Shredded chicken is pretty expensive pre-cooked in the grocery store and I never seem to keep the breasts set aside long enough when I make roast chicken to use them in another recipe. So when I need shredded chicken for a recipe, I tend to make mine at home in the slow cooker. Shredded chicken has a multitude of uses, from chicken and sausage gumbo to white chicken chili to simply adding it to quick and easy dinner salads, shredded chicken is definitely a protein workhouse for your weekly meal routine. I personally like my quesadillas filled with shredded chicken, then topped with salsa verde or pico de gallo salsa, guacamole, and of course sour cream.
Using a slow cooker to make shredded chicken (also known commonly by the brand name Crockpot by Rival) not only allows you to prevent that dreaded dried out cotton-like taste that occurs when chicken breasts are cooked at too high of a temperature on the stove, but it also allows you to “set it and forget it”. For this recipe, simply dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on low or high, depending on how much time you have, and walk away. No flipping or turning, no doing anything more than simply throwing everything inside – the slow cooker does all the work for you. The other great thing about this recipe is that is can be used as a base recipe for many other dishes, or kept in the fridge for when you need it. And if any of you are still following your New Years resolutions to lose weight, shredded chicken breasts are high in protein and low in fat, making them low on the glycemic index, wonderful if you are following a low gi or other type eating plan.
- 1 kg (ca. 2 lbs.) frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and top with the salt and black pepper.
- Turn the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours (depending on the internal temperature of your slow cooker, some run warmer than others).
- The chicken has cooked when the juice from the thickest part of the thickest chicken breast runs clear and the meat is no longer pink.
- Once the chicken is cooked, move it to a heat proof bowl and and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Once cooled, pull the chicken meat apart using two forks.
Great recipe ideas for shredded chicken:
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Chicken Caesar Salad
Spicy Chipotle Shredded Chicken Tacos
Sloppy Chicken Joes
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Chicken Kathi Roll with Pickled Onions
More slow cooker recipes on thanksforthefood.com
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[…] in my freezer. I’ve stopped buying convenience foods such as shredded chicken breast (and now make it in my slow cooker), frozen pizza, and frozen meals like lasagne to opt instead for homemade versions. Many of these […]