The Easiest Shredded Chicken Crockpot Hack!
Here’s the thing…making shredded chicken does not have to be tedious and tiring. I’m going to share with you today my ultimate kitchen hack for making slow cooker shredded chicken!
Why should I make slow cooker shredded chicken ahead of time?
I don’t know about you but there are nights when I absolutely do not feel like cooking and neither does my husband. On those nights, it’s really nice to be able to grab a packet of cooked, shredded chicken, and whip up an easy meal. Another great reason to prep your shredded chicken ahead of time is cooking times! You can drastically reduce cooking times in your favorite recipes if you have the chicken cooked ahead of time!
What kinds of recipes can I use shredded chicken in?
Shredded chicken is great for so many delicious recipes. We use it frequently in chicken salad, enchiladas, salsa chicken soup, and on occasion I’ll just mix it up with some seasonings to use in salad jars!
Will my chicken stay moist after being frozen?
Yes! Make sure to check out my tips in the instructions portion of this post for tips on how to keep the chicken from getting dry. None of my frozen chicken has ever come out dry or with a bad taste after being frozen. I’m picky especially about chicken so I wouldn’t want to be making something (even if it saves me time) that ends up tasting bad!
What should I use to freeze my chicken?
The freezer 😉 I kid! We use a vacuum sealer to portion out our chicken and freeze because we do so much of it at one time. If you are just doing one batch and you will use it relatively quickly I’d say just use freezer bags or containers.
If you plan to do a big batch that you’ll pull from over a few months or a year I’d definitely recommend you invest in a vacuum sealing system. There are some really affordable options now.
My son has a Ziploc brand sealer and it works great! We’ve used the FoodSaver brand in the past and they also work well.
What else will I need to for this super easy shredded chicken in the Crockpot?
Making shredded chicken this way uses my two favorite must have kitchen appliances my KitchenAid mixer and my Crockpots!!
Confession: I have three different sized crock pots that I use on a regular basis, but have 6 in more on standby – I’m obsessed. We usually order cases of chicken breasts twice a year and it gets put to good use with our Crockpots, Instant Pots, and KitchenAid Mixer!
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Directions:
- Trim the fat off your chicken breasts (you can use other parts of chicken but breasts are the leanest and easiest to shred)
- Pour a can of chicken broth in your crock pot
- Place in 4 halves of chicken breasts – approx 8 lbs
- Cover with water and allow to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours
- Use a meat thermometer and make sure chicken has reached the proper cooking temperature of 165 degrees
- Remove chicken breasts from your Crock Pot and place in the large bowl of you KitchenAid Mixer.
- Spoon in about a ladle full of the liquid from the crock pot into the mixer with the chicken. (This will help the chicken stay moist when it is frozen.)
- Turn your Kitchen Aid mixer on low and let it shred the chicken for you. Be sure to keep an eye on it, the longer it mixes the finer shredded the chicken will be.
- Portion out the chicken into freezer bags or containers and freeze.
So love it! I tried this yesterday and it was really so perfect! Thanks for posting!
What size can of chicken broth? Anxious to try this.
The regular 12-15 ish ounce cans will work fine!
How long do you wait to shred the chicken? Hot or warm? Thanks so much.
I don’t wait! I just go for it when it’s done cooking and it works great. If you want to wait a bit until it’s slightly cooled you probably could but there’s no reason you’d have to wait!
Game Changer! Thanks For Sharing.
Great tips! Thank you very much, I will be using them next time!