I have several favorite recipes that call for shredded chicken, and over the years I’ve experimented with different ways to cook chicken breasts to shred. Baking them turned out mostly flavorless and dry. Even cooking chicken breasts in a crock pot led to dry, yucky chicken. I have finally found a way to cook chicken breasts for shredding that leaves the meat moist and tender. It’s also easy to kick up the flavor with added spices. Best of all, I can have shredded chicken for any recipe in about 20 minutes!
This cooking method can be used for a single chicken breast or a whole pack at the same time. Any shredded chicken that you don’t use immediately in a recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Other seasonings as desired
- Low sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth
Directions
Choose a skillet that is large enough for the number of chicken breasts you are cooking. Add 1 tsp olive oil per chicken breast OR 1 tbsp olive oil for three or more. Heat the olive oil over medium heat until rippling. While the oil is warming, pat dry the chicken breasts and season both sides. You can stay simple with just salt and pepper. Depending on how you’ll use the shredded chicken, other spices that work well in this method include cayenne pepper, cumin, oregano, and lemon pepper.
Once the oil is rippling and the chicken is seasoned as desired, place the chicken breasts into the skillet. Allow them to cook for 5 minutes without moving them. This allows the chicken to brown to a nice golden color, and browning makes for more flavor.
At the end of 5 minutes, flip the breasts over and cook for an additional 3 minutes without moving them. Then add chicken or vegetable stock or broth. A half cup may do for a single breast in a small skillet. I suggest starting with 3/4 cup for multiple chicken breasts in a larger skillet. Now is also a good time to up the flavor. If you didn’t add additional seasonings to the chicken before placing the breasts in the skillet, you can add spices to the stock or broth for this final stage of cooking.
Cover the skillet and let simmer for 6-7 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquid in the skillet. Add more stock or broth, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed. The steam helps cook the chicken through and keeps it moist. Once the chicken has cooked in the liquid for at least six minutes, go ahead and check the internal temperature. Be sure to place your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast. If it reads below 160 degrees Fahrenheit, cover again and continue cooking. You may need up to 10 minutes total cooking time in the liquid.
When your meat thermometer reads 160, cut the heat. Remove the breasts from the pan, and allow to cool before shredding. I have found the best way to shred chicken is by simply using two forks to pull it apart on a platter or cutting board.
If you know that the temperature for fully cooked chicken breasts is 165, you may wonder why I have told you to cut the heat when it reaches 160. This is a little trick I learned from Alton Brown. The internal temperature of any meat will continue to rise by 5 degrees or more even after removing it from the pan. By cutting the heat when the thickest part of the largest breast is at 160, you’re avoiding overcooking the smaller breasts in the pan. The largest breast will rise to at least 165 degrees before any cooling begins.
Now that you know how to cook moist, flavorful chicken for shredding, what recipe will you make with it? I suggest my Apple Chicken Salad or Southwestern Chicken Salad. Both are delicious on a bed of lettuce or wrapped in individual lettuce leaves.
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