Crockpot Shredded Chicken - a super easy Crockpot recipe for all purpose shredded chicken! This chicken is seasoned and slow cooked all day, then ready to use in any of your favorite wraps, tacos, or casseroles. 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! It really does have all purpose flavor, and goes well with anything! Once it's cooked and shredded you can add things like hot sauce, ranch dressing, taco seasoning, salsa....etc. 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.
Easiest way to cook chicken for enchiladas. I actually use a hand mixer to shred the chicken...makes it super quick and easy.
I have one giant chicken breast to cook - should I reduce the liquid?
This recipe is amazingly simple and so effective. It is super easy to make and the flavors the shredded meat most excellently. I have made it three times in the last two months. I live making a simple chicken salad with the meat. It’s a great high protein meal that I can control. I’ve also added it to pasta, potatoes and am making several Chicken Poppyseed casseroles for delivery this week. Not to mention the scrumptious smells emanating from the kitchen. Yum!
Thanks for sharing! It is now my go to!
This is my go to recipe for shredded chicken. I typically buy about 5lb of chicken breast for this recipe to make meals for the whole week. I add in an extra 1/4 cup of broth and additional 1/2 tsp of each seasoning. I also throw in 1 1/2 tsp of cayenne and paprika for a bit more flavor and heat. I’ve only ever cooked it on high, as I usually get it started too late in the day for it to be done on low by dinner. I usually set it to 4 1/2 hours on high then take it out to shred and check to make sure it’s done before returning it to the crockpot to cook shredded and soak up the juices for an additional 30 minutes. A really great and versatile recipe, my favorites to make with this are chicken tacos, bbq sandwiches, and bbq Mac and cheese. I will continue using this recipe forever!
Also a note - I’ve tried doing this recipe with chicken thighs (with skin) because my grocery store was out of breasts. You are better off going to another store to get chicken breasts, it’s a lot of extra work and you end up throwing out a lot of fat, it’s less time and money to just find the chicken breasts!
Can you put frozen chicken in crock pot or does it need to be thawed?
Yes. I do frozen chicken often
This is a great basic chicken recipe that can be parlayed into so many different things! Plus it is super easy and tastes great!!
What’s the best way to the thaw the chicken if you store some in freezer?
I vacuum seal chicken when I freeze it and then defrost in a pot of hot/boiling water. This reheats the chicken without drying it out.
I use this recipe all the time, it’s wonderful! I love keeping shredded chicken ready to go in the freezer for soups and other recipes.
My question is: is there anything I can do with the leftover liquid that remains once I remove the chicken? It seems like a waste to just dump it! Can it be used in place of chicken stock or broth? Thanks!
Definitely! You can use it day of for a soup or freeze for later. I usually add some onion, carrots, and celery to the pot for extra flavor. When done take out the chunks and use the liquid.
I’m amazed how easy this was & how it turned out perfectly. I have never been able to make juicy chicken breast, so I’ve always bought rotisserie chicken. Now I can make it on my own all the time. Thank you so much!
If I make double the recipe, what would the cooking time be?
Same - about 8 hours on low. Just to be sure, I recommend to check the chicken with a meat thermometer either way
When using the chicken from the freezer how do you thaw it? And do you sauce or season it before you freeze it?
I had the same question!?
Can this recipe be made in Instant Pot pressure cooker?
I used half the amount of chicken and made tgr mistake of cooking it for 6 hrs on low. The broth evaporated some and the tops of the chicken dried out. Should i cook it for 3 hrs next time? It seemed over cooked
I'm not the owner of recipes but my chicken is usually done in 3 hours.
Absolutely delicious! My go to for easy lunches and dinners. I make a batch on Sunday and then use it throughout the week. Best of all the kids love it!
Delicious and so easy!!! Thank you for the versatile recipe!
Does the cooking time stay the same if I’m doubling the recipe & amount of chicken?
This is one of the only crockpot chicken recipes I’ve tried where the chicken actually had flavor and tasted good! Thanks for the recipe idea!
If I am only making half of this recipe, do I also need to cut my crockpot cook time in half?
Yes, it won't take near as long 🙂
So easy to make, I use this all the time anytime I need shredded chicken.
This recipe was the Bomb! So easy, so versatile and fantastic as is! Great recipe for a busy family or couple. We had leftovers for amazing chicken salad as well. Thanks for such a perfectly simple yet delicious recipe!
Oops! Forgot all the STARS!