This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast can be seasoned 3 ways – try Mexican, Greek and Asian. It’s ready in 30 minutes and is super juicy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – you can try using boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
Mexican
- Chili powder – use a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne instead.
- Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
- Paprika – swap out for some cayenne if you don’t have any paprika on hand.
- Onion powder – garlic powder or finely diced onion would also work.
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lime juice can both be used.
- Salt – to taste.
Asian
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
- Honey – try using maple syrup or agave instead.
- Sesame oil – you can use olive oil, but it will have a milder flavour.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Ginger – if you don’t have any fresh ginger, swap out for a bit of ground ginger powder.
Greek
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like canola oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best. Bottled lemon or even lime juice will work in a pinch.
- Garlic – use freshly minced or jarred minced garlic.
- Oregano – marjoram would provide a similar flavour.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Pour water into the Instant Pot.
Step 2: Add in the trivet.
Step 3: Place the chicken on top.
Step 4: Cook on high pressure.
Cook the chicken on high pressure for 8 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
Step 5: Shred the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with a fork and knife.
Step 6: Season and serve!
Toss the chicken with the seasonings of your choice then serve.
What to make with shredded chicken
You can enjoy this Instant Pot shredded chicken on its own or add it to a number of other dishes to increase the protein. Here are some ideas of how to serve your shredded chicken:
- Sandwiches like this Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt
- Salads
- Tacos or quesadillas
- Chicken noodle soup
- Pasta
- Casserole
Frequently Asked Questions
The chicken will need to cook in the Instant Pot at high pressure for 8 minutes. Taking into account the amount of time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to high pressure and the natural pressure release, the total cooking time is about 30 minutes.
Shredding chicken is super simple. Just remove it from the Instant Pot and shred it into pieces with a knife and fork. You could also use a hand-mixer or a stand mixer to make things a bit easier.
Yes, you can use frozen chicken for this recipe. You’ll need to slightly increase your cooking time to about 12-15 minutes. Check out this blog post for more tips and tricks!
If you find your Instant Pot shredded chicken is rubbery after cooking, you likely cooked it for too long. Make sure you’re only cooking it for 8 minutes on high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for about 15 to 20 minutes.
As long as you don’t go over the overflow line in your Instant Pot, you can double up on this recipe without needing to adjust the cooking time. This is a great option if you’re planning on freezing some of the chicken for meal prep or if you’re making a big batch for a party or gathering!
Storing and reheating
Instant Pot shredded chicken will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, which makes it perfect for meal prep! Divide individual portions into glass meal prep bowls and season each portion to your liking. To avoid that leftover chicken taste when reheating, sprinkle some water or broth over top of the chicken then microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
Freezing this recipe
Cooked shredded chicken will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can freeze it in large freezer bags laid flat or in glass containers with lid. Just make sure that you’re not re-freezing chicken that’s already been frozen if you used frozen chicken for this recipe.
When you’re ready to enjoy, let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal. You can also reheat in the microwave from frozen for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring halfway through. Don’t forget to sprinkle some water over top so the chicken stays nice and moist.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
- Whole Instant Pot Chicken Breast 3 Ways
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this chicken into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through before shredding.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re freezing the chicken in freezer bags.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls with lids up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken {3 Ways}
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mexican
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
Asian
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
Greek
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add water and trivet to Instant Pot and place chicken breasts on top. Press the pressure cook button and select the high setting, then set to cook for 8 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to preheat then the 8 minutes to pressure cook. Note: to double recipe, add 5 more minutes cook time.
- Let the pressure naturally release once chicken has finished cooking (should take 15-20 min), then open lid when safe to do so.
- Remove chicken and shred with a fork and knife. Drain water from the pot and then toss chicken with seasonings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
- Chicken can be frozen up to 3 months, then defrosted in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating. To reheat, sprinkle 1-2 tsp water overtop and microwave for 2 minutes.
