As they say – Tomorrow is another day! With that comes a new set of challenges, and right now, if you are looking up easy ways to make instant pot shredded chicken, then cooking and preparing the dishes for the upcoming week is the biggest one now! Come Monday along with the blues and other things; rest assured – this write-up will provide you with the specifics of preparing the shredded chicken.
All set? In that case – get the chicken out of the fridge, and as you leave it in a bowl of water to thaw – you can read up the rest of the recipe (albeit with some alternatives) and prepare yourself mentally regarding the upcoming week’s menu.
Table of Contents
Instant pot shredded chicken – The usual recipe
In the current busy lifestyle – cooking can become a hectic job. So, you can always cook and refrigerate the batches of shredded chicken and use them accordingly. As you navigate down, you will get a clear outline of this process.
What will you need?
To prepare this dish – you would require –
- 3 pounds of chicken (choose from thighs or breast portions)
- You can choose between the unsalted stock of chicken or simply water (500 ml)
#Just remember – The chicken salt just brings in the flavor that you will miss if you add just water
- You can choose between 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 5 garlic cloves
- Salt (2 teaspoons) – in case you are using salted chicken stock, then you can always adjust the salt levels accordingly.
- Black pepper
Now, if you would like to have the instant pot shredded chicken a bit tangier or spicier – in that case, you can add – bay leaves, tomato cubes, and soy sauce.
- For the garnishing – you will need – green onions that are sliced and cilantro that has been chopped to bits.
How will you prepare it?
Step 1: Given that your Instant Pot is ready to be used – add the seasonings to it. The garlic, soy sauce, tomato cubes (if you are using them), bay leaf, chicken stock, or water must be added to the pot. Now let this concoction mix well.
After 3 to 4 minutes – add the chicken to the pot. Make sure that the chicken is completely submerged in the cooking liquid.
Step 2: In the next step, you will have to cook the chicken under high pressure. Now here, you will have to be a little careful. In case – you are using chicken thighs – in case of both with-bone and boneless scenarios, the high pressure time must extend from 5-7 minutes.
While for breasts – which come boneless mostly, the high-pressure time is only 3-5 minutes. Do be careful of the timings, since the dish may be spoiled because of the same.
Step 3: The chicken has been cooked now – but is not ready to be served! Once you check the temperature of the chicken, next, you will have to shred the chicken either with a fork or any other mode you may choose.
Step 4: Once the shredding is done – garnish it with black salt and pepper, kosher salt (if available), cilantro, and green onions.
The instant pot shredded chicken is ready to be served!
#Once you are done preparing the shredded chicken, you can freeze it for up to 4 days. At times, it lasts 5 days as well.
#If you are using frozen chicken – you will need to cook it on high pressure for another 2 – 3 minutes.
#Chicken thighs are mostly used. However, you can always use chicken breasts as well. You will need to keep this shredded chicken in an airtight food-grade container.
How else can you use this shredded chicken?
Now that you have prepared the instant pot shredded chicken – it will be easier to plan out the rest of the menu since this can be used in multiple domains.
You can use this shredded chicken in – sandwiches, wraps, salads, tacos, soups, dips, enchiladas, rice bowls, and casseroles. Prepare a batch, set aside to be used, and reheat and use it accordingly.
Some different seasonings this time?
As you already know, instant pot shredded chicken is mostly a dish that can be used every time – everywhere. This is why people do not really choose different seasonings. However, if you are someone who really enjoys cooking – then why not check out the seasonings for yourself? No harm in experimenting?
There are options such as Italian Seasoning (which includes – oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, and dried sage). If you are checking out Cajun seasoning – you will find – (garlic powder, pepper, paprika, kosher salt, thyme, and cayenne). Going the Middle East with Zaatar seasoning – get – (thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds), while Taco seasoning will come with a combo of – (chili powder, paprika, pepper flakes).
Cook the shredded chicken in the traditional manner and add the choicest seasonings).
What if you want to change the flavor?
For those who would like to try out different flavors of – instant pot shredded chicken – you can always choose from a variety of options, such as – the buffalo ranch version, the mustard-honey combo, the one mashed in coconut curry, and the chipotle variety. Just change the base, and everytime you will have a new variety of shredded chicken for your platter.
Do you want a full meal out of it?
As you already know, instant pot shredded chicken can be used in multiple modes. However, apart from the above-mentioned ways of consuming it, what if you want a full meal out of this? In that case – the Mexican and the Korean styles are a great choice.
- In the Mexican format – The basics almost remain the same; what changes are the sauce and the seasoning.
To make this sauce – you will require a concoction of green chilies, salsa, typical Mexican spices, and tomatoes. Once you are done depressurizing the chicken in the pot – add this concoction and stir over medium heat. Serve it hot.
To bring in some variation – you can use Mexican beer, onion, and garlic powder (not found in traditional Mexican recipes), and don’t forget jalapenos!
Once made – you can pour it over the Verde rice or noodles and have a complete meal.
- In the Korean format – Though this is a bit different and mostly made of grilled chicken, one can always use shredded chicken to prepare it.
Go in for the usual shredded pot chicken format, stir it in chili pepper paste (for the extra tanginess), and then serve it with a rice bowl (the very delicious Bibimbap).
Wrapping up
That was quite a fulsome meal. Hopefully, you too will enjoy the meal that is prepared. Do you have some other ways to prepare instant pot shredded chicken? If that is the case – do share the link here. Also, in case you have some suggestions, do comment. A request – do pin this page up for further use and share it with your pals. Thanks for stopping by the page.
Monalisa Mukherjee is a content writer, copywriter and editor with 4 years of experience. She has written for websites like Biography Talk, The Rich Net Worth, Contour Cafe, He And She Fitness and Fiction Pad. She is currently associated with a noted Digital Marketing Agency and specialises in writing press release, guest posts, articles on travel, entertainment, food recipes, celebs, lifestyle, tech, health, and fashion.
