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Instant Pot shredded chicken breast is tender, juicy, flavorful, and can be made in under 30 minutes! This is the best and easiest way to make shredded chicken.
Featured with this recipe
- Why Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot?
- Ingredients for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
- How to Make the Best Shredded Chicken Breast
- Seasoning the Chicken Breast
- Tips for Making Shredded Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot
- Shredding Tip
- Questions
- Storing Shredded Chicken Breast
- Recipes Using Shredded Chicken
- How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast Recipe
Shredded chicken breast is always a great recipe to have on hand! There are so many recipes that can benefit from making chicken breast and even better when it is as simple to do in an Instant Pot. Using an instant pot helps reduce the time and creates a tender and juicy chicken breast every time!
Instant pot shredded chicken recipe is quick and easy to make with all the flavor! Add seasonings and broth to keep the chicken breast tender and juicy. Making shredded chicken breast can give you more options for dinner, meal prep, and freezer dinners to look forward to. Let the instant pot do all the work and get ready to make shredded chicken a part of your dinner routine!
Why Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot?
Because it really couldn’t be easier! You just toss all the ingredients in and let the Instant Pot do all the work. Plus, the chicken comes out perfectly shreddable every time. Boiling chicken makes the chicken flavorless. Baking the chicken before shredding makes the chicken too dry. Making shredded chicken in the Instant Pot is fast, efficient, and gives you flavorful, tender shreds of chicken.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
This easy instant pot shredded chicken breast recipe is just what you need to make not just one dinner but several variations of chicken dinners. Take your chicken breast to the next level by boosting it with simple pantry staple ingredients that will give this chicken that added flavor in the instant pot!
- An Instant Pot or pressure cooker – Anything 6 quart or bigger will work great for this instant pot shredded chicken breast recipe.
- Boneless chicken breasts – Fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts will work best. If you want to use frozen chicken, add 10 minutes to the cooking time when using an instant pot.
- Butter – This helps keep the chicken juicy and tender while it is cooking.
- Broth – The chicken broth is needed both to keep the chicken from burning and also for the chicken to soak up after shredding. You can use vegetable broth too for another added flavor.
- Seasonings – You can really season this recipe any way you would like depending on the dish you are making. Some more ideas can be found below. We like using garlic powder, onions, or onion powder for a light and tasty seasoning.
How to Make the Best Shredded Chicken Breast
In just three simple steps you will have perfectly delicious shredded chicken breast from the instant pot. Make instant pot shredded chicken in less than 15 minutes and enjoy several variations of shredded chicken recipes in no time.
- Prepare – Spray the bottom of the Instant Pot with cooking oil if desired. Add chicken breast to the instant pot and pour chicken broth over the top.
- Season – Cut butter into smaller pieces and place over the chicken. Sprinkle seasoning blend, salt, and pepper over the top of the chicken.
- Cook – Place the lid on the Instant Pot, switch the valve to “sealing”, and manually pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Natural release for 5-10 minutes and then quick release.
Seasoning the Chicken Breast
This instant pot chicken breast can be seasoned so many different ways depending on what you are using it for. Make a big batch to create several variations of chicken recipes! Use these seasonings and spices instead of the seasoning blend and salt mentioned in the recipe.
- Mexican shredded chicken – Add 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Great with Chicken Tacos!
- Chili lime chicken – Juice of 1 lime + ½ teaspoon chili powder + ½ teaspoon cumin (or to taste). Try it with Chicken Taco Salad.
- Honey lime chicken – ⅓ cup honey + juice of 1 lime. Use for Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas.
- Shredded BBQ chicken – Add 1-2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce for pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches or over BBQ chicken salad.
- Ranch chicken – Add 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley dry Ranch Dressing Mix. So good over pasta with Alfredo Sauce!
Tips for Making Shredded Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot
To make sure your shredded chicken breast from the instant pot is perfect every time, follow these quick tips to help make it happen! Use the natural release, store all your juices, and even use frozen chicken to make this recipe even easier! Just the internal temperature for doneness and you have the best shredded chicken breast!
- Natural release – Let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes before flipping the valve. This will give the chicken time to tenderize after cooking.
- Store juices – Don’t throw away excess juices. If you end up with a lot of extra juices after cooking, store any leftover chicken in the juices or add more flavoring to the soups.
- Frozen chicken breast – Add more time if using frozen chicken. At least 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Types of chicken – Using boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken can be a little longer process. It also is harder to shred the chicken with bones in the chicken pieces.
- Shredding chicken – There are a few ways to shred chicken. You can use a fork, stand mixer, or hand mixer, This boneless skinless chicken is so tender it will shred very easily and quickly using any of these methods.
- Internal temperature – Remember to always check for doneness. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees F. Use a digital read meat thermometer on the thickest part of the meat to check the internal temperature.
Shredding Tip
My favorite way to shred chicken is with a hand mixer. You can get the shreds nice and small so they hold all the juices and stay tender.
Simply keep the chicken in the Instant Pot and mix on low with the hand mixer or use a bowl until the shreds are the size you want. The longer you mix, the finer the shreds.
Questions
The chicken hasn’t cooked long enough. It may be too thick. If this happens, place it back in the Instant Pot and pressure cook an additional 5-10 minutes.
For shredded chicken, it takes 12 minutes under high pressure with a 10-minute natural release. Time may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Yes, it is possible to overcook the shredded chicken breast. The times we have included in the recipe below are great for perfectly cooked chicken. Much more time and you may end up with dry chicken.
Storing Shredded Chicken Breast
Place any extra leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for five to seven days. Prep meals ahead of time with this shredded chicken or just it for simple meals throughout the week. Even place it in the freezer to store up to one month.
Read Next: The Best Instant Pot Recipes
Recipes Using Shredded Chicken
Create and enjoy so many of our favorite family recipes using this easy shredded chicken recipe. It is full of flavor and has so many option to use it with. It is great enjoying it alone, in a dip, taco, or casserole dish. The chicken recipes are endless!
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken (cut in half if you have large pieces)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon seasoning blend (or to taste, see notes below)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of the Instant Pot with cooking oil if desired. Add chicken breast to the instant pot and pour chicken broth over the top.
- Cut butter into smaller pieces and place over the chicken. Sprinkle seasoning blend, salt, and pepper over the top of the chicken.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, switch valve to "sealing", and manually pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Natural release for 5-10 minutes and then quick release.
Shredding Option 1:
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot an place on a cutting board or plate. Do not discard juices.
- Shred chicken using 2 forks until well shredded. Place chicken back in the Instant Pot and stir with the juices until ready to serve. Remove the chicken with tongs and shake off excess liquid if needed.
Shredding Option 2:
- Using a hand bender on low speed, mix the chicken until chicken breaks down into smaller shreds. The longer you mix it, the finer the shreds will be.
- Remove the chicken with tongs and shake off excess liquid if needed.
Notes
- Remember to always check for doneness. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees F. Use a digital read meat thermometer on the thickest part of the meat to check internal temperature.
- Let the Instant Pot natural release for 10 minutes before flipping the valve. This will give the chicken time to tenderize after cooking.
- Don’t throw away excess juices. If you end up with a lot of extra juices after cooking, store any leftover chicken in the juices or add as more flavoring to soups.
- Add more time if using frozen chicken. At least 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Wanted to make chicken tacos tonight and this instant pot shredded chicken was just what I was looking for! Simple to make and so quick to make! Definitely using this method again!
I love doing this! The butter makes the chicken so flavorful!