Create the most juicy and flavorful Instant Pot Shredded Chicken with this easy 3 ingredient recipe, made in just 25 minutes! Use the shredded chicken to make tacos, chicken pot pie, salads, sandwiches or enchiladas. You can use boneless or bone-in chicken breasts, thighs or frozen chicken to make this easy Instant Pot recipe.

shredded chicken in bowl, sitting in front of an Instant Pot

“Turned out fantastic! I made chicken tacos. Seasoning was also fantastic! I Made extra seasoning for the next meal, and actually put the seasoning in a spice bottle.

This was super easy. Thanks for sharing.”

-Jerrie F.

The very first thing I ever made in my Instant Pot back in 2017 was shredded chicken. It’s so simple and perfect for adding to so many recipes. But what took my Instant Pot shredded chicken from basic to WOW, was this delicious Chicken Seasoning! It’s the secret ingredient that makes this THE BEST shredded chicken recipe on the internet!

The best part about this recipe is that it can be made using fresh or frozen chicken breasts, bone-in or boneless chicken and chicken breasts or thighs. This makes it a truly versatile recipe, no matter what chicken you have in your fridge or freezer. I like using bone-in chicken breasts, because the bone gives the chicken more flavor. And as a bonus, it’s usually cheaper than boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

If you purchase bone-in chicken breasts that still have the skin attached, it’s easy to remove the skin with a sharp knife before making the recipe. That’s what I did with the bone-in split chicken breasts that you’ll see pictured throughout this post. I was able to pick these up for $.99 a pound, now that’s a deal I could not pass up!

My other favorite way to use this recipe is to cook frozen chicken breasts that I forgot to defrost. Yup, we’ve all been there! Luckily, there’s no need to defrost chicken before adding it to the Instant Pot. Just pop it right in and let the pressure cooker do the work!

Just follow these 3 keys to success for the MOST juicy, tender and flavorful shredded chicken breasts you’ve ever made!

  1. Use the secret ingredient chicken seasoning to flavor the chicken!
  2. Instead of cooking the chicken in water, cook it in chicken broth, for extra flavor!
  3. Use bone-in chicken breasts to add, you guessed it, even more flavor from the bone!
Instant Pot shredded chicken ingredients on white wood board

Ingredients

  • Boneless or bone-in chicken breasts, or bone-in or boneless chicken thighs – frozen, fresh, boneless or bone-in, chicken breasts or thighs, they’ll all work for this recipe! If using fresh boneless chicken breasts, you’ll want to cook them for 10 minutes, for everything else, add 2 minutes to the cooking time.
  • Chicken broth – you can also use vegetable broth or water, but I prefer chicken broth for maximum flavor.
  • Chicken seasoning – It only takes 5 minutes to whip up this easy 7 ingredient blend of spices that adds so much flavor to this Instant Pot chicken recipe. If you don’t have the chicken seasoning, I recommend using 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon black pepper + 1 teaspoon garlic powder to season the chicken.
raw chicken breasts in an instant pot
seasoned uncooked bone-in chicken breasts in an instant pot
Instant Pot with the timer set to 12 minutes
seasoned cooked chicken breasts in an Instant Pot
seasoned cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board with forks and meat claws on the side
shredded chicken on a cutting board with two forks on the side

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos above to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Add chicken breasts or thighs to an Instant Pot.
  2. Sprinkle the chicken seasoning over the chicken, then pour the broth into the Instant Pot.
  3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing”. For bone-in chicken breasts, frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs, set the timer on the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. For fresh (not frozen) boneless chicken breasts, set the timer to pressure cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Once the timer beeps, allow the Instant Pot to pressure down for 10 minutes. Move the pressure valve from “sealing” to “venting” to release any remaining pressure. Once all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
  5. Use two forks or tongs to remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Place it on a large cutting board.
  6. Use two forks or meat claws to shred the chicken. You can also wait until the chicken cools enough to touch and shred the chicken with your hands. Or you can use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer and shred the chicken in there. You can either use the chicken immediately, or toss it back in the broth in the Instant Pot to keep it warm and juicy, until ready to serve.

Pro Tip! After removing the chicken from the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot, don’t just throw that broth down the drain! Use it to make soups, sauces or chicken stroganoff. You can store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to one week.

seasoned shredded chicken in a bowl with a large fork and fresh parsley on the side
hand lifting chip out of buffalo chicken dip in baking dish

Ways to use it

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to the ways you can use this shredded chicken. From a simple chicken wrap, to chicken salad, Cajun chicken pot pie, chicken tinga tacos and more!

This is the perfect recipe to make as part of your meal prep routine. You can make a big batch on Sunday, then eat it for several different meals throughout the week. Toss it with BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce or salsa to make a bbq chicken salad, buffalo chicken wrap, or chicken burritos.

And if you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out a dozen of my other favorite ways to use the chicken in recipes.

  1. Buffalo Chicken Dip (pictured above)
  2. Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Sauce
  3. Cheesy Green Chili Rolled Chicken Tacos
  4. Buffalo Chicken Taco Ring
  5. Green Chili Chicken Spaghetti Squash
  6. Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  7. Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Soup
  8. Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Pasta
  9. Chicken Tostadas
  10. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
  11. Chicken Pot Pie Soup
  12. Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
shredded chicken in Instant Pot with two forks

More Instant Pot recipes

Try my other go-to recipes, made in the Instant Pot! You could even toss this Instant Pot pulled chicken right into the risotto, or serve it on top of the mashed potatoes!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Risotto

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot Basmati Rice
shredded chicken in instant pot with large serving fork
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Create the most juicy and flavorful Instant Pot Shredded Chicken with this quick and easy 3 ingredient recipe! Use the shredded chicken to make tacos, chicken pot pie, salads, sandwiches or enchiladas!
Servings: 4 cups shredded chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, boneless or bone-in, fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  • Add skinless chicken breasts to an Instant Pot.
  • Sprinkle the chicken seasoning over the chicken, then pour the broth into the Instant Pot.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing”.
  • For bone-in chicken breasts, frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs, set the timer on the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. For fresh (not frozen) boneless chicken breasts, set the timer to 10 minutes.
  • Once the timer beeps, allow the Instant Pot to pressure down for 10 minutes, then move the pressure valve from “sealing” to “venting” to release any remaining pressure.
  • Once all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
  • Use two forks or tongs to remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place it on a large cutting board.
  • Use two forks or meat claws to shred the chicken. You can also wait until the chicken cools enough to touch and shred the chicken with your hands.
  • You can either use the chicken immediately, or toss it back in the broth in the Instant Pot to keep it warm and juicy, until ready to serve.

Notes

  • The nutritional information provided is for 1 cup of shredded boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • Instead of the chicken seasoning, you can use other seasonings in this recipe. Use this chicken wing seasoning to make spicy, smoky chicken, perfect for adding to recipes with buffalo sauce. Use this taco seasoning to make Mexican shredded chicken for tacos or enchiladas. You can also use Italian seasoning to make Italian shredded chicken for pasta dishes or salads. Or use Southwest seasoning to make smoky chicken for salads or wraps.
  • One pound of chicken will give you approximately 2 cups of shredded chicken. Chicken breasts vary in size greatly, so when determining how much shredded chicken you’ll need for a recipe, I recommend going by weight NOT the number of breasts or thighs.
  • This recipe can be made with 1 pound of chicken, up to 6 pounds of chicken, using a 6 quart Instant Pot. If making the recipe with 1 pound of chicken, cut the seasoning and broth in half, but always make sure the bottom of the Instant Pot is covered in liquid, or you risk getting the “burn” signal. If doubling or tripling this recipe to make 4 or 6 pounds of chicken, you’ll want to double or triple the amount of seasoning and broth.
  • Cooked, shredded chicken will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the shredded chicken in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 268kcal (13%)Carbohydrates 2g (1%)Protein 49g (98%)Fat 6g (9%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 145mg (48%)Sodium 479mg (20%)Potassium 900mg (26%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 1g (1%)Vitamin A 122mg (2%)Vitamin C 7mg (8%)Calcium 35mg (4%)Iron 2mg (11%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!

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