The Best Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipe

The Best Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken - a delicious, easy slow cooker pulled chicken breast recipe that is great for tacos, salads, wraps, pastas, and more!

Shredded chicken is one of my favorite things to make - it takes less than 2 minutes active time, and you can make an entire week’s worth of meals for your family in one big batch.

I love to use shredded chicken in so many different easy recipes - soups, sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastas, tacos, burritos, taquitos - the options are endless! This easy shredded chicken is fabulous in any recipe that calls for shredded chicken - and delicious just straight out of the slow cooker, too!

There are a lot of shredded chicken recipes - but this is my absolute favorite because it is so incredibly simple and versatile. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Just Take Me To The Best Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe Already!

I add a lot of information - like tips and tricks as well as recipe swap ideas and similar dishes you’ll love - since I get so many comments asking for it. If you’d rather skip this, please scroll to the bottom of the page (just above comments) where you will find the easy printable recipe.

How To Cook Shredded Chicken In a Slow Cooker

This easy chicken recipe is amazing because it is so simple - simply place chicken breasts, seasonings, and dressing in crockpot, cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.

Crockpot shredded chicken is a huge timesaver for meal prep and planning since it can be used in so many recipes - from soups and stews to tacos, sandwiches, and chicken salad - and works well as a pre-prepared frozen chicken that is great for meal planning.

Shredded chicken should be cooked to 175 degrees internal temperature when a digital thermometer is inserted to the middle of the chicken breasts.

How To Shred Chicken

Once you’ve cooked your chicken breasts, it is time to shred them!

No matter what technique you use, for best results, shred chicken when it is still piping hot, right out of the crockpot.

Only drain the excess moisture of your chicken if there is more than two cups of cooking liquid - you don’t want to get rid of all the seasoning mix that the liquid holds - and it helps keep chicken moist and tender.

Shred Chicken Using a Stand Mixer

I’ve tried lots of different way to shred chicken, but I found the stand mixer with paddle attachment shredded the chicken the best. Since not everyone has a stand mixer, I'm also sharing how to shred chicken with forks as well. 

Shred Chicken Using a Stand Mixer

When chicken is cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker and place in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Attatch the paddle attachment and turn to medium-high.

Let run until chicken is shredded, then place back in slow cooker and toss in any leftover cooking liquid.

Serve immediately or portion for meal prep!

Shred Chicken Using Forks

To shred chicken the traditional way using forks, follow the steps listed in the stand mixer - but place chicken in a bowl instead, and use two forks in your hand to gently tug at the chicken breast meat, shredding as you pull the forks.

While shredding chicken with forks takes extra effort, it is more precise since you have control over the shredding yourself - but it does take much longer than the stand mixer method.

How To Serve Cooked Shredded Chicken

This delicious shredded chicken is so simple to make - toss in a crock pot, cover and cook, then shred the meat and you’re done!

But after you cook the chicken, what to do with your pulled chicken is totally up to you - one batch can bring a ton of different weekly meal options.

Check out these other favorites Shredded Chicken Tacos, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Taco Stuffed Avocados, Grilled Chicken Antipasto Salad Recipe, and The Best Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Other Recipe Notes:

If you’d like to try some other flavors for this shredded chicken, I’m adding a couple suggestions below:

-Swap Italian Dressing for chicken broth, butter, and herbs de provence seasoning for a more rustic French twist.

-Use 1 24 oz jar of green chile sauce with garlic powder and a dash of cumin for a spicy shredded chicken.

-Use 2 jars ro-tel for a salsa shredded chicken.

-Swap Italian dressing for 1 cup olive oil, ½ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup diced garlic, and 2 tablespoon oregano for a greek inspired lemon chicken.

To Freeze Shredded Chicken:

This chicken freezes fabulously - making it a great meal prep chicken recipe. For best results, add chicken to a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Try to use the smallest size possible - or the amount you'll want when thawing - since smaller bags will freeze better and will help reduce the risk of freezer burn or uneven thawing. 

The Best Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipe

If you love this easy recipe please click the stars below to give it a five star rating and leave a comment! Please also help me share on facebook and pinterest!

CONNECT WITH SWEET C’S!
Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post!
Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Pinterest | Instagram 
Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!