Made with only 6 ingredients, this slow-cooker shredded chicken recipe is a great high-protein meal prep idea. It creates tender shredded chicken that can be used in tacos, sandwiches, salads, soups, stews, and casseroles.

Close up of slow cooker shredded chicken.

Meal prep is made easy with this crockpot shredded chicken recipe! While simple, this shredded chicken is a great meal prep hack for busy days when you don’t have time to cook or forget to thaw meat for dinner before you leave for work.

While the flavors are simple, the recipe is very versatile, as you can add any seasonings you like to the slow cooker. Plus, once cooked, you can store shredded chicken in the fridge or freezer and use it for quick-assembly weeknight dinners when you need a tasty, yet healthy, and crowd-pleasing meal on the table in under 30 minutes.

Large crockpot filled with shredded chicken.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy to Make – This 6-ingredient crockpot recipe is straightforward to make.
High in Protein – Made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, this shredded chicken is a great lean protein source to add to recipes.
Keeps Well – This slow cooker shredded chicken recipe stores well in the fridge and freezer, making it a great meal prep idea.

Plate of raw chicken breasts with a jug of chicken broth, jars of onion powder and garlic powder, and bowls of salt and black pepper on the side on a white background.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Chicken Breast – The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Broth – To cook the chicken and add some flavor. I used chicken broth, but vegetable broth or water will also work well.
Onion Powder – To season the chicken, although optional.
Garlic Powder – To season the chicken, although optional.
Salt and Pepper – To season.

Slow cooker filled with raw chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on a white background.

Slow cooker filled with seasoned, raw chicken breasts covered in chicken broth on a white background.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free broth.

To Make it Dairy Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.

Slow cooker filled with cooked chicken breasts in chicken broth on a white background.

Slow cooker filled with shredded chicken on a white background.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

This slow-cooker shredded chicken is a great way to help increase protein intake. Whether your goal is general health, to create a calorie deficit for weight loss, or to build muscle for healthy weight gain, the lean chicken breasts are a low-calorie, high-protein food that can increase the protein content of a meal without overly increasing calorie content or saturated fat content.

Serving Suggestions

This shredded chicken is a great source of protein that can be used in a wide variety of recipes.

To turn it into tacos, add a pack of taco seasoning to the slow cooker and serve the shredded chicken on corn tortillas with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
To turn it into pasta, add a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and swap the broth for a 28-ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce, and serve it over a 1-pound box of cooked pasta.
To turn it into chicken salad, mix shredded chicken with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chopped celery, and dill.

Here is a collection of my favorite recipes with shredded chicken:

Close up of a crock pot filled with shredded chicken.

Storage + Reheating

To Refrigerate: Once cooled, transfer the shredded chicken to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To Freeze: Transfer the cooled shredded chicken to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Once thawed, add the chicken to a plate or bowl and warm it in the microwave for 30-second increments until warm. Be careful not to overheat it, as it will dry out the chicken.

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