Instant Pot shredded chicken should make dinner easier, not leave you with dry, flavorless chicken you have to hide with a sauce. This method gives you tender, juicy chicken breasts seasoned well enough to taste good on their own, but versatile enough to use in everything from enchiladas and casseroles to soups, salads, and sandwiches.
I make a batch of this most Sundays, and it’s genuinely the least exciting thing I cook all week, which is exactly why it earns a spot in the fridge. It’s what turns a rushed Tuesday into tacos instead of takeout, or a sad lunch into an actual chicken salad. For years, my Instant Pot chicken came out dry, bland, or rubbery, and I finally figured out it was two things: cooking it in stock instead of water, and giving it those extra few minutes of natural release before I touched the valve. Small changes, but they’re the whole reason this version holds up instead of turning stringy and sad by day three.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Always tender and juicy for up to 3 days in the fridge
- No dry stringy bites
- Ready in about 20 minutes
- Mostly hands off
- Works across tacos, casseroles, salads, sandwiches, and soups
- Freezes well so you can easy 2x the batch and freeze it as a staple
Ingredients for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- chicken stock (or chicken broth)
- salt (I use coarse Kosher salt)
- ground black pepper
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- dried oregano
- onion powder
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken (Step by Step)
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and onion powder.
- Gently pour in the chicken stock.
- Securely place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- Once it has finished cooking, allow it to NATURALLY RELEASE for 5 minutes.
- QUICK RELEASE the remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid. Remove the chicken breasts and shred them.
Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot variations
The really great thing about this recipe is that you can customize the seasoning to whatever flavor you need.
Some great seasoning options include:
- taco seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- barbecue rub
- Greek seasoning
You can also add bbq sauce for Instant Pot bbq chicken (perfect for chicken sandwiches!).
How to serve Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast is great in a lot of different recipes. It’s a great, quick way to have juicy, fall apart chicken for any recipe you need it in.
You can use this shredded chicken in casseroles like Chicken Broccoli Rice, Tex Mex Chicken and Rice, or Chicken Noodle Casserole.
It’s also great in soups, salads, and sandwiches like Chicken Tortilla Soup, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Chicken Salad, and Chopped Chicken Avocado Salad.
You can use it in Sheet Pan Nachos, Chicken Enchiladas, burrito bowls, and even BBQ Chicken Tacos.
Storing Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Shredded chicken should be cooled completely before storing.
Place the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Shredded chicken also freezes well. The best method is using a vacuum sealer, but you can also place it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months.
How Long to Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts take just 10 minutes to cook on high pressure in the Instant Pot. Once the cooking time is finished, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.
That short natural release matters. It gives the chicken a few extra minutes to finish cooking gently and helps keep the juices inside the meat instead of leaving you with dry, stringy chicken.
The exact total time will vary slightly because the Instant Pot needs time to come to pressure, but the chicken itself cooks for 10 minutes. After that, it is ready to shred and use right away or portion out for meals later in the week.
Shredded Chicken Instant Pot FAQs
The most common cause of rubbery chicken is overcooking. Be sure to only cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
The fastest way to shred chicken is with an electric hand or stand mixer. Place the chicken breast in a mixing bowl and turn the hand mixer on medium speed to shred it.
The terms are often used interchangeably, but usually shredded chicken is a finer texture while pulled chicken is a larger stringy texture.
kitchen tools to make instant pot shredded chicken
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Buy Now → Recipes to Use Shredded Chicken Breast
- Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
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Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and onion powder.
- Gently pour in the chicken stock.
- Securely place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- Once it has finished cooking, allow it to NATURALLY RELEASE for 5 minutes.
- QUICK RELEASE the remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid. Remove the chicken breasts and shred them.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
