If you need a fast way to meal prep your chicken, this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken will make your day! Simple and quick so that you will have shredded chicken ready for all of your recipes in no time!
Who couldn’t use a bag full of shredded chicken in their freezer, ready to use in any number of meals to help get dinner on the table quick. Most of us love the idea of meal prep but it’s the execution of the task that often keeps us from getting it done. But now that electric pressure cookers are a new favorite kitchen appliance in many homes, we now have a no excuse and no stress way to get our meal prep done. This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is super basic, yet so perfect because it’s quick, simple and stays juicy even though we use chicken breasts.
This works for any size Instant Pot and almost any amount you want to make. I made 2 pounds of chicken breasts but quickly wished I had done 3 or 4 instead as I used it up pretty quickly.
How do I cook chicken in the Instant Pot?
Many people put their chicken on a trivet and I’ve tried that method myself. In my opinion that works best for making chicken that you want to keep whole or chop into chunks.
For shredded chicken I prefer cooking the chicken right in the liquid. And for the best flavor, I use chicken broth or stock as my liquid.
You can add seasonings if you like at this step, but I generally keep it plain and add the seasonings later when using it for recipe.
Once your chicken is cooked properly, it will be fall apart tender. I like to remove the chicken to another bowl to shred and then add a bit of liquid from the pot back to it. Not too much though, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup at most otherwise it will get a bit soggy and could ruin the recipe you were planning to use it for.
What can I make with leftover shredded chicken?
- soups
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- enchiladas
- tacos
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth
Add chicken to pressure cooker
Pour in enough broth to cover
Add lid and seal
Set to high pressure for 12 minutes (It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure)
Once cooking has completed allow for 5 minutes natural pressure release and then perform quick release
Remove chicken from pot and shred in bowl
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup remaining broth back to shredded chicken if desired
Portion into 1 pound bags and label for freezing
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5 minutes on natural release wasn’t long enough for my 2 lbs of chicken.
Enough for what? They are supposed to cook for 12 minutes then the 5 minute natural release before you quick release is just to keep juices from spraying….. Can you give me little more info on what you mean?
I just got my instant pot on Black Friday and already made a beef stew. I’d love to have access to other recipes if you have any! Thank you so much for this tip with the shredded chicken!
Yay! Here is the index for all of my pressure cooker recipes so far… still working on more! https://slowcookergourmet.net/category/recipes/instant-pot/
How long would I cook 3 or 4 pounds of chicken in my instant pot? Or should I just make two batches of 2 pounds at a time. If I make two separate batches can I reuse the broth? And just sdd the difference to make 2 cups. Thank you, Pat
As long as you are using a 6 quart or larger pot you can do them all at once. The same amount of time and just increase the broth to cover!
Unfortunately, I am one of the few people who doesn’t own an Instant Pot. Could you give me or guide me to your slow cooker recipe for shredded chicken? I was hoping this would also include slow cooker method. Thanks!
Hi Kathryn! You can add them to the slow cooker and cover with broth. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8!
Thanks Jennifer! Your instructions are easy to follow. This opens up a wealth of recipes for me.
Thanks for this reply, I’m in the same boat with an old fashion crock pot! I will definitely give this a try for easy meal prep. THANK YOU!