How to Make Shredded Chicken: Easy Boiling Method for Chicken Breast

Name: How to Make Shredded Chicken: Easy Boiling Method for Chicken Breast
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 400 g (2 chicken) breasts (£2.99); 1 tbsp peppercorns; 800 ml chicken stock

It is super important that you know how to boil chicken to shred! Shredded chicken is so incredibly versatile for meal ideas! You can use it in recipes like tacos, in soups, and on salads, or you can eat it as a high protein snack or lunch. But most importantly, making your own shredded chicken is healthier and cheaper!

So get to meal prepping with this quick (30 minutes or less) and easy shredded chicken recipe!

A yellowish plate with seasoned shredded chicken.

Table of Contents

Why you’ll love making your own shredded chicken

Easy – Shredding chicken can be a pain, but this method makes it so easy you may start doing it every week.

Quick – Unlike making shredded chicken in the crock pot, which can take 4-6 hours, this shredded chicken breast can be made in 30 minutes or less right on the stove.

Healthy – No other fats or oils are added to this shredded chicken recipe, so it is lean and healthy.

Make Ahead – The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it ahead and then flavor it any way you want for just about any meal.

Availability – Having shredded chicken in the fridge is such an easy go to dinner, lunch, or snack for your whole family.

Better than rotisserie – Making your own shredded chicken is leaner (if you use just the breasts), lower in sodium, and much cheaper pound for pound.

Love healthly chicken recipes? Try my : Best Chicken Meal Prep, Baked Chicken and Cauliflower and Grinder Salad (Italian Sub Salad)

How to make sure boiled chicken isn’t tough

One of the biggest problems I have come across when making my own shredded cooked chicken, is that sometimes boiled chicken can become tough. This makes it hard to shred, but also not great to eat.

Chicken can become tough for two reasons: It is overcooked or it was cooked at too high of a temperature.

First, knowing how long to boil chicken breast to shred is important. But there is actually no set time due to chicken breasts being different sizes.

So, to make sure your chicken does not become overcooked, the easiest thing to do is take its temperature with a meat thermometer throughout the cooking process. Taking the temperature several times and not allowing the temperature to get above 164℉ (74℃) is the best way to keep boiled chicken moist and juicy.

And second, the high boiling temperature of 212℉ (100℃) is too high for chicken. It makes the protein tough. So, when you boil chicken for shredding, you want to cook it on a low simmer between 175℉-180℉ (79℃-82℃). This method is actually called poaching and will produce a more tender meat. A meat thermometer can help you monitor the water temperature.

How to shred chicken (best ways)

Hand mixer – the absolute best way to make shredded chicken after it is boiled is with a mixer. In this case, a hand mixer will do just fine. Using the beaters, press into the large sections of chicken breast until it is shredded to your liking.

Stand mixer – If you always have your stand mixer out, then another way to make easy shredded chicken is with the stand mixer. Just dump the chicken into the mixing bowl and attach the paddle attachment. Turn it on to low for about 15 seconds and your tender boiled chicken will be shredded.

Two forks – No mixer? No problem! Just grab two forks and use them to pull the chicken apart. This is why “pulled chicken” is another name for shredded chicken!

Store bought shredder – There is actually a tool you can buy to shred meat. They look like two big claws and are quick and easy to use with chicken or any other meat you want to shred.

Ingredients

Variations/ Adaptations

Use a crock pot/slow cooker – The crock pot is a great tool for making tender meat. So if you have a few hours, you could use the crock pot to make chicken to shred.

Use broth instead of water – Using broth as the cooking liquid instead of water can increase the flavor of the chicken.

Try my Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe and Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables to make a delicious dinner with the chicken!

How to boil chicken to shred

Remove any excess fat off of the chicken breast (Image 1).
To a medium saucepan, add the chicken stock and peppercorns (Image 2).

2 step by step photos, the first with fat being cut off chicken in a plastic container and the second with some broth in a saucepan.

3. Bring to a boil, then add the chicken into the pan (Image 3).

4. Reduce to a medium simmer and set your timer to 12 minutes (10 if it’s a smaller piece of chicken) (Image 4).

2 step by step photos, the first with chicken added with tongs to broth and the second with some broth bubbling in a saucepan.

5. Cook until the breast reads an internal temperature of 74°F (165°C) (Image 5).

6. Try a hand whisk in a wide/tall bowl for a speedy shredding option (Image 6).

2 step by step photos, the first with chicken with a thermometer and the second with a boiled chicken breast on a glass bowl with a hand mixer.

7. If you don’t have a hand whish, use two forks to shred the chicken (Image 7).

8. I used a hand whisk, which made the process super easy (Image 8).

2 step by step photos, the first with chicken being shredded with 2 forks and the second with a boiled chicken breast on a glass bowl shredded with hand mixer.

9. Or continue with shredding the chicken using the 2 forks (Image 9).

10. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy it as a healthy source of protein within a balanced meal! (Image 10).

2 step by step photos, the first with chicken shredded with 2 forks and the second with a boiled, shredded chicken breast seasoned in a bowl.

Serve the shredded chicken with an easy side dish ; Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer, Airfryer Hash Browns and Frozen Roast Potatoes

Tips for the best result

Take temperature of chicken often…do not go over 165℉ (74℃).
The best way to boil chicken is low and slow. Use a small burner on the lowest heat setting. Do not let water temp go over 180℉ (82℃ ).
Salt your water to help add flavour to the chicken.
Allow chicken to cool before shredding to help retain moisture and juiciness.
Add some spices to give the shredded chicken a base flavor
Save the broth for another recipe.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to shred

Here are some more yummy chicken recipes, to give you inspiration: Chicken Pot Pie with a stuffing crust, Chicken Meal Prep Bowls and Mini Chicken Pot Pies (Individual Pies!)

A yellowish plate with lots of seasoned shredded chicken.

Best shredded chicken recipes

Tacos
Soups
On top of salads
Chicken salad (with mayonnaise)
On a sandwich
With BBQ sauce

Storing and reheating shredded chicken

Store your shredded chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze the shredded chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months in a regular upright freezer or up to a year in a deep freezer.

To reheat your shredded chicken from the refrigerator, just microwave in short bursts until warmed through.

To reheat from frozen, place the frozen shredded chicken in the fridge the night before to thaw or place in the microwave and use the defrost setting until thawed. Then cook in the microwave using short bursts until heated through.

Use some shredded chicken to add to these recipes ; Thai Green Chicken Curry, Creamy Spiced Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Greek Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken with some dressing mixed in.

FAQS

How long should you boil chicken to shred?

Instead of boiling for a certain time, I recommend boiling until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃ ) so it stays tender and juicy.

What do you put in the water when boiling chicken?

The options are endless, but you could use salt, bay leaves, celery seed or any other spice or flavor you like.

Can you boil bone in chicken for shredding?

You can boil bone in chicken for shredding, however, the shredding process may be more tedious since you cannot use the mixer. You would have to use forks or meat shredders to pull the chicken away from the bone.

Can you use this method with frozen chicken breast?

You can use frozen chicken for this method if you have thawed it first. Then just follow the directions for how to boil chicken for shredding listed out above.