When it comes to meal prep, I always rely on my Instant Pot to make perfectly tender, juicy shredded chicken in minutes. Whether I’m planning tacos, casseroles, soups, or salads, this easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe is my go-to method for consistent results every time. As a home cook who loves quick and reliable meals, I promise this recipe will become one of your best kitchen staples too.
The Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker is a breeze. When I grew up my mom would boil chicken with a little salt and can we just say that boiled chicken is awful?
The pressure could will yield tender moist shredded chicken that is perfect for adding to soups, stews, casseroles, or making into tacos, burritos, or even enchiladas. Making this recipe so versatile and perfect for meal prepping too.
Ingredient Roll Call: Shredded Chicken Breast
- Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for shredding; choose similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- Water or Chicken Broth – Adds moisture and helps build pressure in the Instant Pot for tender results.
- Salt – Enhances the natural flavor of the chicken.
- Pepper – Brings a light seasoning that pairs well with any dish you plan to use the chicken in.
- Crushed Garlic – Infuses the chicken with rich, savory depth while it cooks.
The Must-Haves
Keep these handy tools ready to make shredding a breeze
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker – The star of the show for fast, juicy results.
- Trivet – Elevates the chicken above the liquid for even cooking.
- Tongs – Makes removing hot chicken easy and safe.
- Forks or Hand Mixer – For shredding the chicken once cooked.
- Storage Containers – Perfect for meal prepping or freezing leftovers.
Let's Make it!
I like to season my chicken, it just gives it extra great flavor. A little salt and pepper goes a long way and of course some crushed garlic too! You don't have to stop there, Italian Seasonings are also perfect to add too.
For the Instant Pot or any Pressure Cooker you will need some liquid. I use either water or chicken broth. The chicken will pick up the flavors from the broth so I use it whenever possible.
Cooking times can vary when using the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker. Depending on if you are using Chicken Tenders or a thicker Chicken Breast will determine the cooking time.
I buy my Chicken Breasts in bulk, so that is what I use. Makes perfect sense, right? So use what you have and adjust the time as needed because of the thickness of your chicken.
For Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts, I will do 3-6 breasts for 18 minutes Manual High Pressure (Pressure Cook) with a 20 minute Natural Release.
For Chicken Tenders cook for 6-8 minutes with a 10 minute Natural Release.
Kitchen Secrets
- Skip the Dry Chicken: Always use at least 1 cup of liquid. Less than that can cause the pot to show a “burn” warning.
- Natural Release Matters: That extra 20 minutes allows the juices to redistribute so your chicken stays moist.
- Batch Cooking Tip: Double the recipe and portion it out for future meals—no extra cooking time needed.
Flavor Fixes / Swap It Out
You can easily customize this pressure cooker shredded chicken to fit any flavor profile. Swap the garlic for onion powder, toss in taco seasoning for Mexican-inspired dishes, or use Italian herbs for pasta and salads. For extra flavor, always choose chicken broth over water—it adds a rich depth you’ll taste in every bite.
Fridge & Freezer Magic
Store leftover Instant Pot shredded chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in a skillet or microwave with a splash of broth to keep it juicy.
Kitchen Q&A's
Instant Pot Pulled Chicken and Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast are the same thing.
Ultimately you are cooking chicken and pulling or shredding with a fork to separate. Pulled Chicken can be used in a wide variety of recipes from casseroles, enchiladas, to salads.
Yes, it's best if the chicken breasts are not frozen in one lump but frozen separately. Increase the pressure cooking time to 22-24 minutes keeping all the other steps the same.
Of course you can use chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless thighs are so full of flavor. Just reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes.
The chicken comes out so moist and tender it's easy to use forks to pull it apart. But for large batches use a hand mixer to get the job done quickly.
Meal Prep
Prepping for meals is a game changer. Shredded chicken is something I use every week and making a larger batch just makes sense because I can freeze it so easily in specific portions for later use.
Once the chicken is cooked and shredded I measure out, typically in about 3 cup measurements which is what works perfectly for my family.
How to use Shredded Chicken
There’s nothing better than having perfectly cooked shredded chicken ready to go for quick meals. This easy Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe saves time, reduces stress, and guarantees tender results every single time. Trust me, your weekly meal prep just got a major upgrade.
Your Next Favorite Recipes
- BBQ Chicken Tostadas
- Sweet Salsa Chicken Salad
- Chicken Stuffed Cream Cheese Croissants
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- Hawaiian Haystacks
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Cup water or Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tbs Crushed Garlic
Instructions
- Place water or Chicken Broth in Bottom of Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- Place Chicken in Instant Pot on Trivet
- Sprinkle Salt and Pepper over Chicken Breasts
- Sprinkle crushed garlic on chicken
- Close Instant Pot Lid and check to make sure pressure valve is closed
- Set on Manual (Presser Cook) High for 18 minutes
- Allow a 20 minute Natural Release
- Remove Chicken Breasts and one at a time shred chicken with forks
- Use in a meal, or package and freeze for later use
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
judy
whenever i cook chicken breasts they are tough. any suggestions
Devour Dinner
Hi Judy, I find when chicken breasts are thick they take a bit longer to cook especially when I had a number of them in the pot. Try adding additional time.
Dawn Gold
is there a trick to shredding? It never goes well for me. IDK if it's my MS or I'm just lousy at it.
Devour Dinner
Hi Dawn, some like to use a hand mixer to shred chicken. I find when I cook Chicken in the Pressure Cooker if I allow a full natural release it tends to be easier to shred. Sometime it helps if I cut up chicken breasts into smaller pieces too. Hope this helps!
Danny
How much additional time should I add for frozen chicken breasts? And do you notice much of a difference using broth as opposed to water? Thank you in advance!
Devour Dinner
Hi Danny,
When cooking with frozen meat you should not need to add additional time. However, it will take longer to pressure up because of the frozen meat. I prefer to use broth but when I don't I do make sure I add salt, pepper, garlic and often time some Italian seasonings to my chicken for flavor. That's a personal preference for sure!