Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep staple.
It’s versatile recipe that you can enjoy in many different and tasty ways. Salads, soups, stews & more!
Having cooked shredded chicken on hand makes weekday and weeknight cooking a breeze. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is delicious, quick to make and can easily be added to soups, stews, salads, stir-fries, casseroles and the list goes on. It truly is one of my weekend meal prep staples and a recipe I include with almost every meal prep. In this post I show you exactly how to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken with an easy to follow, step-by-step photo tutorial. So if you’re one of those who are intimidated by your new Instant Pot and it’s been in the box ever since the day you purchased it (mine sat in the box for 3 months), it’s time to dust it off and give it a try! For those of you thinking about purchasing on Instant, below is the one that I own and it’s is the perfect size for families up to 4-5 members.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep staple. Great for salads, soups, stews & more! Click To TweetInstant Pot DUO60 6 QRT. 7-in-1 Multi-use Programmable Cooker
How to Easy Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Full recipe below.
Place chicken breast in the Instant Pot with broth and a generous amount of seasonings of your choice. I like the Primal Palate Spice Blends such as Garlic & Herb or Adobo. For extra juicy shredded chicken, add a mix of boneless breasts and thighs.
Close the lid, turn the valve to sealing, select the poultry setting and set the time as instructed in the directions. After you select the time, your Instant Pot will say ‘ON’ until it reaches the right temperature and pressure. This takes a few minutes. Once it reaches the right temp and pressure, the timer will start. Note: the photos show about 5 lbs. of chicken. If using less chicken, you can reduce the time.
Once the time is up, turn the Instant Pot to ‘keep warm/cancel’ and turn the valve on the lid to venting. After the pressure is released entirely, remove the lid and transfer the chicken from the Instant Pot to a large pan.
Shred the chicken with whatever method you prefer. I use two forks.
Once shredded, place the chicken back into the Instant Pot and toss it with the broth. Doing this helps to enhance the juicy factor….because no one wants dry chicken.
Remove the chicken and enjoy it how ever your please. To store it, allow it to cool and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you may freeze it. For example, I like to portion the chicken out into 4 oz. portions and freeze it in individual bags. That way it’s easy to remove just what I need from the freezer.
Needs some recipe inspiration?
No need to get bored with shredded chicken….here are 4 recipes that are perfect for using up Instant Pot Shredded Chicken:
Link to recipes: Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad | Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder | Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | Classic Waldorf Chicken Salad
Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 4–5 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breast (may mix in chicken thighs)
- 2 Tbsp. seasoning of choice (Such as Primal Palate Spice Blends)
- 2/3 cup chicken broth or bone broth
- Sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken breast generously with seasonings of choice and salt & pepper.
- Place chicken breast in the Instant Pot with broth.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock in place and turn the valve to sealing.
- Select the poultry setting and set the timer for 20 minutes.
- For 4 lbs. of chicken set the time for 17 minutes for 3 lbs. of chicken set the time for 15 minutes.
- Once the time is up, select keep warm/cancel and switch the valve to venting to allow the pressure to release.
- Once all of the pressure is released, remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a large pan.
- Shred the chicken with two forks or whatever method you like best.
- Once shredded, transfer the chicken back to the Instant Pot and toss with the broth. Let it set in there for a few minutes to soak up the broth.
- Serve the chicken over a salad, in a soup or stew, as is, or however you please.
- Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, store in the freezer.
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Notes
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 4 oz. shredded chicken (~1/2 cup)
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 2g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Carbohydrate: 0g
- (Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 0g)
- Protein: 26g
Dietary
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My pressure cooker says to always use at least one cup of liquid, does the different amount of liquid influence cooking time even if it’s small amount?
★★★★★
Ours say the same thing but with the water and the liquid in the salsa we’ve found that there is plenty of liquid.
I love this recipe. So easy to do and creates a grab and go option that I can change up during the week!
★★★★★
Exactly! This recipe is the perfect meal prep recipe because the options are endless. Thanks for sharing!