Instant Pot shredded chicken is one of my favorites for meal prep. This easy chicken recipe is hands-off—just season the chicken, and your pressure cooker will do the rest! Plus, it’s super quick to make and can be used in a huge variety of dishes, from soups to casseroles to salads and more. I redeveloped this recipe with versatility in mind. You can easily switch up the seasonings to suit your preference and based on your plan to use the shredded chicken.
Using the Instant Pot results in incredibly tender, juicy shredded chicken. It’s far superior to boiled or baked chicken because the pressure traps moisture while the chicken cooks. I cook the chicken with chicken broth for more flavor, but you can change the cooking liquid to suit your tastes, too!
A reader, Samuel, says: “This is my favorite meal prep recipe! It’s a super easy way to make a delicious protein that I can add to any meal of the week. I like a fairly neutral seasoning for most weeks, but I switch it up with barbecue sauce on occasion.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make shredded chicken in a pressure cooker. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Chicken — you can use chicken thighs or breasts with the same cook time, as long as they are boneless. Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook, so check out my Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe if you want to use bone-in chicken.
Seasonings — I made a simple all-purpose seasoning blend with garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. But you can mix it up! Taco seasoning, curry powder, and Italian seasoning all work great. They’re complemented very well by lemon or lime zest, fresh garlic, and fresh herbs, if you want to add a fresh element.
Broth — I opted for chicken broth, but you can also use water, vegetable broth, dry white wine, or even apple cider (for a sweeter flavor). You need to use at least 1 cup of your chosen liquid for the pressure cooker to work properly.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Yes. Increase the cooking time under pressure to 12 minutes. The Instant Pot will take longer to come up to pressure, and the chicken will begin to thaw during that time. The extra pressurizing time will increase the overall time as well, so keep that in mind.
Flavor Variations
I value a flexible protein that I can make into so many different dishes, so customization was at the top of mind when I retested this recipe! Here are some of my ways to switch up this recipe:
- BBQ Pulled Chicken: Once shredded, toss the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce. I love using my homemade BBQ sauce!
- Buffalo Chicken: Toss with Frank’s Red Hot sauce and a tablespoon of butter, and top with crumbled blue cheese.
- Taco or Enchilada Filling: Use taco seasoning to season before cooking. Mix the cooking juices with enchilada sauce or a blended salsa and stir together with the shredded chicken.
- Greek Chicken: Use oregano, garlic, and lemon zest to season the chicken. Stir Greek olives into the shredded chicken and add feta cheese if you’d like.
Try This Hack To Quickly Shred Chicken
Did you know you can shred chicken with a mixer? Place the cooked chicken in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer). Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The mixer will shred the chicken super fast and all at once!
Classic fork method: You can also easily shred the chicken by pulling the pieces apart with two forks. It’s super tender, so this is easy to do, but it takes a few minutes.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
The Instant Pot takes 10-15 minutes to come to full pressure. Keep this in mind when you are planning out your time. This means, overall, the chicken takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, including the time for the natural pressure release after cooking.
Add the shredded chicken back to the cooking juices to keep it moist. The cooking liquid is packed with flavor and is a simple way to keep the chicken moist. Add just a little to reach your preferred consistency if you’re eating the chicken immediately, and save the rest for when you’re refrigerating or freezing the chicken (more on that in the Storage & Freezing section).
You can double the recipe to make more in a big pot. You can make a big batch of this chicken, as long as you don’t go past the Max Fill line. That can damage your pressure cooker.
How To Make Shredded Chicken In An Instant Pot
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Prep: Place the boneless chicken breasts or thighs in your Instant Pot insert.
2. Season the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and black pepper.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to distribute the seasonings. I like to press the chicken pieces down a bit to help them settle into the broth.
4. Cook: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it in place. Turn the steam release valve to “Sealing” if you need to for your model. Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes. When the time is up, let the steam release naturally for 5 minutes, and release the remaining pressure manually (aka quick release). Be careful if you have a manual valve! Use a wooden spoon or tongs to release the valve.
5. Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a bowl. Reserve about half the cooking liquid, and set it aside for now.
6. Shred the chicken: Use two forks (or your mixer!) to shred the chicken in the remaining liquid. You can add some of the reserved liquid until the chicken is as juicy as you would prefer. Serve immediately or let it cool a bit before storing.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs trimmed (1125g)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth (240mL)
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the insert of an Instant Pot. Season with salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Cover with the chicken broth and stir gently to distribute the spices.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and twist and seal to lock. Turn the steam release valve to “sealing”. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the steam release naturally for 5 minutes, then release manually.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Remove about half of the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken in the remaining liquid using two forks. Add the reserved liquid to reach the consistency that you like.
- Store the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, divide into smaller containers, covering the chicken with the reserved cooking liquid to freeze.
Notes
- Keep the shredded chicken warm in the Instant Pot after cooking. This is a great hack if you are serving it at a party as a topping or taco filling. Once shredded, add it back to the Pot with the cooking liquid or other sauce, and turn the Instant Pot onto Warm.
- If your chicken isn’t cooked after 10 minutes, turn it back on to cook under high pressure for 2 minutes. Quick release the steam and check again.
Nutrition
Storage & Freezing Tip For Meal Prep
Fridge: Once cooled, place the Instant Pot shredded chicken with any cooking liquid in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Let the cooked chicken cool to room temperature. For meal prep, divide the chicken into smaller containers or freezer bags, and also divide the cooking liquid among the containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Pop the chicken into the microwave. If it has dried out in the fridge or freezer, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of water or broth over the top. Reheat in short 30-second increments until it is just warmed through to prevent the chicken from drying out.
Ways To Use Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot shredded chicken is one of my favorite easy recipes because there are so many different ways to use it! Here are a few ideas:
- Soups: Try it in chicken tortilla soup, chicken noodle soup, and white chicken chili.
- Casseroles: Use it when you make chicken casserole, chicken lasagna, or chicken tetrazzini.
- Salads and dips: Instant Pot shredded chicken works so well in my chicken salad or buffalo chicken dip.
- Other main dishes: This chicken is ideal for chicken enchiladas, buffalo chicken pizza, air fryer taquitos, chicken pot pie, and nachos!
More Instant Pot Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more Instant Pot recipes to make meal prep and dinnertime a cinch, try one of these next!
Always juicy Instant Pot pork loin comes together in a fraction of the time it’d take to make in the oven!
My Instant Pot whole chicken is tender and succulent, and pairs so well with potatoes and carrots (which you can cook right along with the chicken!).
Set up a “build your own taco” bar in your kitchen and serve these Instant Pot chicken tacos. I share loads of topping ideas in the post.
Meatloaf might seem like an unusual choice for a pressure cooker, but Instant Pot meatloaf is so tender and moist. Plus, you can whip up a side of creamy mashed potatoes in the same Pot at the same time!
Instant Pot ribs are seasoned with a flavorful dry rub, slathered with BBQ sauce, and ready in under 1 hour!
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Donna Kroener says
I started pressure cooking chicken 30 years ago with the traditional pressure cooker. And you are so right, there are many different ways to serve this up. When I got my Instant Pot, I Instant Pot chicken is to shred and put in a baking dish, pour a good smoky bbq sauce over and mix well until it’s nice and moist. I place in 350 degree oven and cook until the sauce and meat is heated through. Serve it up on buns with a little coleslaw, chips, and pickles as a side. Fine eating
John Kanell says
Thank you Donna!