Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – easy way to cook fresh or frozen chicken breast into a juicy, flavorful shredded meat and use in many dishes, like tacos, BBQ chicken, Buffalo chicken, sandwiches or soups.

You can cook delicious chicken in your pressure cooker, like my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs or Instant Pot Whole Chicken.

If you love to meal prep or need an easy way to cook shredded chicken, I got just the recipe for you! This fail-proof method makes juicy and flavorful chicken that you can use for meal prep. This chicken is perfect for salads, sandwiches, wraps or main dishes like BBQ chicken, enchiladas, tacos, casseroles and soups. Simply cook seasoned chicken in stock, then shred. Instant Pot makes meal prep so easy!

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• salt and black pepper
• Italian seasoning
• dried oregano
• chicken stock (low-sodium recommended)

How to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot?

• Start by measuring out 2 to 3 lbs of chicken breast.
• Season generously with salt (I used sea salt), black pepper, dried oregano and Italian seasoning. If you know you will be using this chicken for Mexican dishes only, use taco seasoning; if you need it for Greek dishes, use Greek seasoning, etc.
• Add chicken stock to Instant Pot insert, place chicken breast inside.
• Close the lid and cook chicken on HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Drain chicken from liquid (you can discard it or use it for soups) and shred chicken.

Can I use frozen chicken?

Yes, if you have frozen chicken on hand, you can still make this shredded chicken in your Instant Pot. That’s one of the brilliant things about this cooking device! For frozen chicken, set the timer to 16 minutes. It will also take longer to come to pressure.

Best tips:

• use chicken stock: you want the chicken to cook in the liquid for the juiciest and most flavorful meat.
• chicken breast vs. chicken thighs: you can use either or a mix of both. Chicken thighs have dark meat which and are more flavorful.
• seasoning: use more seasoning than usually to ensure flavorful chicken. If you know you will use the chicken for Mexican, Greek, Asian, etc dishes, use specific seasoning blends.

Shredding

The fastest and easiest method is to simply use two forks. There are tools out there for shredding meat (they look like claws) but placing the chicken on a plate or large bowl and using forks is my go-to method. You can also use a hand mixer and shred it right in the Instant Pot insert.

How to use it?

You can easily shred this chicken with two forks or use a hand mixer. It shreds better while it’s still warm. You can also let the chicken cool completely and then slice it. It’s perfect for sandwiches! Here are recipes you can make with shredded chicken:

• Easy Chicken Enchiladas
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
• Guacamole Chicken Salad
• Chicken Cobb Salad

More Instant Pot chicken recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
• Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Breast
• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
• More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.

New to Instant Pot? Make sure to check out our Instant Pot Guide for Beginners and browse our Instant Pot Category for more recipes.

5 from 5 votes

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

natural pressure release

10 mins

Total Time

27 mins

 

Fail-proof and easy way to cook fresh or frozen chicken breast into a juicy, flavorful shredded meat and use in many dishes, like tacos, BBQ chicken, Buffalo chicken, sandwiches or soups.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant Pot shredded chicken, pressure cooker chicken pasta

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 224 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup chicken stock low-sodium recommended

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
2. Place chicken breasts on a plate and season generously with salt, pepper, oregano and Italian seasoning.
3. Pour chicken stock into IP insert. Add chicken into the liquid.
4. Close the lid and set valve to sealing position (newer models do it on their own).
5. Press "manual" or "pressure cook" setting and set timer to 12 minutes. Make sure the Instant Pot is set to cook at HIGH pressure.
6. The IP will beep after a few seconds and it will start coming to pressure. It can take 8 to 10 minutes.
7. When the timer is done, press the "cancel/off" button. Do not switch the valve. Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally.
8. When the pressure pin is down, carefully open to lid away from your face. Remove chicken onto a plate. Discard liquid or keep for soups.
9. Shredd chicken with two forks or hand mixer.

Recipe Notes

Divide into 2-cup portions and place in freezer-safe bags or containers to use later. Store in fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 224 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 122mg41%

Sodium 635mg28%

Potassium 720mg21%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 41g82%

Vitamin A 55IU1%

Vitamin C 2.2mg3%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.