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This easy Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe can be used in a variety of ways! Choose either chicken breasts or chicken thighs to get the most juicy and tender results.
Try my Easy Baked Chicken Breast recipe or Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs next.
Why you’ll love it
So many recipes call for leftover or rotisserie chicken, and one of the easiest ways to make perfectly cooked shredded chicken is in the Instant Pot! It’s quick, low effort and efficient, and comes out so tender. This chicken is simple yet infused with lots of savory flavor.
Even if you’re not super into meal prep, having cooked chicken in the fridge is very handy for adding to soups, salads, sandwiches, and more. This versatile Instant Pot chicken recipe ensures that you’ll have plenty to use for all your meals throughout the week!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – I mostly use chicken breasts, but the recipe card below also includes instructions and timing for chicken thighs. Both methods are foolproof! Trust me, I tested the timing and techniques extensively for both.
- Salt – to bring out the natural flavors
- Chicken broth – this is key for moisture and depth of flavor
Pro tip
Some Instant Pot models have a “poultry” button, but all this means is that it has a pre-programmed cooking time. That’s it. I prefer the control of using the “manual” button and setting a time myself.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is my trusty 6-qt. Instant Pot model.
- I love using sea salt that I keep in a salt mill/grinder. Sea salt has better texture and flavor than table salt, and you can control the amount more easily.
- These airtight glass containers are perfect for meal prepping/storage.
How to cook chicken in the Instant Pot
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Season the chicken breasts/thighs on both sides with salt. Pour the broth into the Instant Pot, and add in the chicken.
- Close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on high pressure. Do a natural pressure release, followed by a quick release.
- Remove the chicken, and shred with two forks. Mix with some of the cooking liquid if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- I did lots of testing for this one. The natural release makes all the difference in tenderness. The chicken shreds easily. I don’t recommend doing just a quick release, or the chicken will end up rubbery.
- Note that you don’t have to shred the chicken. You can definitely cut it into pieces instead if you wish!
Ways to use Instant Pot shredded chicken
- There are so many options. Try it in a soup like my Chicken Enchilada Soup, this Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, or zesty Easy Thai Chicken Curry Soup.
- It’s also perfect in my pasta recipes like my Chicken Tortellini Alfredo or Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo.
- Add it to a salad like this Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad or Ranch Chicken Quinoa Salad!
Leftovers and storage
- This Instant Pot chicken will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
- Heat up leftovers in the microwave until warmed through, or add it to any recipe that calls for leftover/rotisserie chicken where indicated in the instructions.
If you used this Instant Pot method for shredded chicken, please leave a star rating and review below! What did you pair it with? Tag me on Instagram with your photos.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Season each piece of chicken with salt. Add the chicken broth to your Instant Pot, along with the chicken.
- Close the lid, set the valve on “sealing”, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the countdown has completed, do a 5 minute natural pressure release, and then release the rest of the pressure by doing a quick release.
- Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot and shred it with 2 forks. I like to mix it with a bit of the cooking liquid to help keep it moist. You can either discard the remaining cooking liquid or reserve it to add it to soups etc.
Notes
- Cooking time will remain the same if you cook 2, 3, 4, or even 8 chicken breasts. The Instant Pot will take longer to come up to pressure with more chicken that’s in there.
- For frozen chicken breasts, cook them on high pressure for 12 minutes and do a natural pressure release. Ensure they’re separated for best results (not frozen as one big chunk).
- For chicken thighs, cook them on high pressure for 13 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick release for the remaining pressure (or just let the pressure naturally release fully).
- Inactive time indicates the time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to pressure and release pressure naturally.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you use the trivet in the bottom of your IP?
I generally don’t, no.
PERFECT!!! 🙂
Thank you, Kathy!
I’m new to instant pot cooking and I’m so grateful to you for all your testing, so that I didn’t have to guess at this and risk under- or overcooking the chicken. I made the 13 minute shredded chicken thighs and plan to make them a lot more! I combined this with your Caesar dressing recipe and it made the best chicken Caesar salad! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
Ooh that’s awesome!! I’m so glad that you found this recipe helpful!