Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

instant pot shredded chicken

Step-by-Step Guide on how to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. Quick, Easy, and Foolproof way to make tender, juicy pulled chicken in Instant Pot. Tasty, versatile shredded chicken breasts or shredded chicken thighs you can use for appetizers, salads, soups, and main dishes. It’s great for healthy, freezer-friendly, and budget-friendly meal prep.

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pulled chicken instant pot

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.

instant pot pulled chicken

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.

pressure cooker shredded chicken

How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

shredded chicken breast instant pot

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

shredded chicken ingredients

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

garnishments: green onions and cilantro

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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 herb, seasoning, and stock

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

chicken thighs in Instant Pot

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.
Chicken Breasts Cooking Time Reference:

For larger chicken breasts that are thicker than 1”: pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes.

For smaller chicken breasts: pressure cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes.

Pressure Cook at High Pressure at 6 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.

pressure cooked chicken thighs

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.

shredded chicken thighs
Instant Pot shredded chicken thighs
shredded chicken breast
Instant Pot shredded chicken breast
Hard to Shred the Chicken? If you find the meat hard to shred, you can add an extra 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time to the recipe next time. Keep in mind that even though the chicken will be more tender, the tradeoff is the meat will not be as juicy.
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.

shredded chicken in Instant Pot

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.

shredded chicken instant pot

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

bbq 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.

Amy + Jacky’s Meal Prep Tip: You can freeze this Instant Pot shredded chicken, then reheat it in your favorite soup later.

Enjoy Tender Juicy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken~

5 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Author: Amy + Jacky
Quick, Easy, Foolproof way to make tender, juicy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. Super versatile shredded chicken breasts and shredded chicken thighs recipe you can use for appetizers, salads, soups, or main dishes. Healthy, freezer-friendly, and budget-friendly pulled chicken for meal prep.
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Servings 6 - 8
Total Time 30 minutes
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Ingredients

Garnish

  • Green onions , thinly sliced
  • Cilantro , chopped

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Instructions 

  • Add Herb & Seasoning in Instant Pot: Add 6 garlic cloves, 2 tsp (14g) fine salt, 3 bay leaves, 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.
  • Pressure Cook Chicken: Close the lid. Turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
    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 (see notes): 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. Open the lid carefully.
    Check the chicken's temperature with a food thermometer.
  • Shred Chicken: Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Discard the chicken bones and skin if desired.
  • Season & Garnish 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.
  • Serve: You can serve this simple pulled chicken with rice, pasta, or other side dishes. Enjoy~

Notes

Chicken Breasts Cooking Time Reference:
  • For large chicken breasts that are thicker than 1”: pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
  • For smaller chicken breasts: pressure cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
Hard to Shred the Chicken? You can add 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time to the recipe next time. Even though the chicken is more tender, the tradeoff is the meat will not be as juicy.
Meal Prep Tip: You can freeze this shredded chicken, then reheat it in your favorite soup later.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Calories: 200kcal
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, World
Keyword: instant pot pulled chicken, instant pot shredded chicken, instant pot shredded chicken breast, instant pot shredded chicken thighs, pressure cooker shredded chicken, pulled chicken instant pot, shredded chicken breast instant pot, shredded chicken instant pot

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 347mg | Potassium: 651mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
instant pot shredded chicken | pulled chicken instant pot | instant pot pulled chicken | shredded chicken breast instant pot | pressure cooker shredded chicken
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