For those who’re a mother working 9-5 like me (or heck, a busy faculty scholar—I nonetheless keep in mind these days!), you understand how a lot of a lifesaver meal prep might be. This Shredded Hen recipe performed within the crockpot is a severe time saver and the proper recipe to make use of in one million alternative ways. Shred the juicy hen and add BBQ sauce to a part of the batch, then use the remaining for hen salad or tacos! You catch my drift…versatility, minimal dishes, and a discount on the checkout line? That’s a win in my household!
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Simple Shredded Hen Recipe
Weeknights in my home generally is a scramble at occasions (and never the enjoyable breakfast sort). That’s why I really like utilizing my gradual cooker to make an enormous batch of shredded hen for my household. I can toss all the pieces in and have juicy, flavorful hen that’s mainly able to go in only a few hours. It’s the type of recipe that makes meal prep really feel doable, even when life’s chaotic.
I’ll portion it out for lunches, throw some into quesadillas, or stir it into a fast pasta dish after I’m too drained to suppose. One batch of shredded hen with countless choices? It’s the type of dinnertime shortcut that helps preserve my week operating easily!
Hen breast works nice on this recipe as a result of it shreds fantastically after gradual cooking. It at all times comes out tender, juicy, and simple to drag aside with two forks. That mentioned, you should utilize boneless, skinless hen thighs if that’s what you’ve received readily available! They’ll simply have a barely totally different texture as hen thighs are larger in fats in comparison with hen breast, which is leaner.
Frozen hen breasts will work, too, however be sure it’s absolutely thawed within the fridge first. Cooking frozen hen in a gradual cooker isn’t advisable, as it could possibly take too lengthy to achieve a secure temperature.
Shredded Hen
Collect your elements.
Rub hen breasts with olive oil. Then, rub with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Add hen to gradual cooker.
Pour hen broth excessive and prepare dinner on excessive within the crockpot for 4 hours.
Take away breasts from the crock pot and shred with 2 forks.
To maintain the meat moist, you’ll be able to add again a few of the seasoned broth from the crock pot, however I discover soaking it in that a lot liquid after cooking ends in mushy pulled hen. Freeze any leftover broth for future recipes!
Serve heat within the crock pot or chilly for hen salad. This shredded hen can be utilized nevertheless you favor, and it’s nice for meal prep!
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*We like to make use of bouillon to make hen broth to maintain our prices low. Higher Than Bouillon is our most well-liked model within the Finances Bytes kitchen.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 43gFats: 7gSodium: 739mgFiber: 0.1g
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methods to make Shredded Hen step-by-step images
Collect your whole elements.
Season the hen: Drizzle 3.5-4 lbs hen breasts with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then rub them with the 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
Cook dinner the hen: Place the seasoned hen into your gradual cooker and pour over 2 cups hen broth. Now, prepare dinner on excessive in your crockpot for 4 hours.
Shred the hen: Take away the slow-cooked hen out of your crockpot and place it in a bowl. Use two forks to shred the hen.
Add some broth (optionally available): If you wish to, you’ll be able to spoon a few of the hen broth from the crockpot onto your pulled hen. This may help preserve it moist throughout storage, however I discover soaking it in that a lot liquid after cooking could make the hen mushy. Nevertheless, you need to completely freeze the hen broth for future recipes!
Serve: You possibly can both serve your shredded hen heat within the crockpot or let it cool and add it to salads. You should utilize it nevertheless you want, and it’s completely good for meal prepping!
Your hen is prepared when it’s fork-tender and cooked via. For me, this was after 4 hours on excessive within the gradual cooker. If you wish to double-check, the interior temp of your hen must also be 165°F.
Shred the hen whereas it’s nonetheless heat. The feel is softer and simpler to drag aside whereas heat. Keep away from letting it cool utterly, or it might turn out to be harder and more durable to shred.
Obtained a stand mixer? Pop the nice and cozy hen (not shredded) into the bowl with the paddle attachment and blend on low for about 20 seconds. It shreds like a dream and saves your wrists!
Serving Options
After I’ve received a container of this shredded hen within the fridge, I do know dinner’s already midway performed. Listed below are just a few methods you should utilize this easy, flavorful hen to make mealtime faster, simpler, and much more scrumptious:
Combine with mayo, pink grapes, celery, and walnuts for a basic hen salad that’s stuffed with texture and taste.
Toss with buffalo sauce and use it in wraps, salads, or to prime a baked potato with some ranch or blue cheese.
Combine with BBQ sauce and serve on rolls for simple BBQ hen sandwiches. Add coleslaw when you’ve received it!
Layer between tortillas with cheese, beans, and salsa for fast quesadillas.
Sprinkle on prime of tortilla chips with cheese and make tacky hen nachos.
Use it as a selfmade pizza topping.
Stir into heat pasta with pesto, marinara, or Alfredo for a quick and filling dinner.
Make hen enchiladas by mixing the hen with seasonings and diced inexperienced chiles, then rolling it up in tortillas and topping with enchilada sauce.
Add to soups, stews, or chili for a straightforward means so as to add protein.
Layer with a easy white sauce, spinach, and lasagna noodles for a creamy white hen lasagna.
Storage & Reheating
Preserve leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. You possibly can serve this crockpot shredded hen chilly on salads, or heat it up within the microwave or on the stovetop. I like so as to add a splash of reserved hen broth whereas reheating to maintain it from drying out. You too can freeze the shredded hen and broth (retailer them individually) for as much as 3 months. Simply let the hen thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.
