Shredded Chicken Recipe

Making a batch of shredded chicken is the easiest way to get started with soups and stews, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and more…
Shredded Chicken With Spices

By Mark Hinds | Updated January 28, 2025

Tender and juicy shredded chicken is a versatile base that can be used to make enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. Cooking the chicken on a low simmer with the chilies helps make sure that every bite of chicken is plump, juicy, and delicious.

A couple of things we learned working on this recipe were that the easiest way to get plump, juicy chicken is to cook it longer over low heat. Any time the water came to a boil during our testing the chicken came out tough and stringy.

Lower temps are much more forgiving to the chicken. If youโ€™re worried about undercooked chicken make sure to cook it at least the full 90 minutes on a good simmer.

Low and slow means every bite is plump and juicy

We also figured out that a great way to build layers of flavor into the chicken is to add a dried ancho chili and a can of roasted green chilies to the cooking liquid. Adding the chilies helps embed their flavor deep into every bite of chicken without making everything too spicy.

The reason this recipe uses a combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs is because we love how the combination of different cuts gives the final dish more exciting flavors and textures.

Chicken In Pot
Brown the chicken skin side down for a few minutes

Another nice thing about this recipe is itโ€™s an easy way to make a big batch of shredded chicken that can be used to feed a large group, or the chicken can be split into two with half frozen for later.

The recipe we use this shredded chicken with the most is our Shredded Chicken Enchiladas which have a delicious creamy salsa verde sauce.

For more ideas on how to turn this shredded chicken into amazing enchiladas, read A Complete Guide on How to Make Enchiladas or check out Our Favorite Enchilada Recipes.

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas Featured
Thereโ€™s something comforting about eating homemade chicken enchiladas as if everything good got wrapped up in a little package for dinner.

If youโ€™re looking for a side dish to go along with whatever youโ€™re making with this chicken, try our Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe. The flavors in the rice complement the flavors in the shredded chicken.

Shredded Chicken With Spices

Shredded Chicken

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1 cup white onion, rough cut
  • 1 4 oz can roasted green chilies
  • 1 ancho chili dried, rough cut
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • In a large pot sautรฉ the onion and green chilies in a little cooking oil for a few minutes.
  • Place the chicken, skin side down to brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the chicken with 6 to 8 cups water, turn the heat down to a simmer, add the ancho chili and Mexican oregano and cook uncovered on a low simmer for 90 minutes. The chicken should be entirely covered by the water.
  • When the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove it from the pot and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before shredding. It should be cool enough that you can touch it with your hands.
  • To shred the chicken, remove the skin and use your hands to pull it into bite-sized pieces.
  • Once the chicken has been shredded, mix it with the chili powder, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
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Nutrition
Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.7mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation.

Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umamiโ€™s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.

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