Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast recipe is a quick and easy recipe for shredded chicken. With just a few simple ingredients and your trusty Instant Pot, you can have tender and juicy shredded chicken in no time. This recipe is perfect for meal prepping, adding to salads, or using in your favorite recipes. Plus, it’s customizable – add your favorite seasonings or sauces to make it your own. Let’s get cooking!

I adore this Instant Pot shredded chicken breast recipe! We use shredded chicken in so many different recipes, and with this simple recipe, I can make chicken to add to soups, taco, sandwiches, and so much more. Or, I turn the chicken breast into portioned freezer meals for using all month long! This is the easiest way to make shredded chicken, I promise!

One of my favorite ways to use this shredded chicken recipe is in Mexican food! It’s delicious in a burrito or taco, and goes perfectly with this Chipotle Copycat Rice. You can also make Instant Pot White Jasmine Rice to serve alongside shredded chicken and green beans.

What Can I Do With Shredded Chicken?

Shredded Chicken is great to have on hand and I really like to keep some stored in my freezer for quick meals on busy nights or lunches. Here are some of the ways I use shredded chicken:

• To top salads
• As a pizza or flatbread topping
• For tacos and burritos (always a favorite)
• In homemade soups or stews
• In pasta like chicken alfredo
• For chicken salad

You really can’t go wrong!

What Meals Can I Make with Instant Pot Shredded Chicken?

I think the meal ideas for shredded chicken seem endless! Here are a few ideas that work really well with Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.

• BBQ chicken sandwiches
• Chicken enchiladas
• Buffalo chicken dip
• Chicken alfredo
• Chicken salad wraps
• Chicken fajitas
• Chicken caesar salad
• Chili
• Chicken sliders
• Chicken quesadillas

How Do I Know My Boneless Chicken Breast Is Done?

Your chicken is always done when the internal temperature has reached 165°F. But if you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can slice into the thickest part of your chicken breast and visually determine doneness. If your meat is thoroughly cooked, it should appear white throughout and not at all fleshy or pink. The juices should be clear and not at all pink or white, and the flesh should look slightly flakey.

Ingredients

You’ll Need:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup water

How to Make

STEP ONE: Prep the chicken. Add the trivet and water to the instant pot. Add the chicken on top of the trivet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the instant pot and turn the vent to sealing.

STEP TWO: Cook. Cook on high pressure for 11 minutes. When the time is up do a quick release by turning the valve to venting. Remove the chicken and shred. Use as desired.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Shredded chicken is so delicious! But if you don’t cook it well, it can end up dry and not very flavorful. Here are some suggestions to make sure your chicken comes out moist and yummy!

• Measure your liquids carefully. If you don’t want dry chicken, you need to make sure there’s enough liquid in your Instant Pot. But if you add too much liquid, your chicken won’t have any flavor. So measure carefully!
• Use a meat thermometer if you have one. You can cut into your chicken to check for doneness, but using a meat thermometer will help your chicken stay juicier.
• Allow the natural release and don’t rush it.
• Don’t over-shred the chicken. Some larger pieces are fine and help to preserve the moisture.
• Use the chicken right away. Whatever you’re not going to use, store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag as quickly as possible.

How to Perfectly Shred Chicken

The easiest way I have ever seen to shred chicken is by using a hand mixer or shredding chicken in a kitchenaid. Save your fingers all the pain of the two-fork method and toss your chicken into a mixing bowl. Use a knife to break the chicken breast up into 2-3 larger pieces, then use your hand mixer to shred the chicken. It’s unbelievably easy to do and your chicken is completely shredded in about 10 seconds.

Recipe Variations

Would you like a bit more flavor in your shredded chicken? You can easily season your chicken right in the Instant Pot. Just sprinkle the seasoning the outside of the meat before cooking. Here are some ideas:

• DIY Mexican seasoning: use 1-2 tsp each (depending on your taste) of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, plus a bit of salt, and pepper.
• DIY Italian seasoning: oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Lemon garlic seasoning: lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• BBQ seasoning: paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Of course, if you have pre-mixed seasoning in your cupboards that you like, you can sprinkle that on the meat before cooking as well.

How to Store Leftovers

Whether you’re meal prepping or you just have leftover chicken, shredded chicken leftovers are like gold! You can do so much with them! Store leftovers in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 4 days in the fridge.

You can also freeze your chicken for up to 4 months. For easy use later, split into 1-cup portions and pull out whatever you’ll need for your meals the day before. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight or for about 6 hours.

FAQs