Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is an easy way to cook shredded chicken tender and juicy in 30 minutes. Use fresh or frozen chicken breast for this pulled chicken Instant Pot recipe. Boneless chicken breast is also a lean, low calorie choice for shredded chicken recipes.
Servings 4 cups
Calories 4kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (3/4 lb ea) fresh or frozen
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or preferred cooking liquid
Instructions
- Place CHICKEN BREASTS in the Instant Pot, season with SALT and PEPPER, and pour in the CHICKEN BROTH (or preferred liquid).
- Select "Manual" or "Pressure cook" on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes followed by a FULL 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR) to allow completion of cooking.Note: Add 2 minutes for frozen chicken breast
- Carefully turn pressure release valve to "Venting" position to release any remaining steam. Open the lid and insert a meat thermometer in the center of each breast and confirm a minimum internal temperature of 165°. (This is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT food safety step!) * see footnotes about this
- Transfer chicken breasts to a plate, draped with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before shredding.Note: This is key for moisture retention, so resist the temptation to shred them right away.
- Shred chicken with your choice of 2 forks, meat claws, your hands, a stand mixer, or a hand mixer. Spoon the juices from the shredding pan over the chicken when serving or storing.
Storing and Freezing Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Allow shredded chicken to cool. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days in vacuum-sealed bags.
Video
Notes
How long to cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot for shredded chicken
According to Instant Pot official, boneless chicken breasts require 6-8 minutes per lb on high pressure. I have found that 6 minutes high pressure cook with a 10 minute natural pressure release turns out perfectly cooked chicken every time. If using frozen chicken breast, add 2 minutes to the total pressure cook time.
When chicken breasts don't reach 165°F minimum internal temperature
Many factors can cause this to happen. If, for any reason, your pressure cooked chicken breasts don't register 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted in the center, simply return chicken to the pot, lock lid, close pressure valve, and pressure cook on high for 1 minute, followed by a quick pressure release (QPR) and another temperature test with a clean meat thermometer.
How to shred chicken breast / pull chicken
SHREDDED CHICKEN
- Hand mixer: You can make shredded chicken using a hand mixer by placing the chicken breasts in a mixing bowl, and with beater attachments in place on your hand mixer, beat the chicken into shreds on low to medium speed.
- Stand mixer: Did you know your stand mixer can shred chicken? This is especially helpful if you're shredding several chicken breasts. Using the beater attachment, place the chicken breasts in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, and shred the chicken on medium-low speed until it reaches your desired texture.
- 2 forks: Forks are easy tools to shred chicken and are pretty much always available. Simply lay the chicken breast on a cutting board or in a bowl, insert two forks into it, and pull apart repeatedly until you have a pile of shredded chicken. Pro tip: shred chicken against the grain if you want chunky shredded chicken, or shred it with the grain if you want finely shredded chicken. You can also use meat claws to pull chicken.
- With your hands: When the cooked chicken breast is cool to the touch, your bare hands make a perfect shredding tool because...they're always available. Simply use your fingers to pull the chicken strands apart as fine or as chunky as you like.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 4kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 47mg | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg