This slow cooker shredded chicken is easy and endlessly versatile. The chicken turns out tender and juicy, making it perfect for tacos, soups, and salads.
We’ve already shared our stovetop shredded chicken, which takes less than an hour. After many of you requested a crockpot version, we knew we had to share!
Slow cookers are perfect for breaking down meat until it’s tender and juicy. Here, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts) gently simmer in a flavorful broth until they’re fall-apart tender and perfect for shredding.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: I love boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but chicken breast works well, too. You can even swap in turkey.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and a bay leaf add a lot of flavor as the chicken cooks in the slow cooker.
- Spices: We keep it simple, with a mix of salt, cumin, and black pepper. This blend keeps the chicken well-seasoned and versatile for all your favorite dishes.
- Water or Broth: Water works perfectly (the aromatics and spices add plenty of flavor), but feel free to use chicken broth or vegetable broth for even more flavor.
Find the full recipe with exact measurements below.
Tips for Making Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
Tip 1: Cook low and slow. The best way to make shredded chicken in a slow cooker is to cook it gently. Add all the ingredients to your Crockpot, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easy to shred.
Tip 2: Save the broth. You’ll be left with a light chicken broth that’s really delicious. I love to transfer it to a saucepan and simmer until reduced by about one-third. Then I toss the shredded chicken with a splash of the concentrated broth to keep it extra juicy. You’ll have some broth leftover, which I love saving for a light soup.
Ways to Use Your Chicken
Use this tender crockpot shredded chicken in one of these delicious recipes:
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas – with red enchilada sauce
- Chicken Pesto Quesadillas
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza Sticks
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Salad
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love this simple crockpot shredded chicken recipe. It turns out so tender and works in so many different dishes. I love this for meal-prepping!
You Will Need
3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or combination of thighs and breast
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Water
Directions
1Combine chicken, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, cumin, and pepper in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Cover with lid and cook on LOW until the chicken is very tender, 4 to 6 hours.
2Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Once it is cool enough to handle, use two forks or your fingers to shred the meat.
3After removing the chicken, strain the liquid left in the slow cooker and then transfer it to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until it has reduced by one-third, or until the flavor has concentrated.
4Spoon about 1 cup of the concentrated cooking liquid over the shredded chicken and toss to coat. Use within 2 to 3 days. Save any remaining liquid for a light soup or use it as stock later.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead: The chicken and broth will keep refrigerated up to 3 days and can be frozen for 1 month.
- Skin-on chicken: We have made this recipe using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and chicken thighs with skin still attached. Both work very well. If you use chicken with skin, remove and discard the skin before you shred the chicken. You may also find that you need to skim some of the fat from the cooking broth before spooning it over the chicken.
- Leftover cooking liquid: You will have cooking liquid leftover. It is quite delicious on its own as a light soup. You can also use it as broth for other recipes. Or, if you’re keeping the chicken more than a day, add a spoonful or two to add a little extra moisture.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I made this with chicken breast and when I put it in a bowl to shred, it fell apart on it’s own. So tender I did not need to use the hand mixer. Making it again tonight but with thighs. So easy to throw together meals for the week with this on hand and I love saving the broth as well for a tasty treat. Thanks so much for this recipe !!
This is the best recipe I have found for chicken in the slow cooker. And the tip for using your stand mixer to shred it is so good! It worked perfectly. All of your tips and suggestions are great, thank you for sharing.
This process makes wonderful, tender chicken. It’s easy to shred and great for enchiladas and tacos. I cut the recipe in half and it works fine.
I am using boned chicked will let you know how it turns out.