Crockpot Shredded Chicken – a super easy Crockpot recipe for all purpose shredded chicken! Â This chicken is seasoned and slow cooked all day, then ready to use in any of your favorite wraps, tacos, or casseroles. Â Or, you can freeze it to use for later!
Out of all of the recipes on my blog, I have to say this simple, plain Jane looking crockpot full of chicken is one of my absolute favorites.
It’s one of those recipes that is a major lifesaver for me to keep on hand for all of the meal time madness.
This tastes just as good as a rotisserie chicken, but, you can make a BIG batch of it right at home and it lasts for up to two months in the freezer!
My recipe calls for using about 3 pounds of chicken – for me this is four large chicken breasts.
It goes right into the crockpot with some chicken broth and seasonings, and is really “set and forget” recipe because it can cook on low all day and still be amazingly juicy!
So, for the 3 pounds of chicken – I get about 6 cups of shredded chicken total.
Then, I just let it cool after shredding and save about two cups in the refrigerator for the week, and freeze the rest.
I typically save 1-2 cups per zip-lock back, but you can portion it out however you’d like!
You can also easily double this recipe if you want a plethora of shredded chicken on hand.
Another awesome use for this chicken is your weekly meal prep! Â It really does have all purpose flavor, and goes well with anything! Â Once it’s cooked and shredded you can add things like hot sauce, ranch dressing, taco seasoning, salsa….etc. Â and toss it into salads for the week – make life easier and your salad a little less boring!
Some of my fave ways to use this chicken are in my One Pot Buffalo Chicken Tortellini, these Crispy Chicken Wraps, and my BBQ Ranch Chicken Tacos.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Easy CrockPot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Chicken Breasts About 4 Large
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Pour chicken broth and seasonings over chicken.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken from crockpot and shred with two forks.
- Use the chicken right away in your favorite recipes. Or, allow chicken to cool and portion into zip-top bags and freeze for up to two months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I only have a 2 quart basketball Crock-Pot, and I added the ingredients to only 2 chicken breasts that I had to cut into quarters to fit. I also used minced onions, and garlic salt instead (it was all I had). I was hoping to cook shredded chicken for enchiladas that evening, but when it was finished, I tried the broth. It was so good, I added another helping of broth and spices to it and added 2 cups of noodles (I’d add veggies if I had them). This has made really good chicken soup! And I look forward to trying it for pulled chicken. Thank you for the recipe.
I hadn’t thought of using this as a base for chicken soup. Great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I used this to make my classic chicken salad and then I spread it on a whole package of slider buns that I had split the tops off. I added shredded lettuce and toasted breadcrumbs on top for crunch and suddenly I had 12 chicken salad sliders ready for the lunch crowd! I had other add-ins around the platter if anyone wanted more toppings like toasted pecans or such. They were all gone in only a minute or two.Thanks for a great recipe.
Quick and easy. But did seem a bit dry
Trying it right now! We have lost power but got a generator and turning on the croc pot!!!
This looks like a great recipe! I can’t wait to try it out! I have had issues with chicken breasts drying out in the crock pot in the past, though. Should I make sure that the liquid completely covers all of the chicken or do anything else to prevent drying out?
Use frozen instead. It produces more liquid and my chicken has never been dry. Just cook on high and extra hour.
This turned out PERFECT!!! I dumped the cooked breasts into my kitchenaid with the paddle attachment and now I have perfect shredded chicken. A little thing, but I’m so pleased 🙂
Thank you! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂
This was so easy and so delicious!! Thank you!
Side note: My gsd was dancing around wanting some so I added the juices to his kibble. He inhaled his dinner. ?
Can you use frozen bone in chicken?
Can you put it in frozen or does it have to be thawed ?
Yes, you can use frozen chicken.
Did u have to cook for longer with the frozen chicken?
How much longer is you use frozen chicken?
How much longer do we need to cook them?
How much longer do we need to cook them? asking the find out how much longer it takes or should we cook when the chicken is frozen
I cook my giant frozen chicken breasts for 8 hours on low and they are cooked through at the right temperature.
Cook on high and add an extra hour. So 5 hours on high works well and produced moist great chicken for enchiladas.
Delish! My new go to for all sorts of chicken dishes. Easy,simple & versatile!! Great job. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much, Deb! Really makes me happy that you’re enjoying this recipe. It’s one of those that is such a “go to” for me and I was happy to share, even if it is very basic! 🙂
Hey folks, for all of you sitting on the fence, because it looks too easy/simple… do yourself a favor and get off that fence! Seriously this is a keeper. Making this again, as I write this for tomorrow’s chicken -n- biscuits dinner. The possibilities are endless with this one recipe. Creativity is a minds best friend. Go for it!!
Thank you so much for your kind comment and review! You’re right, the possibilities are completely endless with this recipe and I love hearing how you’re using it in your kitchen! 🙂
I just made the pulled chicken as well. Waiting for family to return from work and school. The possibilities are endless.
Just perfect! Made this today while at work. Used two boneless chicken breasts and two skin on, bone in chicken thighs followed the recipe as instructed but used ” Better than Bullion “(Chicken Flavor) for the broth. Wow, house smelled great, easy to shred w/o any dryness (8 hrs on low, then on warm for one hour). Going to use it as filling for Baked Mexican Enchiladas!! Next time I will double the amount of chicken, divide it up & freezes. So easy and delicious! Thanks
I’m with Deb! Tossed a whole package of breasts (almost 4 pounds) in the slow cooker and adjusted the seasonings up accordingly. After 7 hours on low it shredded perfectly, and now I have some of it baking in an enchilada casserole. The rest might go into shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches, or into the freezer if we don’t get to it soon enough. Thanks for an easy, versatile recipe.