Instant Pot Tender Juicy Shredded Chicken (Great for Meal Prep) | Tested by Amy + Jacky (2024)

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken is a tasty, healthy, and versatile ingredient you can use in many recipes. You can use it to make chicken tacos, chicken sandwiches, enchiladas, chicken salads, quesadillas, bowls, casseroles, chicken soups, and so much more!

The problem is it’s easy to overcook or dry out the chicken.

So we crafted and tested this Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe to make sure this quick and easy method yields tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken. Not dry, rubbery, chewy, or stringy!

Plus, you’ll end up with a flavorful chicken broth you can use to make soups or other dishes.

With our Instant Pot method, you can enjoy this as is with your favorite side dishes.

It’s also very easy and convenient to make a big batch of shredded chicken, then freeze them in individual portions. Which you can later thaw and heat them up to enjoy or use for a variety of dishes.

This pulled chicken Instant Pot recipe is especially great for those with busy lifestyles, like meal prep, or who need simple healthy meals for camping trips.

How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make shredded chicken in Instant Pot:

We crafted and tested this shredded chicken Instant Pot recipe with chicken breasts and chicken thighs.

Unsalted Chicken Stock vs. Water

The shredded chicken will come out a bit more flavorful if you use chicken stock instead of water. But if you don’t have chicken stock or are on a budget, you can substitute it with water.

Unsalted vs. Salted Chicken Stock: We develop recipes with unsalted ingredients because we can better control the flavors of the dish. If you’re substituting with salted chicken stock, keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.

Chicken

You can make this shredded chicken with bone-in or boneless chicken breasts or bone-in or boneless chicken thighs.

One of the advantages of using bone-in chicken is the bones will add a bit of flavor to the broth.

Step 1

Add Herb & Seasoning in Instant Pot

First, add 6 garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp (14g) fine salt, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 2 cups (500ml) unsalted chicken stock to your Instant Pot. Mix well.

Add chicken in Instant Pot. Try to submerge them in the cooking liquid as much as you can.

Step 2

Pressure Cook Chicken

Close the lid. Then, turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure Cooking Methods:

• Bone-in Chicken Thighs: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
• Boneless Chicken Thighs or Bone-in Chicken Breasts: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
• For Boneless Chicken Breasts: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 to 5 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Check the chicken’s temperature with a food thermometer.

Step 3

Shred Chicken

Now, place the chicken thighs or chicken breasts in a large mixing bowl.

Use two forks to shred the chicken meat.

You can discard the chicken bones and chicken skin if you like.

Step 4

Season & Garnish Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Taste and season shredded chicken with salt and black pepper. For reference, we added another 2 pinches of coarse kosher salt.

Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and chopped cilantro if desired.

Step 5

Serve Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

You can serve this tender juicy pulled chicken with rice, pasta, or other side dishes for a simple healthy meal.

Plus, you can use the chicken broth to make comforting soups or other dishes.

If you want to dress it up some more, you can add your favorite sauces, dressings, or ingredients to the shredded chicken.

Ways to Use Shredded Chicken

The possibilities are endless with how you can use this tasty shredded chicken!

You can use this pulled chicken to make a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, or main dishes.

For example, you can make chicken tacos, chicken sandwiches, chicken sliders, or chicken salads. You can also add shredded chicken to enchiladas, wraps, soups, bowls, casseroles, quesadillas, nachos, and more!

If you want to make a cold dish for the hot weather, you can drizzle a bit of sesame oil to give the shredded chicken some awesome aroma. Or try our tasty Chinese Sesame Pulled Chicken.

Enjoy Tender Juicy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken~

Other Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
• Instant Pot Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
• Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
• Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot General Tso Chicken

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