Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Looking for something to help make week night meals a little easier? This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe is a staple that can be used for casseroles, tacos, even salads!

How long does it take to make slow cooker shredded chicken?

To make this slow cooker shredded chicken, you only need three ingredients: chicken breasts, seasoning, and your favorite salsa.  You’ll see me refer back to this recipe several times on the blog because it’s the base for so many of my favorite recipes!  Once you add everything to the slow cooker, it will take 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Can you freeze leftover shredded chicken?

The answer is YES. Simply portion out your leftover shredded chicken into individual freezer bags or containers, label, and store them away for future use. The safest way to defrost the chicken later is to let it gradually thaw in the refrigerator.  This could take a day or so which requires some planning in advance. Another safe way to defrost is to submerge the freezer bag or container (making sure it’s airtight) in COLD water.  Change the water every 30 minutes.  Depending on the portion size, chicken should be defrosted within 1-3 hours.

What can you make with leftover shredded chicken?

There are so many options when it comes to using shredded chicken, but here are some of my favorites:

• Protein topping for salads
• Tacos
• Quesadillas
• Chicken Salad
• Soup
• Chili
• Buffalo chicken dip

Print

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Looking for something to help make week night meals a little easier? This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe is a staple that can be used for casseroles, tacos, even salads!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 194 kcal

Author Sweet Simple Wellness

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 2 tbsp salt-free chicken seasoning
• 16 oz salsa

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker

2. Sprinkle both sides with chicken seasoning

3. Pour an entire 16oz jar of salsa into the slow cooker until chicken breasts are completely covered

4. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours until fully cooked (cook times may vary)
   

5. Take chicken out of the slow cooker and finely shred using fork

6. Turn slow cooker down to "low" or "warm" setting

7. Place shredded chicken back into the slow cooker with the salsa and mix well
   

8. Let sit for about 30 minutes until full flavor is absorbed

9. Chicken is ready to use right away in your favorite recipe or can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for future use