
3/4 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts should yield about 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken.So if you’re making a dish that feeds 4 people, you’ll need at least one pound of shredded chicken in the recipe. Estimate that you’ll need 1/4 to 1/3 pounds chicken per serving.If you plan to use your chicken right away, you could even thaw it on a plate (never in the freezer bag) in the microwave. To use from frozen: Toss chicken right into a soup or skillet and allow to thaw or thaw overnight in the fridge. To freeze: Transfer the chicken in 1 or 2 cup measurements (or whatever amount makes sense for the recipes you need to make) to air tight containers or freezer bags and remove as much air as you can.

Your chicken will keep in your fridge for up to 4 days. To refrigerate: Allow the shredded chicken to cool completely then transfer to an air tight container. It will still work great in any recipe you have planned.

I love to do this with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.You can use a meat thermometer to check if you aren’t sure when you’re there.Īllow the chicken to cool enough to handle before proceeding. There’s no need to cook it to death, but you do need the chicken to reach 165 degrees. Step Three: Roast the chicken in the oven until just cooked through. We no longer use vegetable oil but you can do that if you want to. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.īecause you’ll be roasting your chicken in the oven under reasonably high heat (400 degrees) use an oil that can handle those temperatures without smoking. Step Two: Season with avocado oil, salt and pepper. I’m making a bit of both so that we get some of the flavor and fat from the dark meat (it helps keep things from drying out). Use this opportunity to make as much or as little chicken as you’d like and use all white meat or dark meat or a blend. Step One: Lay cuts of chicken on a cookie sheet.
#Best way to shred chicken thigh how to#
How to make shredded chicken step-by-step My all time favorite chicken comes from Katie’s Best or we’ve had (referral link) great luck with Moink’s chicken which you can mail order. This means my chicken didn’t pass through a chlorine bath which also changes the texture of the meat. I also check the package for “air cooled” verbiage. That’s not a deal breaker, but the flavor just seems cleaner. I also find that I like the flavor of chicken fed a vegetarian diet. This ensures that your chicken won’t weep water all over your pan in the oven, and that your money goes to buying actual chicken–not water. When you are choosing chicken to roast and shred, do your best to get a brand that has the lowest amount of retained water possible. I’ve seen them range between 3% and 20%+ depending on the brand. You can read how much “retained water” is in your favorite brand right on the package. Have you noticed? That’s because most boneless skinless meat is injected with a salt water solution at the packing plant. Just use all boneless or all bone-in so everything gets done at the same time.

If you are mixing thighs and breasts that’s fine. If you use bone-in, please note that the cooking times will be different than listed in this recipe but I think the flavor is even better. Wings and legs won’t work here.īone-in, skin-on breasts (also called split breasts in the package) or bone-in skin-on thighs would be best for oven roasting but I find it hard to locate them in my stores. If you want a milder flavor and less fat go with breast meat. If you prefer dark meat, more fat and a stronger flavor use thighs. What cuts of chicken are the best to shred? Oven roasting also concentrates flavors–not dilutes them with water from boiling or bobbing around in a slow cooker and it’s a lot less likely to over cook as long as you keep an eye on things.
