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You are here: Home / Recipes / Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

11/08/24 | Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Healthy, Main Courses, Recipes, Tips & Tricks

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This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe is the easiest way to make incredibly moist and delicious shredded chicken.

One of the best things about shredded chicken is how versatile it is. Toss it in soups, wraps, quesadillas. Stuff it into enchiladas or add it to pasta or salads. It’s a perfect shortcut ingredient to keep in your freezer for times when you need to whip up a meal quick.

I’ve written here before about making shredded chicken on the stove top, but today we’re going to get even more hands-off by using a slow cooker.

Shredded chicken in a slow cooker

This is the best way to make flavorful and moist shredded chicken with minimal effort. Just pop the chicken in your slow cooker, add a couple of ingredients, and let the slow cooker do its magic. All you have to do once it’s done is shred your chicken and then add it to your favorite shredded chicken recipe.


Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for slow cooker shredded chicken

  • Chicken breasts: This recipe calls for 2-3 pounds of chicken breast, but you can cook less or more as needed. Just keep in mind that less chicken will require a shorter cooking time and more chicken will take longer.
  • Chicken broth/water: Both chicken broth and water work here. Using chicken broth just adds a little extra flavor.
  • Italian seasoning: This recipe just is lightly seasoned, so it can be used almost universally across dishes. Italian seasoning will give the chicken a great base flavor, but if you don’t have any on hand (and don’t want to make your own Italian seasoning), you can replace it with ½ teaspoon basil and ½ oregano.

How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Slow Cooker

1. Assemble your ingredients: Place your chicken in the slow cooker, add water or broth, and sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the top.

Collage of shredded chicken being made in a slow cooker

2. Cook: Cook your chicken until it has an internal temperature of at least 165°F, (which is about 2-3 hours on high or 3 to 6 hours on low).

Collage of shredded chicken made in a slow cooker being shredded

3. Shred your chicken: Once cooked all the way through, remove your chicken from the pot, and shred using your favorite method.

4. Then, enjoy!

Variations

Don’t have boneless skinless chicken breasts? This recipe will work for any cut of chicken, just adjust the times slightly.

  • Bone-in Chicken Breasts: Cook to 165°F, 2.5 to 3.5 hours on high and 3.5 to 6.5 hours on low
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Cook to 175°F, 2-3 hours on high, 3-6 hours on low
  • Bone-in Chicken Thighs: Cook to 175°F, 2.5 to 3.5 hours on high and 3.5 to 6.5 hours on low
  • Whole Chicken: Cook until chicken breasts are at 165°F and thighs reach 175°F, 3 to 4 hours on high and 4 to 7 hours on low

How to Shred Chicken Quickly

Once your chicken is cooked, there are a ton of ways to shred chicken, but these are my favorites:

Two Forks

For this method you will need two forks. Hold one in each hand and then use one fork to anchor the chicken in place while your other fork works tearing away pieces of meat shredding them into smaller pieces.

Handheld Electric Mixer

If you have a handheld mixer, using it to shred chicken is incredibly fast and efficient. Just place your cooked chicken into a bowl, turn your mixer on to medium-low, and place the beaters against the chicken breasts. As you press the beaters into the chicken, the meat will begin to break up.

Continue until your chicken is mostly shredded and the beaters no longer appear to be breaking up the chicken further. Then, use your hands to tear apart any final pieces of chicken that are too large.

Stand Mixer

This last method will shred the largest amount of chicken in the shortest amount of time. Place your chicken in the bowl of your stand mixer and attach the paddle attachment. Set your mixer to low, and slowly increase the speed to medium.

Keep the speed at medium until your chicken is mostly shredded. Be sure not to overly process – there will be a few pieces of chicken that you will have to tear apart by hand.

FAQ

Do I need to cover the chicken in a slow cooker with liquid?

It is typically recommended to use some liquid when cooking in a slow cooker, but you do not need to completely cover the meat in liquid. The ¾ cup called for in this recipe is plenty.

Close up of slow cooker shredded chicken.
Is it better to cook chicken in the crockpot on low or high?

If you have the time for it, use the low setting. Cooking on low allows the meat to cook through more evenly, making it less likely that parts of the chicken will become overcooked.

Why is my Crockpot Chicken tough?

Even in a slow cooker, chicken breasts can still be overcooked. When that happens, the meat will begin to dry out and become less tender. To avoid this, keep an eye on the temperature of your meat and shut off your slow cooker when the chicken reaches 165-175°F.

A slow cooker with a thermometer probe like the one I used in this recipe makes this very simple and easy.

Can I Cook Frozen Chicken in the Slow Cooker?

While many people will just add an extra 30 minutes to 1 hour to their cooking time and toss their chicken in frozen, the current USDA guidelines recommend using only thawed meat in your slow cooker because while thawing, the food will spend too long in the “danger zone.”

What to do with the remaining liquid in the slow cooker?

If you’re going to be storing the chicken, I like to return the shredded chicken to the cooking liquid and store it in the juices as they help keep the chicken from drying out when reheated. If you’re making rice, soup, or gravy, you can substitute the liquid for any of the water/broth in those recipes. Otherwise, you can simply discard it.

Slow cooker shredded chicken being stored in glass containers.
Storage

  • Refrigerator: Store the shredded chicken tightly covered in the cooking juices for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: Store the chicken in its juices in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Use within 3 months for best results.

Recipes to Use Shredded Chicken

  • Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Chicken and Broccoli Orzo
  • Chicken Taco Soup
  • Freezer Burritos
a slow cooker of shredded chicken

Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe is the easiest way to make incredibly moist and delicious shredded chicken.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 6 servings
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Tracy

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning*
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2-3 pounds
  • ¾ cup chicken broth or water

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.
  • Place chicken breasts in an even layer over the bottom of your slower cooker.*
  • Pour chicken broth or water over the top of the chicken breasts and then sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the top.
  • Place the lid on your slow cooker, and cook until the chicken reaches at least 165°F, about 2-3 hours on high or 3 to 6 hours on low.
  • Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow it to sit until cool enough to handle. Use two forks to shred the chicken and then return it to the cooking juices (See post for alternative shredding techniques).

Notes

*For the quickest and most even cooking, spread chicken out in a single layer.
*If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, replace it with ½ teaspoon basil and ½ teaspoon oregano.
Storage
  • Refrigerator: Store the shredded chicken tightly covered in the cooking juices for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: Store the chicken in its juices in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Use within 3 months for best results.
Variations  
  • Bone-in Chicken Breasts: Cook to 165°F, 2.5 to 3.5 hours on high and 3.5 to 6.5 hours on low
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Cook to 175°F, 2-3 hours on high, 3-6 hours on low
  • Bone-in Chicken Thighs: Cook to 175°F, 2.5 to 3.5 hours on high and 3.5 to 6.5 hours on low
  • Whole Chicken: Cook until chicken breasts are at 165°F and thighs reach 175°F, 3 to 4 hours on high and 4 to 7 hours on low
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

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Comments | 1 comment

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Comments

  1. Kambham Bharathi says

    February 25, 2025 at 11:24 pm

    5 stars
    Tracy, your focus on creating delicious recipes scaled for one or two is truly a game-changer for those of us cooking in smaller households. An excellent illustration of this is the most recent Easy Baked Ravioli recipe, which is not only easy to make but also extremely filling. I also appreciate the ‘Nerdy Recipes’ section; it’s such a fun way to combine pop culture with cooking. I appreciate you sharing these inventive and simple recipes

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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Welcome!


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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