Easy meals with cooked chicken

The Well Plated Cookbook is now available! Use this easy meals with cooked chicken step by step method any time a recipe calls for diced or shredded chicken. Perfect for adding to chicken salad, chicken enchiladas, and more!

Cooked shredded chicken and cooked diced chicken are listed as ingredients in many recipes, but have you ever had a recipe that called for them, without any direction for how to go about cooking the chicken in the first place? This step-by-step tutorial for how to cook shredded chicken is your answer! I’ll go over the easiest way to make shredded chicken breasts. This simple method works for shredded chicken thighs too. Use this easy method any time a recipe calls for diced or shredded chicken.

The chicken comes out perfectly moist and juicy every time. You can also refrigerate the chicken for up to 4 days or freeze it, so it’s perfect for meal prep too! I’ve found to be the quickest and easiest, with the smallest amount of clean up. You don’t need any equipment other than a pot to make it.

However, if you own an Instant Pot and prefer that route, check out this post for how to cook Instant Pot chicken. You scroll down to see step-by-step photos, check out the video with a how-to after the photos, and finally you’ll find a recap for the steps at the very end of the post. For seasoning, I opt for a generous pinch of salt and pepper. If you like, you can add other seasonings, such as a bayleaf, poultry seasoning, or a few springs of fresh herbs. This shredded chicken recipe is meant to be more of a blank canvas to add to a wide range of recipes. Because I know I have some fellow Tex-Mex fans, if you are looking for Mexican shredded chicken options, I recommend these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos and this Instant Pot Mole Chicken. ARRANGING THE CHICKEN: If you are cooking a larger number of chicken breasts or thighs, you can overlap them slightly.

If you have a lot of overlap, I’d suggest upgrading to a larger pot or using two separate pots. If you like you can use chicken broth, though I find that with this cooking method, you don’t need it. Unless you have some that you need to use up, save yourself an ingredient and make this shredded chicken without broth. STEP THREE: Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a gentle boil.

Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for 8 to 16 minutes, depending upon the size and number of chicken breasts that you are poaching. If the idea of boiling chicken sounds unappealing, I promise this gentle simmer method will turn out for you. As long as you check the chicken and remove it once it reaches the magic temperature, your chicken will be perfect every single time. Check your chicken OFTEN towards the end. If your chicken is dry or tough, it is because it is overcooked. You can even remove the chicken as soon as it reaches 160 degrees F.

Place it on a plate, cover it, and let rest for five more minutes. The carry over should cooking finish the job. Use this method for how to cook shredded chicken anytime a recipe calls for cooked chicken or shredded chicken. From here, you can use the poached chicken however you please. The easiest way to shred chicken is with a hand mixer! Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl, then use a hand mixer on low speed to break the chicken into shreds.

It’s a complete timesaver, especially if you are making a larger amount. You can shred the chicken the old fashioned way with two forks, or my other favorite method: your fingers. Just be sure to let the chicken rest until it is cool enough to handle safely first. Instead of shredding the chicken, you can also slice or dice it, which is even faster and perfect for green salads, pasta salads, and wraps. This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a must.

ANY salad you like, from this BLT Chopped Salad to this BBQ Chicken Salad to this Caribbean Chicken Salad. This Chicken Broccoli Frittata is one of my favorite brunch recipes, and the leftovers are fantastic for lunch. Chicken and Biscuits and Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole are classic, comforting, and forever scrumptious. For a different spin, try this Cheesy Corn Quinoa Casserole.