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Shredded chicken is such a versatile staple to have on hand for prepared breakfasts or lunches for the week, or to help with cutting down the amount of time it takes to get dinner on the table on a busy weeknight. I love making a huge batch of chicken on Sundays and finding different ways to eat it throughout the week. Some of my favorites include alongside steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes for a quick lunch I can eat at my desk, or over a big bed of greens I can eat ten minutes after walking through the door from the gym at 7pm on a Wednesday night. Use it over nachos for a fun weeknight dinner the kids will love. Throw it in some veggie soup to up the protein. Use it on the weekends in egg scrambles. The opportunities are, quite literally, endless!

And thanks to the Instant Pot, it couldn’t be easier, cleaner, or faster to prepare a large batch of shredded chicken to get you through the week. Gone are the days of the grease splattering all over your stove and kitchen floor from grilling your chicken in your cast iron skillet. Mike and I have slipped on our kitchen floor at the spot in front of the stove more times that I would care to admit. With the Instant Pot method, all you have to do is put the chicken breasts in your Instant Pot with a little water, sea salt, pepper, close the lid, and you’re well on your way to a week’s worth of healthy meals!

In this post I have included three completely different flavor takes on shredded chicken depending on what you’re in the mood for! I am providing instructions for Classic Style, Taco Style, and Buffalo Style. I encourage you to play around with the spices in your arsenal to see what else you can come up with! The basic technique will be the same as I have outlined below.

I haven’t tried this using a slow cooker, but I would bet the chicken would come out great if you cook it on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. I wouldn’t change anything about the other ingredients or amounts. If you try it this way, let the rest of us know how it went in the comments below! Happy meal prepping!

thehungryhungryhiker

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – 3 Ways

A basic Instant Pot recipe for a healthy meal prep protein staple. Includes instructions for three different flavor variations.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For Classic Style:
  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, large
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
For Taco Style, ADD the following to the Classic Style Ingredients:
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
For Buffalo Style, ADD the following to the Classic Style Ingredients:
  • 1-2 tbsp ghee in addition to the 2 tbsp needed for the Classic Style
  • 2-3 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Method
 

  1. Place the chicken breasts in the insert of your Instant Pot. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pour 2 cups of water over the chicken breasts and secure the lid on your Instant Pot. Be sure that the pressure valve is set to "sealing." Press the Pressure Cook button and adjust the time to 12 minutes to cook on High pressure.
  2. When the Instant Pot indicates the pressure cooking is complete, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred with two forks. Drain the water from the Instant Pot.
  3. Add the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot. Press the Saute button and add the ghee and garlic powder. If you are making the Taco Style or the Buffalo Style, add in those ingredients now. Saute 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute, until the chicken is coated evenly.