Cook Oven-Baked Shredded Chicken and get juicy meat every time. It’s the perfect protein add-on for pastas, potatoes, and salads, and done in a snap!
This recipe is for the culinary equivalent of the utility infowlder. It is a bird for all seasons. A bird of all trades.
What I mean by these well-thought-out and well-executed poultry puns is that knowing how to produce shredded chicken in the oven will come in handy (wingy?). That’s why I do up a lot at one time and then store it in the fridge, freezer, and wherever else I can stash it safely. Then, when someone complains that they don’t have any meat for their nachos or want a sandwich that doesn’t rely on cold cuts, I can ‘shred’ them.
This recipe is less about telling you what you’ll need and more about telling you what to do with what you’ll need once you’ve got it. The list of ingredients, you see, is chicken and oil. I round it out with salt and pepper but really, the essentials are the chicken and the oil. The important thing is knowing what to do with said chicken and said oil. That’s where this recipe really proves its worth.
And as you shred away, try not to get lost in thought, conceiving all the amazing dishes that will be instantly transformed with this recipe. (I was going to finish off with a chicken pun but realized I didn’t give a cluck.)
Why the 2 different cuts of chicken for 1 recipe?
I’m ‘cutting’ you off at the pass! Get it? But seriously, whenever I do a chicken recipe, I get asked, “What cut of chicken is the best for this recipe?” A totally reasonable question and one I’m happy to answer. But with this recipe, the list of ingredients comprises pretty much JUST chicken, so saying which cut of chicken is best seems unnecessary. So, instead, I’ve listed the two cuts that would work best together for a range of flavor. With the breast, you get white meat—plumper, leaner, and richer in protein and other nutrients. In chicken thighs you get dark meat. It will have more slightly more fat, which translates into more flavor and juice.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Oven
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 2: Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Step 3: Drizzle avocado oil over the chicken, ensuring each piece is lightly coated. This helps to keep the chicken moist.
Step 4: Season with sea salt and black pepper. Feel free to add a personal touch with your favorite herbs or spices.
Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through but still tender.
Step 6: Let the chicken rest until it’s cool enough to handle. This step is crucial for moisture retention.
Step 7: Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks, or your hands. Choose the method that works best for you.
FAQs & Tips
Once fully cooled, store the shredded chicken in an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. When thawing, let it do so in the fridge overnight.
If your chicken’s dry, there could be a few reasons. The obvious one is overcooking. You should remove the chicken from the oven once it hits an internal temperature of 165°F. If you leave it in too long, the moisture will evaporate. The next possible reason pertains to what you did upon removing the chicken. The correct course of action is to do nothing. You just let it sit there for 5–10 minutes to let the juices recirculate. If you cut into it too soon, those juices will be stymied. Your chicken will be unevenly cooked and, yes, dry.
You may be surprised to find that overcooking could also lead it to become chicken-flavored piles of mush. The proteins in the meat will break down excessively and soon, you’ll have a mush on your hands. Again, remember: 165°F. Also, chickens like to flock together when they’re alive but when they are ready to be cooked, they like their space. So don’t overcrowd your baking sheet. Otherwise they just end up steaming each other. Next, did you use frozen chicken? Not a big deal as long as it wasn’t frozen for far too long. If it was, ice crystals form inside the meat and compromise its texture. The last thing: Did you buy good-quality chicken? If it was off before you even brought it home, your dinner was doomed to failure.
Serving Suggestions
I usually make a LOT of shredded chicken because it can be used for so many things. I like putting it in sandwiches for the kids’ lunches or in a kaiser bun like I would pulled-pork sandwiches, smothered in barbecue sauce. I also set some aside for Taco Tuesday and drape some Tex-Mex fixins over top. If I’m making a curry, I incorporate the chicken into the sauce, and if I want a salad but have nothing for protein, I know I can count on this chicken to lend a hand (er, wing).
Simple Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. It's important to start with a hot oven for even cooking.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large baking sheet. If they’re too crowded, use a second sheet.
- Drizzle avocado oil over the chicken, ensuring each piece is lightly coated. This helps to keep the chicken moist.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper. Feel free to add a personal touch with your favorite herbs or spices.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through but still tender.
- Let the chicken rest until it’s cool enough to handle. This step is crucial for moisture retention.
- Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks, or your hands. Choose the method that works best for you.
