Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
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Instant Pot shredded chicken is easy to make and can be used in a variety of different ways. Make delicious shredded chicken whenever you need a quick way to pack in some protein!
If you’ve ever come across a recipe that calls for cooked chicken, then you know how important it is to have a quick and easy way to make it.
While there are plenty of ways to cook chicken, including poaching it, pan searing it, or baking it in the oven, I think Instant Pot shredded chicken tastes the best and is the easiest method for making it!
Instant download of our tips to cook the best chicken!
Why This Recipe is a Favorite
It’s also a super simple way to add protein to soups and other dishes! Seriously, there’s essentially endless uses for a big batch of chicken made in the Instant Pot. When a recipe calls for cooked chicken, you don’t have to grab a rotisserie chicken anymore!
Instead, save some money and make your own pulled chicken instead. This quick recipe makes the best shredded chicken in literally just a few steps. It’s going to be your best friend — especially when you need something easy on busy weeknights.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This is truly the easiest way to cook up a bunch of chicken. Who wouldn’t love this recipe:
- You only need four simple ingredients to make this recipe. You can find everything at your local grocery store — in fact, you may actually have everything in your kitchen already!
- This is a wonderful recipe for meal prep. You can cook up a bunch of chicken and then store it away for later use.
- There are dozens of different ways to use plain shredded chicken. Whatever recipe you’re making, this quick chicken prep will fulfill your needs!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are some important mom-tested cooking tips for making Instant Pot shredded chicken! I’ve made this countless times, to save you from a failed attempt.
- If you have a trivet that came with your Instant Pot, use that with this recipe to ensure the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. This is not a necessary step, but is helpful if you have it!
- Always use the quick pressure release when making chicken in the pressure cooker. If you wait for a natural release, the chicken may turn out tough.
- Make sure that each breast is an even thickness so that everything cooks evenly.
Ingredient Notes
These four ingredients are all that you need to make Instant Pot shredded chicken breast:
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- chicken broth: I use homemade chicken broth, but store-bought is perfectly fine. If you’re watching your salt intake, feel free to use low sodium chicken broth.
- salt and black pepper
For more flavor, feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend or chicken marinade and cook the same way. You can even make salsa chicken by substituting the chicken broth with a cup or two of strawberry salsa (or any other flavor).
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Place the breasts into the inner pot of the IP.
- Season them with salt and pepper, or your preferred seasonings.
- Pour the broth or other liquid around the chicken breasts.
- Cook on high pressure, perform a quick release of pressure, then transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board.
If you'd like to add a sauce or marinade, do that in step #3.
- Shred the chicken and use it right away, or allow it to cool and then refrigerate or freeze it.
How to Shred Cooked Chicken
There are two different methods for shredding or pulling the breast meat. Use whichever method works best for you:
1. Fork Method
Easily shred chicken with two forks. Just pierce the forks into the center of the cooked breast, then pull them away from each other. The chicken will pull into strands pretty easily.
2. Stand Mixer Method
Use a stand mixer or hand mixer. In terms of speed, shredding the meat in a stand mixer is a game changer! It's also great if you want to break down more than a pound of meat at a time.
- Place the chicken into the bowl of a stand mixer, then place the paddle attachment onto the mixer. Use a splatter guard or place a kitchen towel around the bowl to prevent the meat from flying out of the bowl.
- Run the mixer on medium-low speed at first, then increase to medium. Let the mixer run for a minute or so, until all of the chicken is shredded.
Storing and Freezing
Allow chicken to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container or plastic zip top bags. Then store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken FAQs
If you're having difficulty shredding the chicken, you may have under or over cooked it. Chicken gets super rubbery when it is overcooked, making it next to impossible to shred. Be sure you're cooking it for the correct amount of time. I've also found a difference in texture between organic and conventional chicken breast. Organic seems to cook more evenly for us!
Your chicken is done and ready to eat once the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Use an instant read meat thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temp of all chicken.
When you make pulled chicken in an Instant Pot, there is no secret technique. It turns out perfectly every time! However, if you have time, you can let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. This allows more of the juices to stay inside of the chicken..
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
- long tongs
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Season 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and set them inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Pour ½ cup chicken broth over the breasts and lock the lid on the IP. Be sure the pressure valve is closed (set to Sealing).
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. (Note: Depending on the model of IP, it can take up to 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the cooking begins.)
- When the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. When the pressure pin drops, remove the lid from the IP.
- Use tongs to remove chicken from broth.
- To shred the chicken with forks: Transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to pull the chicken the chicken apart.
- To shred the chicken in the stand mixer: Place the cooked chicken into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have a stand mixer, use an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl.) Run the mixer on medium-high speed for about 1 minute and the meat will be perfectly shredded.
Notes
- For more flavor, substitute the broth with any chicken marinade and cook it the same way.
- Rather than performing a quick release of pressure, if you have time, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. This allows the juices to remain in the meat, which prevents it from seizing up.
Nutrition
2025 Update: This recipe is still a family favorite! It has been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and include extra cooking tips for our readers. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Delicious Ways to Use Shredded Chicken
You aren't limited to enjoying the juicy meat as-is. It's a great meal prep idea for making casseroles, soups, salads, and sandwiches or tacos.
I like to use it to make pesto chicken salad and Mexican chicken casserole.
I also use it to make shredded chicken enchiladas too! You can even make a super quick soup when you have cooked chicken. Just toss it in with some vegetable stock, veggies and seasonings and voila — a tasty soup is ready to go. Or make a yummy chicken alfredo soup with tortellini! Warm and cozy chicken pot pie soup is the perfect use for shredded chicken as well.
question–
Would I have to make any adjustment to timing if I want to double the recipe?
Hi DeAnn! No you don’t need to adjust the time. That’s one of the beauties of the instant pot 🙂 I’ve made 2 pounds before without changing the time. Let me know how it goes!