all.
Pot pie - Chop or shred this tasty chicken, mix it with your choice of cooked veggies and creamy sauce or condensed soup, pop it in a pie crust, and you have an amazing cold-weather dinner! Or, for a more sophisticated take, you can make mini tartlets filled with a pot pie-esque filling as a classy party food or appetizer (like these Chicken a la King Tartlets!).
Salad - I love this atop a simple caesar or veggie salad with some crackers for a really easy, well-rounded lunch on a busy day.
Sandwiches - Finely chop the chicken and use it to make a simple chicken salad! Highly underrated, especially with some grapes and almonds thrown in. Or, mix it with a barbecue sauce of your choice and toss it on a soft bun. Yummy!
With gravy on mash - When I’m running low on food in my fridge, two things I almost always have are chicken breasts in my freezer and a potato in my veggie drawer. So, I like to make one of these big chicken breasts, cut it in half, whip up an easy gravy with a simple roux and chicken broth, and make some mashed potatoes. My husband never realizes that this is an easy “I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow” meal, because it’s so yummy and seems a lot more difficult than it is.
After it’s cooked and cooled a bit, this chicken will stay fresh in a sealed food storage container for 3 to 4 days. Let me know if you find any other delicious uses for it!
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Prep the Chicken
In a crock pot, place 1 large or 2 small chicken breasts. They can be frozen or fresh.
Next, add 1 cup of chicken broth. I don’t usually have chicken broth handy, so I use hot water with bouillon.
Last, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the chicken. If desired, you can also change up the seasonings here by adding garlic, herbs, hot pepper, etc.
Step 2:
Set it and Forget it
Cover the crock pot.
If using frozen chicken breast, cook for 5 hours on high, or 8 hours on low.
If using fresh chicken breast, cook for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low.
Don’t peek! Let it do its thing.
Step 3:
Done!
When the chicken is done, it will look a little strange at first, as the fat will have cooked off and will be floating in the liquid.
Remove it from its liquid gently (it will want to fall apart).
You can either leave it whole, or shred it up with tongs or forks.
Simply store it in a food storage container in the refrigerator and use it however you like! It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
Servings: 2-4 Time: 5 1/2 hours
Difficulty: 🧡🤍🤍🤍🤍
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Step 1: Prep the Chicken
Add chicken breast, chicken broth, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to a crock pot.
Step 2: Set it and Forget it
Put the lid on the crock pot.
If using frozen chicken, cook for 5 hours on high, or 8 hours on low.
If using fresh chicken breast, cook for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low.
Don’t peek! Let it do its thing.
Step 3: Done!
When the chicken is done, gently remove it from its liquid with tongs. Use either tongs to forks to shred the chicken, or you can leave it whole if preferred. If not using right away, place in a food storage container and keep in the refrigerator. Stays fresh 3-4 days.