Slow Cooker Shredded Chipotle Chicken
Try this Slow Cooker Shredded Chipotle Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Slow Cooker Shredded Chipotle Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.68688 g
- Cholesterol 2190.418 mg
- Fat 47.18354 g
- Fiber 0.00520000007748604 g
- Protein 872.3126 g
- Saturated Fat 12.550058 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3897g)
- Sodium 2486.882 mg
- Sugar 1.68167999992251 g
- Trans Fat 12.476582 g
- Calories 4165 calories
Step-by-step
- Add chicken breasts to crockpot.
- Mix Chipotle hot sauce, chicken bouillon and warm water together in a small bowl and pour over chicken.
- Set crockpot for 4 hours on high heat.
Chicken breasts cooked incorrectly in a slow cooker often turn out chalky and dry rather than tender and shreddable. Dense muscle fibers squeeze out their internal moisture when exposed to sustained high heat without sufficient surrounding liquid. Reaching the desired shreddable consistency requires balancing the liquid volume so the meat braises gently rather than boiling dry. Dissolving one teaspoon of bouillon granules into half a cup of warm water creates an isotonic base that prevents the poultry from dehydrating during the initial hours of thermal processing. Pouring the resulting mixture alongside a three-ounce bottle of chipotle hot sauce over four large chicken breasts establishes a conductive braising medium. Operating the crockpot on high heat for four hours allows collagen within the connective tissue to denature fully, softening the structure until the fibers pull apart easily with two forks. Stirring or agitating the meat too early halts the natural breakdown process, so keep the lid closed for the entire duration.
Chemical reactions between the capsaicinoids in the hot sauce and the lipids in the chicken create a balanced flavor profile, where the fat content moderates the sharp heat of the peppers. Adjusting this heat profile for dietary preferences requires careful substitution math. Swapping the standard hot sauce for a mild tomato-based salsa maintains the exact liquid volume needed for the braise while significantly lowering the Scoville rating. Store leftovers in an airtight container within the refrigerator for up to four days, ensuring the shredded meat remains submerged in its cooking juices to prevent surface drying.
