This Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken recipe makes delicious shredded chicken that can be used in tons of recipes. It’s perfect for meal prepping and creating freezer meals. If you are looking for an easy weeknight meal then this is the recipe for you!
If you turn to pricey take out meals, fast food or store bought meals in order to get dinner on the table each night then you will want to try this easy to make slow cooker shredded chicken. It’s got a mild flavor so it can be used in lots of different recipes. This will soon be a family favorite.
Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipe
This shredded chicken is a perfect meal prep recipe.
There are several ways that you can meal prep:
- You can meal prep full meals and store them in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.
- You can meal prep a part of the meal, store it in the refrigerator or freezer, and then finish cooking or preparing the meal on the night you want to eat it.
I’ve tried ALL the different meal prep methods over the years. I found that meals that were cooked to completion and then stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you need them are basically what we call leftovers.
Most of my family members are not fans of leftovers.
I’ve wasted a whole lot of money over the years when they didn’t really want to eat these types of meals and then ended up in the garbage. I no longer do this kind of meal prep.
In the end, after much trial and error, I found that there were two types of meal prep meals that my family would eat without complaints:
- Freezer meal prep meals in which uncooked ingredients are packaged together and on cooking day they are cooked in the crockpot, oven or on the stove.
- When only a portion of the meal is prepped, such as cooking a bit batch of shredded chicken or browned beef that is frozen or stored in the refrigerator, and then using that to create a recipe such a chicken noodle soup (with the shredded chicken) or tacos (with the browned beef) on cooking day.
That’s why I love this easy recipe. It can be prepped and then frozen or stored in the refrigerator until I need it to make a meal.
Ingredients to make Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe:
I like to use the following ingredients to make this slow cooker shredded chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. I like to use boneless chicken as it makes it quicker to shred the chicken. However, when I get an opportunity to purchase bone-in chicken at a great price I use that instead. It takes a few extra minutes to remove the chicken from the bone but worth it when the price for this type of chicken is lower.
- Green Chiles – I like to use canned diced green chiles as they add a nice boost of flavor without adding any heat to the shredded chicken.
- Dried Onion – you can use dried onion or finely diced fresh onion for this recipe. Don’t have dried onion? You can always use a teaspoon of onion powder instead of the dried onion.
- Cream Cheese – the cream cheese blends with the juice that is made when the chicken is cooking to create a light sauce that keeps the finished shredded chicken moist. This really helps when you plan on freezing or storing the shredded chicken to use in other recipes.
How to make Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken:
Step 1: Start by placing the chicken breasts into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 2: spread chopped green chilies over the chicken. Sprinkle dried onion over the green chiles. Add the cubes of cream cheese to the top of the mixture.
Step 3: Cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
Step 4: Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the crockpot, place on a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken. Put the meat back into the crockpot and stir into the liquid.
Now that your shredded chicken is prepared you can use it in your favorite recipes. You will be amazed at the different ways you will use this flavorful chicken. With little effort you can quickly whip up delicious weeknight meals.
Delicious recipes using shredded chicken:
Make Keto Chicken Enchiladas by combining this chicken with enchilada sauce.
Try it in Keto Crack Chicken with it’s delicious bacon ranch flavor that everyone loves.
How about making some Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
Use it to make Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos.
Use the shredded chicken to make chicken quesadillas by layering the shredded chicken, shredded cheese and any other favorite toppings (black beans, refried beans, sliced peppers and onions, etc) into a flour tortilla. Fold it in half and toast it in a pan.
Try making chicken tacos by mixing in some taco seasoning serving in flour tortillas, corn tortillas or hard taco shells. Serve it with a side of cilantro lime rice, sour cream, pico de gallo and you favorite taco toppings.
How about some chicken soup?
Top with some BBQ sauce and make BBQ chicken sandwiches.
Try making this delicious keto Pad Thai Chicken (shown below) with the shredded chicken.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs In This Shredded Chicken Recipe?
Yes! This recipe is delicious using boneless skinless chicken thighs.
The main difference between the white meat found in chicken breasts and wings and the dark meat found in chicken thighs and legs is the type of muscle fibers. The thighs and legs container a higher percentage of red muscle fibers giving it a darker color.
Dark chicken meat in the thighs and legs also has a bit more fat. This means that this type of chicken tends to be more juicy and the meat doesn’t dry out as quickly as the meat found in chicken breasts.
Both types of chicken taste delicious in this recipe. I watch for sales and will use either type of chicken or even a combination of breasts and thighs which is my favorite way to make this recipe.
Can I freeze this shredded chicken?
Absolutely! This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes. I will often load up my large crock pot with 8 to 10 pounds of chicken to create shredded chicken to keep in the freezer.
Once I have shredded the chicken and allowed it to cool down a bit package it into freezer bag or freezer containers. Put in enough shredded chicken to use in your favorite recipes. This will vary depending upon your family size.
When I want to make a recipe calling for shredded or diced chicken I just pull a bag out of the freezer and thaw it. Sometimes, especially if I’m making soup, I toss the frozen chicken right into the pot to thaw while cooking.
Ladle any liquid in the crockpot over the chicken to be frozen. The flavor of the juice mixes with most dishes.
For the best taste and texture store your frozen shredded chicken for up to 3 months in the freezer. Don’t forget to mark your bags or containers with the date and what’s inside. There’s nothing worse then pulling out a bag or container of mystery frozen something or other only to find out it’s not what you thought it was.
How many people does this shredded chicken serve?
If you use about 2 1/2 pounds to 3 pounds of chicken you can easily serve 6 to 10 people depending upon how you use it. I figure that each person will easily eat about 6 ounces of meat so 3 pounds of chicken will serve about 8 people. If your family members eat larger sized servings of meat then it will probably feed 6 people.
If it’s used in soup, casseroles or is used in a dish that contains several side dishes such as tacos or these buffalo chicken lettuce wraps (shown below) then it will serve closer to 10 people.
Decide on how many servings you need, what you’re using the shredded chicken meat to make and then purchase the number of pounds you will need.
How long does shredded chicken last in the refrigerator?
If your refrigerator is running at 40 degrees or cooler then you can easily store this chicken in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. This is according to the USDA
How long does shredded chicken last in the fridge?
According to the USDA, it’s best to use chicken that’s been refrigerated (at 40 degrees or colder) within 3-4 days of it being cooked.
If you get to the end of the 3 to 4 day period of storing the shredded chicken in the refrigerator and it’s not being used then package it up for the freezer.
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Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipe (Crockpot)
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 ounces Green Chiles canned, drained
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese cubed
- 1 tablespoon Dried Chopped Onions
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a crockpot. Spread chopped green chilies over the chicken. Sprinkle dried onion over the green chiles. Add the cubes of cream cheese to the top of the mixture.
- Cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
- Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the crockpot and use two forks to shred the chicken. Put the meat back into the crockpot and stir into the liquid.
- Use the shredded chicken in your favorite recipes
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like these recipes or some of our other slow cooker recipes:
Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
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