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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Courses / Chicken / Shredded Chicken Recipes

Shredded Chicken Recipes

03/08/21 | Chicken, Tips & Tricks

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15+ shredded chicken recipes to make with pre-cooked shredded chicken. Plus the very best method for cooking shredded chicken.

You all know that I’m a big fan of prepping ingredients in advance to save time and effort later. And one of the absolute best things you can make ahead of time is shredded chicken.

Having cooked shredded chicken in your fridge or freezer will shave 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time off a huge number of chicken dishes so you can have dinner on the table in around 20 minutes.

Whether you have extra rotisserie chicken that you need to pull off the bones before you make stock (or chicken carcass soup!) or a few chicken breasts you want to get out of your fridge, turning them into cooked shredded chicken will save you a whole lot of time down the road.

Shredded chicken for recipes in a white bowl.

What’s the easiest way to cook shredded chicken?

If you’re starting with raw chicken breasts, the easiest (and best) way to cooked shredded chicken is a cross between pan-frying and something similar to poaching.

I wrote a whole post on How to Cook Shredded Chicken a while back, but you really don’t need a recipe to make it. Once you learn the method, you’ll never need the recipe again.

  1. Season boneless skinless chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and if you’d like, spices. Taco seasoning and Italian seasoning blends work great depending on what you’re making with the chicken.
  2. In a hot pan with a lid, drizzle a little oil or a spray of cooking spray and sear the chicken breasts on both sides until golden.
  3. Then add enough water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the chicken breasts.
  4. Bring the water to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken breasts reach 165°F using an instant-read thermometer. If the water evaporates completely, add a little more, but otherwise the chicken cooks without you having to touch it.

How to shred cooked chicken?

The simplest way to shred cooked chicken is with two forks. Just use one fork to anchor the meat and the other to shred it by pulling off small pieces of meat.

If you need to shred large quantities of chicken, the fastest way is (weirdly enough) to use a stand mixer with the beater attachment. If you want to see how that works, go check out my shredded chicken post where I cover it in way more detail.

How do I make shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken?

To get shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken, use the two-forks method. Simply pull large chunks of meat off the bones and then use two forks to shred.

Since rotisserie chicken is so tender, you can also just pull it apart with your hands if you prefer.

Shredded Chicken Recipes

Below are some of my favorite recipes where you can use shredded chicken. Most call for two cups of chicken, but there are a couple single-serve recipes in there that require less. 

Close photo of chicken enchiladas with sour cream on a plate.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

10 to 25-Minute Chicken Recipes

World’s Easiest Chicken Taco Soup
Total Recipe Time: 10 minutes minutes
A healthy and delicious chicken soup for quick weeknight dinners. So good, you’d never guess it takes fewer than 10 minutes to make.
Click for the Recipe
Chicken Noodle Soup for One
Total Recipe Time: 20 minutes minutes
One pot and twenty minutes is all you need to make this quick and easy chicken noodle soup for one!
Click for the Recipe
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup for One
Spicy Chicken Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Total Recipe Time: 20 minutes minutes
A grown up grilled cheese sandwich loaded with bacon, avocado, chicken, and pepper jack cheese.
Click for the Recipe
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Total Recipe Time: 22 minutes minutes
This BBQ Chicken Pizza is made with cubed or shredded chicken tossed with sweet and smoky barbecue sauce, sliced red onions, and a combo of mozzarella, smoked gouda, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Click for the Recipe
BBQ Chicken Pizza slice being picked up.
Chicken and Broccoli Orzo
Total Recipe Time: 25 minutes minutes
This Chicken and Broccoli Orzo is a super quick 20-minute dinner recipe that's creamy, a little bit cheesy, and totally satisfying.
Click for the Recipe
Chicken and orzo with broccoli in a skillet.

30-Minute or More Chicken Recipes

Naan Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Total Recipe Time: 30 minutes minutes
This Naan Chicken Alfredo Pizza is super easy, so good, and just a bit classier than your usual delivery pizza.
Click for the Recipe
This Naan Chicken Alfredo Pizza is super easy, so good, and just a bit classier than your usual delivery pizza. | Homemade Pizza | Recipe for Two | Dinner for Two |
Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup
Total Recipe Time: 40 minutes minutes
This dreamy chicken tortellini soup with tender chunks of chicken, cheesy tortellini and rich and creamy broth is quick, easy, and perfect for chilly weeknight meals.
Click for the Recipe
Creamy chicken tortellini soup in a white bowl.
Chicken Parm Soup
Total Recipe Time: 45 minutes minutes
This easy Chicken Parm Soup is basically deconstructed chicken parmesan in a bowl. Big chunks of chicken in a rich tomato soup with the pasta of your choice and p-l-e-n-t-y of gooey mozzarella and parmesan.
Click for the Recipe
Chicken Parm Soup
Freezer Burritos
Total Recipe Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
You’ll be so glad to have these freezer burritos in your freezer. They make the perfect easy lunch or dinner when you need something hearty and filling but fast.
Click for the Recipe
Close up photo of freezer burritos stacked on a plate.
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Total Recipe Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
These easy chicken enchiladas are stuffed with creamy chicken filling and topped with melty cheese and a tangy homemade enchilada sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon.
Click for the Recipe
Close photo of chicken enchiladas with sour cream on a plate.
Chicken Carcass Soup
Total Recipe Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
This easy chicken carcass soup is a great way to use up leftovers from a roasted or rotisserie chicken. It's from-scratch chicken noodle soup that is rich, warming, and completely delicious.
Click for the Recipe
Chicken Carcass Soup
Keto Chicken Soup
Total Recipe Time: 15 minutes minutes
This creamy Keto Chicken Soup, AKA Low-carb Chicken and "Rice" Soup is pure comfort food and so fast and easy to throw together. If you have shredded chicken on hand, this soup will take you less than 15 minutes to make.
Click for the Recipe
Square photo of Keto Chicken Soup in blue bowl.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Total Recipe Time: 30 minutes minutes
This chicken bacon ranch pizza is a fun twist on traditional pizza night. Top your favorite pizza crust with ranch, chunks of juicy chicken, bacon, and lots of melty mozzarella for a quick and easy dinner that everyone will love.
Click for the Recipe
Slice of chicken bacon ranch pizza being picked up.

More Recipes to Make With Shredded Chicken

The following recipes do not specifically call for cooked shredded chicken but you can substitute shredded chicken or add it to the final recipe.

Buttered Noodles for One
Total Recipe Time: 12 minutes minutes
Buttered noodles are the ultimate fast and easy comfort food. All you need are 15 minutes, and you can have a big bowl of buttery, lightly cheesy pasta ready to go.
Click for the Recipe
Overhead photo of buttered noodles in a white bowl.
Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Total Recipe Time: 1 hour hour
Creamy Chicken Noodle soup from scratch (no condensed soup needed). Easy, warming, and delicious.
Click for the Recipe
Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Quick and Easy Fettuccine Alfredo for One
Total Recipe Time: 20 minutes minutes
This Quick and Easy Fettuccine Alfredo for One can be made in less than twenty minutes and makes a fabulously cheesy lunch or dinner.
Click for the Recipe
Fettuccine alfredo for one on a plate with broccoli and garlic bread.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

Comments | 2 comments

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Comments

  1. Lizzie says

    March 14, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    Great bunch of recipes, thanks. I love your chicken cooking method too — I’ve been doing something similar for a million years — way more flavor than just poaching it. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      April 1, 2021 at 5:51 am

      Thanks, Lizzie!!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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