How To Make Shredded Chicken In Instant Pot

How To Make Shredded Mexican Chicken

Chicken Breasts Size Matters:

We tend to use organic meat. Since they tend to have a smaller size than non-organic breasts, the cooking time for them is usually lower by 2 minutes in the pressure cooker. The below size can help you determine the appropriate cooking time:

• 6-ounce chicken breasts: 15 minutes on high pressure for fresh/ 20 minutes on high pressure for frozen.
• 8-ounce chicken breasts: 18 minutes on high pressure for fresh/25 minutes on high pressure for frozen.
• 10-ounce chicken breasts: 20 minutes on high pressure for fresh/30 minutes on high pressure for frozen.

What To Do If Chicken Doesn’t Reach 165f On The Instant Read Thermometer

This is not common with this recipe, but it’s also why we always use a quick read thermometer. If, for some reason, your pressure cooked breasts don’t register 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted in the center, repeat the pressure cook cycle with only 1 minute cook time. Test it again using a clean thermometer. Repeat as needed.

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

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Learn how to make the best Instant Pot shredded chicken that is full of great flavor, nice and tender, and not overcooked.

Hey friends! Im back today with a meal prep recipe that you all have been requesting how to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot! Or more specifically, how to make Instant Pot shredded chicken that is:

I agree that Instant Pot chicken can be a bit finicky at times. But Ive been testing different methods and cook times these past few months, and am happy to report Ive landed on a winner-winner-chicken-dinner recipe thats incredibly easy to make and checks all of those boxes. Ive included my favorite all-purpose chicken seasoning in the recipe that goes with pretty much everything. But if you are interested, I have also included some of my other favorite seasoning variations too if you would like to mix things up.

So pull out that pressure cooker, and lets make some Instant Pot shredded chicken!

Shredded Chicken In The Instant Pot

Shredded chicken is one of our favorite proteins! It can be used in casseroles, soups, bowls, tacos, pizzas, and *so* much more. You name it, shredded chicken can do it.

While cooking shredded chicken in the slow cooker is a great option , it isnt a quick process, and because of that, definitely takes some planning ahead. This Instant Pot method, on the other hand, is super fast, meaning that it doesnt require much planning in advance + can be done on a busy weeknight!

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Substitutions For This Instant Pot Pulled Chicken:

This shredded chicken recipe is pretty versatile here are some of the ways you can customize it.

Broth You can use any kind of broth in this recipe or you can just use water.

Salt/Pepper You dont have to add salt/pepper to this. You can leave the chicken plain and season as you eat, or you can add other spices to it! We have done this with Italian seasoning and it was delicious!

Meat Chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders will all work in this recipe!

2 lbs Increase your cook time by 1 minutes. For 3 lbs, increase your cook time by 2 minutes

Seasoning You can use any seasonings on this. We like to use our Healthy Taco Seasoning on it, but any spice mix will do!

Tomatoes I like to add 1/4 salsa or crushed tomatoes to the pot for flavor.

Crockpot You can cook chicken in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

How To Make Chicken Breasts From Frozen In Your Electric Pressure Cooker

One of the best features of the Instant Pot, in my opinion, is the ability to toss in a frozen cut of meat and end up with something edible and delicious. There are a few tips, however, thatll make your frozen food adventures a little more successful.

• Dont skimp on the seasonings!
• Never plain water. Always broth. Always always always.
• You will get different results if you let the food cook IN the liquid rather than suspended over it. Experiment to see which you prefer.
• The bigger the block of frozen meat, the longer itll take the pot to come up to pressure. For a faster, more consistent result, chop the meat into smaller chunks before you freeze it, and freeze it in a ziplock laid flat so the chunks freeze semi-separately.

Life may be a marathon, but these chicken breasts are NOT.

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts From Frozen

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts from Frozen is an easy trick that Ive been loving since I got my pot. It makes for very easy dinners all week long! There are a million things you could do with this simple starting point, but if you need some suggestions I think Ive got some things to keep you busy!

What You Will Need For Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

• Instant Pot or any other electric Pressure Cooker.
• Fresh or frozen chicken breasts. For frozen meat, just make sure they are not stuck-frozen to each other. This is important, as it may not cook uniformly.
• Water, broth, or pineapple juice.
• Minced garlic or garlic powder.
• Seasoning.
• Butter optional.

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How Long Does It Take To Cook Raw Chicken In Instant Pot

Whether youre looking to cook enough chicken for 1 night of dinner or a larger amount for, say, 3-4 dinners , weve kept the amount of time the same here. The short reason for this? Weve found that 20 minutes is long enough to really tenderize and achieve a shreddable texture in anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds of chicken, and if we can keep things really simple by sticking to one time , thats what were going to do!

Though 20 minutes may seem slightly longer than other Instant Pot shredded chicken recipes that you see on the internet, weve found that giving the chicken a few extra minutes of pressure cooking actually yields a much more shreddable, tender chicken.

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Instant Pot Pulled Chicken Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients to make shredded chicken in the instant pot. Scroll down for full chicken quantities and instructions.

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Boneless chicken thighs will work great here, too.
• Fine Sea Salt& Black Pepper: Flavor that chicken! You can also spice it up by using a Taco Seasoning or a Cajun Seasoning.
• Garlic Granules: You may know it also as garlic powder. It adds great flavor!
• Chicken Broth or Water: Personally I recommend using chicken broth as it will result in the most flavorful shredded chicken, but you can use water, too!

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Frozen Or Fresh Chicken

You can cook fresh or frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot for this Instant Pot shredded chicken! Believe it or not, chicken breasts turn out the same whether you pull them right out of the freezer or fresh chicken breasts.

The only difference is how you cook it and what your cook time is. Why would you ever use frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot? Think of those nights when you get home and realize you havent planned dinner!

• For frozen chicken breasts: cook on high pressure for 18-20 minutes. While the frozen chicken breast is cooking, you prepare a side and a sauce for your chicken and BOOM. 18 minutes later your chicken is ready to be chunked or shredded!
• For fresh chicken breasts: cook on high pressure for 8 minutes before shredding.

Three Ways To Shred Chicken

First things first shred your chicken while its still warm! Completely cold chicken doesnt shred nearly as well as warm chicken.

Remove and discard the skin, then shred the chicken from the bones using one of these three methods:

• Your Hands: my favorite kitchen tool! Shred with your hands for nice chunks of juicy chicken.
• Two Forks: for a finer shred, use two forks to shred the chicken.
• An Electric Mixer: to do so, remove large chunks from the bone, then place into a bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on low speed for 10-20 seconds. If you have a hand mixer, set the speed to low so you have more control over the size of the shreds, and process for 15-30 seconds.

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Ingredients For Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Pressure cooker shredded chicken is a great first recipe to try if youre new to the Instant Pot world.

• Chicken breasts or thighs: You can use either, they both shred well. Chicken breast is leaner and tends to be less juicy than the more flavorful and juicy thighs. However, the IP does an amazing job of keeping as much moisture in as possible. Chicken breasts also look prettier than shredded thighs.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Other than that you just need chicken and water because 90% of the time I end up adding shredded chicken to chicken salad or chicken tostadas and each recipe has its own seasonings.
• Water or broth: I use water but you can use broth for extra flavor if youd prefer.

Can You Freeze Shredded Chicken

Yes! This is a great meal planning hack shred your chicken ahead of time and freeze for the week ahead. Pro tip: portion out your chicken rather than putting a whole bunch in one freezer container, that way you can just take out the container or ziplock and add the meat as you need it to your soup, skillet or sauce.

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The Best Way To Shred Chicken

Once the chicken has finished cooking let it cool down a bit. I recommend shredding the chicken once cooled, but not cold. Its much easier to shred warm meat rather than cold. You can shred

• with two forks place cooked chicken on a plate or shallow bowl and use two forks to pull apart pieces of the meat.
• with your hands sometimes its easier to use your hands to pull the pieces apart! Just be sure the chicken is cool enough to touch.
• with a mixer just place the cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer on low to break the chicken into pieces. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. This is a big time saver, especially if youre shredding a large quantity.

How To Make Shredded Chicken In The Instant Pot:

To make this Instant Pot chicken recipe, simply

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Ways To Use Shredded Chicken

There are so many different ways to use shredded chicken in recipes! Here are some of my favorites:

• BBQ Chicken Add BBQ sauce to your shredded chicken and enjoy on a sandwich or salad.
• Chicken Salad I have a delicious greek yogurt chicken salad recipe. Another option: curried chicken salad or almond butter chicken salad.
• Stir Fry Toss shredded chicken into a stir fry for a delicious, protein-rich meal.
• Tacos or Fajitas Tacos just got so much easier with pre-cooked chicken! Add taco seasoning and salsa to your shredded chicken and enjoy in tacos or as a taco salad. I love using it for my chicken enchiladas too!
• Soup Add shredded chicken to pretty much any soup for added protein and flavor. I love adding chicken to veggie and broth based soups like my white bean chicken chili.

Can You Use Frozen Chicken

I cant be the only person that is about to start making dinner and then realizes that I forgot to defrost the meat! Lucky for us, you can cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot!

Make sure your frozen chicken breasts arent stuck together if they are just defrost them for a bit in a bowl with cool water. Arrange the chicken breasts along the bottom of the pot, season with salt and pepper and add 1 cup of liquid, I like to use chicken broth. Pressure cook for 10-12 minutes and then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the rest. Check the temperature of the chicken. If it is not 165ºF, pressure cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Thighs

Posted on

This Instant Pot shredded chicken thighs recipe will help you make quick and easy moist, tender and juicy chicken that you can serve any night of the week!

Perfect for meal prep or bulk cooking, this shredded chicken can be used in so many ways throughout the week, you are going to love this simple gluten free, paleo, Whole30 and keto friendly recipe!

Instant Pot Chicken Variations:

Want to customize this recipe? Feel free to:

• Use different seasonings: In place of the paprika/garlic powder blend, feel free to instead use a few teaspoons of:
• Taco Seasoning

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Instant Pot Bbq Shredded Chicken

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Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken is a dump-and-go Instant Pot recipe that takes under 30 minutes. Juicy barbecue shredded chicken to pile on a bun or even a bed of rice.

This Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken is my boys new favorite. Which makes it my new favorite too!

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How Do I Know How Long To Cook The Chicken Breast

The cook time for chicken breast is determined by the size of the individual breasts, not the total amount of chicken. Here is a general rule to follow: for chicken breasts that are under 2 thickness, cook for 8 minutes. For chicken breasts that are over 2 thickness, cook for 10 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before you eat it. If youre not sure if its cooked through, test with an instant read thermometer.

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Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Is A Meal Prep Staple

Its versatile recipe that you can enjoy in many different and tasty ways. Salads, soups, stews & more!

Having cooked shredded chicken on hand makes weekday and weeknight cooking a breeze. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is delicious, quick to make and can easily be added to soups, stews, salads, stir-fries, casseroles and the list goes on. It truly is one of my weekend meal prep staples and a recipe I include with almost every meal prep. In this post I show you exactly how to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken with an easy to follow, step-by-step photo tutorial. So if youre one of those who are intimidated by your new Instant Pot and its been in the box ever since the day you purchased it , its time to dust it off and give it a try! For those of you thinking about purchasing on Instant, below is the one that I own and its is the perfect size for families up to 4-5 members.

How to Easy Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Full recipe below.

Place chicken breast in the Instant Pot with broth and a generous amount of seasonings of your choice. I like the Primal Palate Spice Blends such as Garlic & Herb or Adobo. For extra juicy shredded chicken, add a mix of boneless breasts and thighs.

Once the time is up, turn the Instant Pot to keep warm/cancel and turn the valve on the lid to venting. After the pressure is released entirely, remove the lid and transfer the chicken from the Instant Pot to a large pan.

Shred the chicken with whatever method you prefer. I use two forks.