Easy CrockPot Shredded Chicken
This super easy CrockPot Shredded Chicken is slow cooked and perfectly seasoned so it's fall apart tender. Perfect for using in all your shredded chicken recipes!
This super easy CrockPot Shredded Chicken is slow cooked and perfectly seasoned so it's fall apart tender. Perfect for using in all your shredded chicken recipes!
- Carbohydrate 0.29067140625 g
- Cholesterol 115 mg
- Fat 23.09633921875 g
- Fiber 0.0481671861559153 g
- Protein 28.584749375 g
- Saturated Fat 6.60963774479167 g
- Serving Size 1 1 to 10 cup (154g)
- Sodium 398.133864583333 mg
- Sugar 0.242504220094085 g
- Trans Fat 1.96355432291666 g
- Calories 331 calories
Step-by-step
- Season chicken breasts with seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder and onions powder.
- Pour chicken broth in slow cooker and add chicken breast.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until chicken easily falls apart with two forks.
- Toss the shredded chicken in the juices from the slow cooker.
- Use right away or let cool completely and store in a zip close bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Boneless skinless chicken breast lacks natural fat, which creates a major textural hazard in long cooking applications. Lean poultry fibers tighten quickly under sustained heat, squeezing out moisture and turning chalky if cooked without adequate liquid or at too high a temperature. Slow cookers transfer energy gradually, but naked meat will still dry out. Adding one cup of chicken broth to the vessel generates steam, shielding the protein from direct, harsh heat while the collagen breaks down.
Set the appliance to low heat and cook the five pounds of poultry for six to eight hours. High heat causes muscle fibers to seize prematurely, resulting in a stringy, rubbery consistency that forks cannot easily pull apart. When the timer ends, test the meat by pulling two forks through the thickest part. Zero resistance indicates proper doneness. If the chicken resists tearing, cover the unit and cook for an additional thirty minutes before testing again.
Shred the meat directly inside the cooking vessel so the warm strands reabsorb the rendered cooking juices. This step prevents dryness during subsequent storage. Store the shredded portions in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to five days, or transfer them to the freezer for up to two months. Pair the finished protein with heavy starches like polenta or roasted potatoes to balance the lean profile of the breast meat.
Dietary substitutions require careful fat management when altering the liquid base. Substituting water for the broth removes vital sodium and savory depth, so increase the seasoned salt by half a teaspoon to compensate. Swapping boneless chicken thighs for the breasts changes the fat content significantly, yielding a richer texture that requires only five hours on low heat.
