Crockpot Shredded Chicken

A very easy recipe for Crockpot shredded chicken that turns out juicy, moist, and delicious. Whether you’re making a chicken salad, a chicken pot pie, or a chicken pasta dish, this all-purpose shredded chicken will save you so much time and effort.

Cooked shredded chicken is an ingredient listed in many recipes, so every Sunday I get my slow cooker out and I use it to cook some chicken breasts (or thighs) to make shredded chicken that will last me for a week.

It’s always SO convenient to open the fridge, and grab a container of ready shredded chicken to add to a salad, soup, sandwich, tacos, or pies.

Whilst you can definitely buy shredded chicken at a grocery store, cooking it at home will not only save you money, but it’s also healthier. Store-bought rotisserie shredded chicken is usually high in sodium and fat.

So if you’re wondering how to perfectly cook shredded chicken in the slow cooker, at what temperature, time, how to easily shred it, and how to store, I’ve created this step-by-step tutorial that has all of the answers for you!

I make a slow cooker Mississippi Chicken and Crockpot Chicken and Noodles that you’ll love too!

You Only Need 2 Ingredients

The only ingredients that you need to cook shredded chicken in your slow cooker are Chicken breasts or thighs, and seasoning. I also like to add olive oil for some flavor but this is totally optional!

How to Make Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

This is quite easy, and I split the steps into 5 steps that you can follow to make moist and juicy shredded chicken every single time!

Step One: Add the Chicken to the Slow Cooker.

I always rinse the chicken first, and then I add it to the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, you might be able to fit 3-5 chicken breasts at once but make sure not to overcrowd it so that the chicken cooks evenly.

So make sure to arrange the chicken in a single layer.

Step Two: Season the Chicken.

I like to add a drizzle of olive oil to my chicken for an extra flavor, it also helps keep the chicken juicy and moist. But the oil is totally optional.

It’s important to season the chicken before cooking as this is your chance to get more flavorful chicken. I recommend seasoning the chicken with just salt and ground black pepper if you plan to use it for different things. But you can also season it with different seasonings such as homemade fajita seasoning, taco seasoning, Italian seasoning.

You could also season it with this homemade stone house seasoning, I ALWAYS have a large jar of this seasoning in my kitchen and use it on everything!

Step Three: Cover With the Lid and Cook!

• Boneless chicken breasts: Cook on low for 2 hours, or on high for 1 hour.
• Bone-in chicken breasts: Cook on low for 3 hours, or on high for 1.5 hours.
• Boneless chicken thighs: Cook on low for 3 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
• Bone-in chicken thighs: Cook on low for 3 hours, or on high for 5 hours.

Keep in mind that the times above is just a guideline that you can follow, but the time always depends on the size of the chicken pieces used. So ALWAYS check for the doneness of the chicken (more on this below), and start checking early so the chicken does not turn out tough and dry.

Step Four: Check the Doneness of Your Chicken.

The best way to check the doneness of the chicken is by inserting a kitchen thermometer in the center of the chicken, and the internal temperature of the chicken should read 165F or 75C.

If you don’t own a kitchen thermometer, I highly recommend that you invest in one to use for chicken, meat, bakes, and candy making. The one that I’ve been using for the past 6 years is this one, it gives you accurate instant readings within 3 seconds. And I really love it!

Step Five: Shred The Chicken!

Now it’s time to shred the chicken! I always shred the chicken while it’s still warm as I find it much easier to shred. There are 3 ways in which you can easily and quickly shred the chicken:

• Use your hand mixer: This is definitely the easiest and quickest way to shred the chicken. You can either remove the chicken and shred it using a mixer in a bowl, or leave the chicken in the slow cooker and shred it in there. Make sure that you shred the chicken on the LOW setting. The hand mixer that I use is this one, it comes with 9 speeds and I love it so much!
• Use 2 forks: You can also shred the chicken using 2 forks, which is quite easy but not as quick or efficient as shredding using the hand mixer!
• Use your hands: You can shred the chicken using your hands, but make sure that it has cooled down a little before you can handle it.
• Remember that this slow cooker cooked chicken is also perfect for dicing and slicing.

How to Store Crockpot Shredded Chicken

When you first shred the chicken, it will still be warm so you have to leave it for a bit to cool down before you can store it to use later.

• Fridge: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To use, let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight before serving.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken?

I do NOT recommend that you use your slow cooker to cook frozen chicken. The reason behind this is that frozen chicken will take a while to defrost, and this means that it might stay at room temperature for too long and that time can be enough for harmful bacteria to develop.

However, you can completely thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and that is a safe way to cook chicken in the slow cooker.

How to Use Shredded Chicken

Pre-cooked shredded chicken is perfect for meal prep! Below are a few great ideas on how you can use shredded chicken:

• Salads: Upgrade your salad and make it more exciting by adding tasty shredded chicken. See my recipe for Caesar pasta salad with chicken.
• Pasta: Add shredded chicken to pasta as I did in my rasta pasta.
• Make a homemade Chicken Pot Pie from scratch!
• Sandwiches.
• Tex Mex recipes: Add shredded chicken to fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, etc.
• Soups: Add shredded chicken to any soup for more flavor and protein.
• Pizza: Use the chicken as a topping!

Want to make shredded chicken over the stovetop? Learn how to boil chicken breasts here!