This is hands-down the simplest slow cooker shredded chicken ever with just 3-ingredients and no pre-cooking. Perfect for meal prep, use it right away in salads, wraps & casseroles, or freeze it for later. The easiest way to get juicy, fall-apart chicken for all your favorite recipes.
The Only Shredded Chicken Recipe You’ll Ever Need
This is the most basic, simple shredded chicken, like ever. I call it “naked” chicken because it’s cooked so simply with just salt and garlic powder and is the perfect base for literally so many recipes that call for rotisserie chicken or pulled chicken. In fact, if my favorite shredded chicken salad isn’t made with this chicken, I don’t even want it. (Ok, ok, I do still want it, but you know what I mean.)
Now pssst, here’s a little flavor-dupe tip. If you’re using this tender shredded chicken in place of rotisserie chicken, use the full two teaspoons of kosher salt to get that same flavor you would in a store-bought product. You can also cut back on the salt, but don’t go too low, otherwise your chicken will be bland.
I often prep a big batch of shredded chicken breast (or thighs) on a Sunday, so I have extra protein throughout the week to pop into my lunches and dinners. It’s such a lifesaver to be able to turn on the crockpot, go about my day, then shred the chicken with a couple forks for big chunks, or in the stand mixer for a finer shred. Trust me, it makes busy days feel sooo much more manageable, and even if I can’t prep anything else, I try to throw this one recipe together.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Shredded Chicken in the Slow Cooker!
Tips for Easy-Peasy Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
- Low Temp: Cook your chicken low + slow, and keep an eye on your slow cooker temperature because it can overcook quickly.
- No Added Liquid: Unlike other recipes, no extra liquid is needed here! I got about 1.5 cups of liquid just from the chicken, which I like to drain the liquid into a container, shred the chicken, then add back in to keep that chicken extra-juicy.
- Serving Size: I usually cook 4 lbs of chicken breast at a time which makes about 6 1-cup servings or 12 ½-cup servings of shredded chicken.
- Trim the Fat: Make sure your chicken is well-trimmed – any fat will melt and congeal to the bottom of your slow cooker. It’s not a big deal though, because you can mix it back into your chicken or scrape it off when cleaning.
Naked Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle both sides with salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 3-6 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Alternatively add to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until shredded.
- If desired, carefully strain the cooking liquid from the slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and add back as much of the strained liquid as desired. Alternatively strain the liquid and reserve for another use.
Notes
- Serving Size: I usually cook 4 pounds of chicken breast at a time, which makes about 6 1-cup servings or 12 ½-cup servings of shredded chicken.
- Low Temp: Cook your chicken low & slow, and keep an eye on your slow cooker temperature because it can overcook quickly. Every slow cooker cooks differently, so start checking on the early side the first time you make this recipe.
- No Added Liquid: Unlike other recipes, no extra liquid is needed here! The chicken will release its own liquid, and I got about 1.5 cups of liquid just from the chicken during the cooking process. I like to drain the liquid into a container, shred the chicken, then add back in for extra juicy chicken or reserve it to use like I would chicken stock.
- Trim the Fat: Make sure your chicken is well-trimmed – any fat will melt and congeal to the bottom of your slow cooker. It’s not a big deal though – you can mix any white fat that accumulates in the bottom of the slow cooker back and into your chicken or scrape it out before adding the chicken back in.
Nutrition
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