Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken is one of my favorite kitchen hacks. Shredded chicken is perfect to put into different casseroles or other easy slow cooker recipes. Now before a girlfriend shared this hack I used to use a cutting board and meat claw or a fork. This is so much easier and is the best way to make shredded chicken.

 (I have included affiliate links to products I love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.) In addition, this post contains affiliate links that will make me a small commission when used to order online. 

An Easy Recipe is most busy mom’s jam when it comes to dinner time. Delicious recipes don’t have to be a lot of work thankfully. Some of my family’s favorite recipes are easy dinners. The first time I made shredded chicken this way I was amazed at how easy it is too. (I first shared this in 2014, and it was last updated in 2022)

Kitchen Aid MixersCrockpotsHandheld Mixers

 

I love that on the Weight Watchers plan Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts are zero points. It makes it to that easy chicken recipes work out to be low points and also a family favorite as well. This is perfect to make for weekly meal prep to have on hand throughout the week.

WHAT IS Weight Watchers?

New to Weight Watchers?? Also known as WW, a weight loss program uses points assigned to food to track and lose weight. When you sign up, you take an assessment that will assign you a point value to eat daily and a weekly allowance. You can carry over 4 points from the day into your weekly allowance, which is handy when you need more points.

I have been on Weight Watchers since 2011. They have had Points Plus Value, WW Smartpoints, blue plan, green plan, purple plan, WW Personal Points, and now Weight Watchers Points. The new Weight Watchers Simplified plan launched in November 2022 is similar to WW Smartpoints, with some color plans.

No matter the WW plan, they work to help you learn healthy eating habits. I have hit lifetime a couple of times but stopped working the plan and tracking, so the weight does creep back on. Head on over ->here to get a month for free.

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of Chicken Broth– I used Better than Boullion chicken to make my broth. You can use canned broth or even boxed broth. Using fat-free broth to make the chicken healthier. You can add extra cup water if it seems to not be enough liquid in the crock pot. Chicken stock can also be used.
• Water
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast– Chicken breasts work great in this, large chicken breasts produce the largest amount of meat to use in recipes. The meat from the breasts will turn out more like a shredded rotisserie chicken. Now you can use another type of chicken but other cuts may be fatter. Boneless Chicken Thighs are good but the chicken will be greasy and a bit fattier. (If you have a whole chicken see -> How To Cook A Whole Chicken In A Crockpot)
• 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic– This adds a bit of flavor, this can be omitted if you want. You can use fresh garlic or even garlic powder in place of minced garlic. Garlic is a great flavor that goes in almost any recipe.

Crockpot LinersNonstick Sprays

 

How To Make Crock Pot Shredded Chicken:

Spray your Crock-Pot with nonstick spray or use a crockpot liner. Even though this is a liquid recipe the fat will stick to the crock as the chicken cooks so spraying the crock makes clean-up a breeze.

Fill your crock with the broth and add in the minced garlic. If you are choosing to add in other flavors or seasonings you can do so here.

Next, add your boneless chicken breasts into the crock filled with chicken broth. You will want the chicken to be in a single layer.

Turn your slow cooker on to low setting and cover the crockpot with the lid. If you seem to be low on liquid add a cup of chicken broth or more cups of water to the crock, don’t add a lot of liquid to it.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The cook time if you cook on high will be closer to 3-4 hours for the chicken.

To test that the chicken is fully cooked remove and use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165 degrees.

Easiest Way To Shred Chicken

How To Shred Chicken Using A Kitchen Aid Mixer

If you are using a kitchen aid mixer, use tongs to remove the chicken from the broth.

Place the cooked chicken breasts in the bottom of the bowl of the mixer.

Add the paddle attachment or a whisk to your Kitchen Aid mixer, and have it ready to go.

Turn to the low setting, and watch the consistency of the shredded chicken for the consistency you want. The longer it mixes the small the shreds of chicken are.

This should be juicy chicken and tender chicken, you can add more of the broth if you want as the chicken is shredding.

Remove to serve or to store.

How To Shred Chicken With Electric Hand Mixer

If you are using an electric mixer, use tongs to remove the chicken from the broth.

Place the cooked chicken breasts in the bottom of a bowl that you can use a hand mixer in.

Use your beaters on a low speed, you may have to start and stop to move the mixer around in the chicken.

Watch the consistency of the shredded chicken for the consistency you want. The longer it mixes the small the shreds of chicken are.

This should be juicy chicken and tender chicken, you can add more of the broth if you want as the chicken is shredding.

Remove to serve or to store.

How To Store Crockpot Shredded Chicken

In the fridge store cooked shredded chicken in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag for 3 to 4 days. You can also use a food saver to portion out the for storage. I love to meal prep a week’s worth of lunches if I can at a time. This is such an easy meal prep with a basic crockpot recipe that makes flavorful chicken every time.

FoodSaversFood Storage Freezer BagRubbermaid Containers

 

Can You Freeze Shredded Chicken

You can freeze the chicken in airtight containers or food-saver bags for 2-3 months for storage. This may seem like a long time but if sealed right it will last A freezer bag will work as well but I find the quality doesn’t last as long.

Ways To Serve Shredded Chicken

• Chicken Tacos- This is perfect to add to burritos or tacos as part of your meal prop.
• Nachos- Top corn tortillas with sour cream, black beans, and other nacho toppings.
• Shredded chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice or Lime Cilantro Quinoa is perfect for lunches to prep or quick dinners.
• In Casseroles- Stove Top Chicken Casserole is one of my favorite recipes for shredded chicken as well as Stove Top Chicken Noodle Soup.
• Chicken salad- Perfect to mix with some Mayonaise and seasonings to make an easy salad on crackers or bread.

Seasonings For Shredded Chicken

• Black Pepper
• Taco Seasoning- Seriously homemade taco seasoning is the best if you haven’t made this before you need to, this is so easy and tasty.
• Italian Seasoning