Simple Instant Pot™ Shredded Chicken
We’re in the same boat if you’re in love with your Instant Pot™. This handy little kitchen appliance has been around since 2010, but it has gotten really popular over the last few years. And for good reason—if you have one of these, you don’t need a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, or a rice cooker anymore.
I love how much time the InstantPot saves when making recipes like my autumn favorite, Chicken Tortilla Soup. I also love using mine to keep my many Hot Chocolate Recipes warm for company. It also happens to be fantastic for cooking Shredded Chicken, which is a main ingredient in my Homemade Chicken Mole Enchilada recipe.
Pro tip: use a fork for shredding hot chicken!
After your chicken is cooked, when you’re ready to shred it, don’t be too meticulous. I have found that the easiest (and fastest) way to shred cooked chicken is to use two forks. Just hold a fork in each hand, stick them into the chicken, and pull in opposite directions. Just make sure the chicken is still hot when you do this step. Easy as… Oh, shredded chicken! Let’s get started.
More ways to use Shredded Chicken…
I love making shredded chicken in my InstantPot for two main reasons. One: It is sooooo easy. Two: It's extremely versatile! I use it in a ton of recipes, from homemade enchiladas to chicken soup. You can sub it in to other chicken recipes wherever you think the texture or smaller bites work nicely. Whether you're making a classic chicken salad or something totally new. Here are a few of the best recipes to use my InstantPot Shredded Chicken in:;;;;
Simple Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- A generous pinch of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Combine the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Place the chicken breasts on a baking pan lined with paper towel. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken breasts.
- Set your InstantPot to sauté. Working in batches, brown the chicken breasts on each side for 2 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, discard the used paper towels and re-line the pan with clean ones.
- After browning the chicken breasts, transfer them back to the freshly lined baking pan.
- Place a heatproof trivet inside the InstantPot. Arrange the chicken on top of the trivet.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pot directly over the chicken.
- Seal the InstantPot and set it to high pressure for 12 minutes. When it’s done, open the pressure valve and wait for the pressure to release. Let the chicken rest in the pot for 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. When it’s cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the meat.