Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is an easy meal prep recipe made with chicken breasts, chicken broth, and simple pantry seasonings. Tender, juicy, and versatile, it's perfect for tacos, sandwiches, salads, soups, casseroles, and busy weeknight dinners.
I'm a big fan of using rotisserie chicken as a shortcut, but I usually have chicken breasts in the fridge or freezer. Plus, our grocery store isn't exactly right around the corner. Luckily, this slow cooker shredded chicken gives you the same convenience using ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Toss everything into the slow cooker, let it cook, and you'll have shredded chicken ready to use in multiple meals throughout the week. We're working smarter, not harder, friends.
Whether you're feeding a busy family, preparing meals ahead of time, or looking for a simple protein to keep on hand during planting and harvest season, keep this crock pot shredded chicken recipe in your back pocket.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients and minimal prep
- Perfect for meal prep and freezer cooking
- Great for tacos, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and casseroles
- Budget-friendly alternative to rotisserie chicken
- Easy way to keep cooked protein on hand for busy weeks
For a fun variation try my crockpot shredded BBQ chicken.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🛒 Ingredients
- 🥣 How to Make Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Farm Girl Tips
- How Much Shredded Chicken Does This Make?
- Cooking for One or Two?
- Can I Use This Instead of Rotisserie Chicken?
- What to Make with Shredded Chicken
- Storage and Freezing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Slow Cooker Shredded Meat Recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
🛒 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need from the pantry and fridge.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts - you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, or bone in chicken breasts.
- Chicken broth - use store-bought or you can easily make homemade bone broth.
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Black pepper
The simple seasoning blend keeps the chicken versatile enough to use in a variety of recipes without overpowering other flavors.
See recipe card below for specific quantities and ingredient list.
🥣 How to Make Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Add the Chicken. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Season: Pour the chicken broth over the chicken. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Shred. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks or a hand mixer.
Return to the Juices. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir with some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist and flavorful.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer is an easy way to shred chicken. Just make sure you remove it from the hot liquid, first. Otherwise, two forks work well, too.
Use the shredded chicken to make these easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps.
Farm Girl Tips
- Chicken breasts vary greatly in size, so cooking times may vary. Let your meat thermometer guide you. 😉
- Save some of the cooking liquid to mix into leftovers.
- Double the recipe and freeze portions for future meals.
How Much Shredded Chicken Does This Make?
Two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts typically yields about 4-5 cups of shredded chicken. That's enough for several meals throughout the week, making this recipe ideal for meal prep.
As a general rule, most recipes that call for one rotisserie chicken can be made with approximately 4 cups of shredded chicken.
Cooking for One or Two?
Don't let the larger batch size scare you away. This recipe is perfect for smaller households because shredded chicken is easy to repurpose throughout the week.
Use it for:
- Tacos one night
- Chicken salad lunches the next day
- Quesadillas or wraps later in the week
- Add to soup or a casserole at the end of the week
You can also freeze shredded chicken in 1 or 2 cup portions, making it easy to pull out just what you need for future meals. It's a great way to stock the freezer while still enjoying the convenience of meal prep.
For even more ideas, browse my collection of recipes made with cooked chicken. Many of them work perfectly for smaller households.
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Can I Use This Instead of Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes! This slow cooker shredded chicken works well in many recipes that call for rotisserie chicken.
The texture is slightly finer because the chicken is shredded rather than hand-pulled, but it works beautifully in:
- Soups
- Casseroles like poppy seed chicken casserole and million dollar spaghetti squash casserole.
- Salads
- Wraps
- Sandwiches
- Pasta dishes
If you're looking for more inspiration, check out my 25 Awesome Recipes to Make with Rotisserie Chicken. Most of those recipes work just as well with homemade shredded chicken.
What to Make with Shredded Chicken
One of my favorite meal-planning shortcuts is making a batch of shredded chicken on Sunday and using it in several meals throughout the week. It saves time, reduces dinner stress, and gives you a head start on busy days.
Once you have a batch of shredded chicken ready to go, dinner comes together quickly.
Try it in:
Mexican-Inspired Favorites
Sandwiches and Sliders
Other Easy Dinner Ideas
- Quesadillas and burritos
- Nachos and tachos
- Chicken salad
- Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
- Casseroles
- Grain bowls
- Baked potatoes
- Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
Having cooked chicken in the refrigerator is one of the easiest ways to simplify mealtime on busy days.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze, cool completely and transfer to freezer-safe containers (I love using Souper Cubes) or freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For best results, freeze the chicken with a little of the cooking liquid to help maintain moisture when reheated. It'll keep them from drying out.
Frequently Asked Questions
For food safety reasons, it's best to use thawed chicken in the slow cooker. If your chicken is frozen, use an Instant Pot instead.
Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs work well and often stay even more moist than chicken breasts.
Absolutely. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and freezes well.
Two forks work well, but a stand mixer or hand mixer is the fastest method and produces evenly shredded chicken. I also have this meat shredding tool that works well.
Properly stored shredded chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know what you think! Leave a ⭐ star rating and review below. It helps other readers and makes my day! 😉
More Slow Cooker Shredded Meat Recipes
If you like keeping cooked protein on hand for easy meals, try these recipes too:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Pour the chicken broth over the chicken.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks or a hand mixer.
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir with some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist before serving.
Farm Girl Tips
- Cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.
- For extra flavor, use homemade chicken broth or chicken stock.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze shredded chicken in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months.
- Use this chicken for sandwiches, wraps, salads, tacos, casseroles, soups, and meal prep.
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