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It is no secret, we eat a lot of chicken around here. In fact Chicken is the second largest category in my recipe file. You knew Dessert was first, didn’t you? Sigh…dessert is just so wonderful and fun, a person like me is compelled to dwell on it more than I should, I suppose. But chicken! Well it’s right up there at the tippy top. I would imagine it has to do with the fact that it’s reasonably priced, low in calorie and MyHandsomeHusband isn’t a red meat fan. And so you see the plain and simple reasons for chicken being a regular visitor at our dinner table.
Anyhow, I wanted to show you my little trick for cooking shredded chicken. It is really simple, involves very few ingredients…and makes use of the crock pot, which as you know comes in so very handy when you are trying to feed a large family. Or a small family, or a middle-of-the-road -group-of-individuals. 🙂 I generally make about 4 pounds of chicken at a time. Then I use half of it for that night’s dinner and freeze the other half for later. It always turns out really flavorful and moist. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see some of my favorite ways to make use of shredded chicken.
Now, let me show you how to make it happen!
SHREDDED CHICKEN IN THE CROCK POT
PRINT RECIPE
Time: 5 minutes prep + 4-8 hours crock pot cooking
Yield: 10 servings
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!
4 pounds chicken breasts
1 t chicken bullion granules
3/4 C water
1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1. Grab yourself a 4-6 quart crock pot and spray it with cooking spray.
2. Add your chicken breasts to the crock.
3. Measure out 3/4 cup of warm water and add 1 teaspoon chicken bullion granules (or 1 bullion cube). Stir it around and allow the bullion to become dissolved in the water.
4. Pour the liquid over the top of the chicken.
5. Grab 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken. Cover the crock pot and cook it on high for 4 hours, or low for 7-8 hours.
6. When the chicken has cooked through remove it to a plate and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
7. Grab a couple of forks…
and shred the chicken all up into tasty pieces. Place it back in the crock pot and let it cook for 1/2 hour more. Use as desired.
8. Place any leftover chicken in a freezer safe Ziploc bag, with a few tablespoons of the broth from the crock pot. Freeze for later use.
Enjoy!
Here are some great ways to use up this Shredded Chicken!
Chicken Pesto French Bread Sandwich
Rumbi’s Mango Chicken Salad
Healthy Chicken Salad Sandwich
Crispy Won Ton and Chicken Asian Salad
A really fast easy wsy to schred chicken is to put the cooked chicken in the mixer bowl with the padle attachment and turn the mixer on it will only take a couple of minutes.
This is a dumb question, but what is the preferred way to thaw out frozen chicken? Do you just let it thaw in the fridge….the chicken doesn’t get watery?
Mandy,
You can add frozen chicken to the crock pot for this recipe. Just add a bit less water as the frozen chicken will release some liquid while it cooks. Good luck!
~Jamie
I LOVE crockpot chicken breast. Even if you’re not making a specific chicken dish it’s a fantastic way to have something in reserve for sandwiches, pizza, tacos, whatever. Excellent post!
I was coming to say the same thing as Leanna!! Paddle attachment on my Kitchenaid is a HUGE time saver to shredding chicken!!
Can you put it in the crockpot from frozen and just add cooking time?
Emily,
Yes, you can add the chicken frozen. I would add a bit less water as the frozen chicken will release some liquid as it cooks. Good luck!
~Jamie
I am hesitant to cook chicken in the crockpot as it always seems to come out too dry, especially the white meat. Any hints on keeping the moisture in but still getting the chicken cooked? I usually start with frozen deboned chicken.
Lisa,
For chicken breast that retains its moisture, add more liquid. I use a water/broth mix since it helps maintain the flavor. Usually 1 to 1. My absolute favorite liquid to use is green salsa! I use herdez but really any blended salsa would work. The downside of the salsa is that it’s less versatile. The upside is deliciousness!
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Just tried this method (I used my own spice mix though – not a fan of Montreal Steak Spice) and it turned out absolutely fantastic, thanks so much for sharing!
Do you think a 5 qt Crock Pot is big enough to do 4-5# of chicken? Or should I buy a 6 or 7 quart?
I LOVE crockpot chicken breast. Even if you’re not making a specific chicken dish it’s a fantastic way to have something in reserve for sandwiches, pizza, tacos, whatever. Excellent post!
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