Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Easy slow cooker shredded chicken to use in lunch and dinners, packed with flavors from bay leaves and garlic and perfectly tender.

Shredded chicken is a universal ingredient in the kitchen and if you can make a big batch and refrigerate or freeze it, it immediately makes weekly dinners easier.

To make my signature shredded chicken in a slow cooker, my trick is to always add butter and bay leaf. They make chicken meat so rich and yummy.

I love using my shredded chicken in casseroles, chicken tacos or taco salad recipes, pies, sandwiches, and as an easy substitution for rotisserie chicken when a recipe calls for it. It is great for quick pasta too.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy crockpot shredded chicken recipe with 5 minutes of prep time
• A large batch of shredded chicken – enough for 10 portions. Perfect for meal prep and any recipes that require pre-cooked chicken.
• It is simple, delicious, and versatile. A great recipe, and very beginner and budget-friendly.
• It is healthy. There is no added oil and you can adjust the saltiness.

Ingredients Notes

This is an overview where I walk you through the process, for exact measurements and steps, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Butter. Salted or unsalted – depending on your preference, make sure to adjust the added salt if using salted butter.
• Seasoning: Garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper
• Bay leaf. Other dried herbs can be used, for ex., 1 tsp thyme, oregano, or basil
• Chicken broth. The low-sodium chicken broth will be better. We use it as a cooking liquid to infuse chicken breasts with saltiness and flavors. Chicken breasts tend to become rubbery if overcooked, so the broth helps to keep the chicken moist. You can swap it with water too if you want to keep it as low sodium as possible.

Kitchen Equipment

• 4-quart slow cooker – or larger.
• Optional, slow cooker liner, to make clean-up easier.

How To Make Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

1: Cook The Chicken In The Slow Cooker

1. Coat the cooker insert with a spritz of cooking oil.
2. Add the chicken to the insert, top with the butter, and then sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
3. Pour in the broth.
4. Add the lid and slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Cooking on low check after 2 hours, sometimes it can be enough for the chicken to be done.

2: Shred The Chicken

1. Once cooked, drain most of the broth, reserving about a half cup or so with the chicken. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. Pull the chicken to shred to the desired texture and stir with the juices to keep it moist before serving.

Storage

Refrigerate shredded chicken in an airtight container for 4 days.

The chicken can be frozen in zip-top freezer bags or an airtight container for up to 4 months. Reserve the broth with the chicken when storing to maintain moisture. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before serving.

Substitutions & Variations

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used as well. Boneless thighs have some dark meat and it gets even softer and tenderer than large chicken breasts which have lots of white meat and it can be a bit rubbery if cooked in the oven for too long. A slow cooker gets rid of those issues so you can use either safely.
• Please do not use frozen chicken. It will sit at an unsafe temperature for too long as it thaws and then heats to a cooking temperature.
• Seasonings. You can add garlic powder, ground paprika, onion powder, spices, barbecue sauce, Italian seasoning, and Taco seasoning, or make it spicy with chili powder and cayenne pepper.
• More flavors. Add brown sugar, pineapple juice, buffalo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or apple cider vinegar. It will bring out some tang, umami, or caramel sweet flavor.
• You can use green chiles and Taco seasoning to make Mexican-style shredded chicken.

Popular Questions

Is It Ok To Put Raw Chicken In Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can cook raw chicken in the slow cooker, but you can’t cook frozen chicken.

Some people brown the chicken before cooking it in the slow cooker, but it is completely optional.

Do You Need To Put Liquid In The Slow Cooker When Cooking Chicken?

Adding cooking liquid will help to keep the chicken meat moist and cook it slowly and all the way through, especially when you’re cooking the whole chicken breasts. You can use chicken broth and discard most of it after the chicken is cooked.

How Many Hours Does It Take To Cook Chicken In A Crock Pot?

To properly cook the chicken in a slow cooker, you need to cook it covered with the lid for 6-8 hours on low or on high for 3-4 hours. Cooking on high tends to make chicken breasts drier.

What Is The Easiest Way To Shred Chicken?

I find the easiest way to shred the chicken is when it is still warm by simply pulling it apart with your hands or two forks. If you want a hands-off process, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.

Once chicken cools down, it will become firm and it will be harder to shred.

Why Is My Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tough?

Chicken breasts will turn tough in the slow cooker when they are cooked for too long with not enough cooking liquid (broth).

Another reason for rubbery and dry slow cooker chicken is using a slow cooker that is too big for the amount of chicken you have. A 4qt slow cooker is good for 4 pounds of chicken. 

If you love this slow cooker recipe, you’re going to love these other easy slow cooker recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Try this Chicken in these recipes

Shredded Chicken Nachos

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Rotisserie Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

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