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    Home » Dinner

    Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

    Published: Sep 16, 2020 by heather · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Instant pot pulled chicken is a fast and easy way to make delicious shredded chicken that’s perfect for recipes and meal prep. Make extra to put in the freezer for more meals throughout the month.  

    We eat a lot of chicken at our house. A few of our other favorite chicken recipes are Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta, Air fryer chicken legs and crockpot chicken fajitas. 

    shredded chicken in a container

    This Instant pot pulled chicken is super versatile and is something that’s great to make for recipes throughout the week. We love using it for a many things like wraps, salads, tacos and more. 

    Why you will love this Instant pot shredded chicken

    • Easy – Just a few simple ingredients needed. 
    • Quick – Done in about 30 minutes
    • Delicious – Juicy tender chicken that’s full of flavor.

    Ingredients needed for Instant pot chicken

    Chicken breasts – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 

    Chicken broth or water – Chicken broth keeps chicken moist and helps in the cooking process. You can substitute with water or vegetable broth if you prefer. 

    Chicken seasoning – I like to use our favorite chicken seasoning or another blend like taco seasoning, Italian seasoning or Jamaican jerk seasoning to add flavor to the chicken. Feel free to substitute with salt and pepper or seasoned salt. 

    How to make Instant Pot pulled chicken

    Scroll to the bottom for full, printable recipe, ingredients and video.

    1. Prepare: Pour chicken broth, seasonings and chicken into Instant Pot. 
    2. Cook: Cover with lid, set valve to sealing. Pressure cook for 12 minutes and then naturally release for another 10 minutes. (This cooking time helps make it easy to shred.)
    3. Shred: After 10 minutes of natural release, flip the valve to venting. Once the pin drops, remove the lid. Using two forks, shred or pull the chicken. 
    4. Serve: Remove the excess liquid and serve or store for meal prep. 

    Chicken, chicken stock, seasoning and an Instant Pot

    How to shred chicken

    There are a few ways to shred chicken after it cooks. Two forks works really well and it’s easy clean-up.

    You could also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to get a good shred. My husband loves using a mixer to shred his pulled pork.  

    Can you cook frozen chicken in Instant Pot?

    You can use frozen chicken for this recipe. Add about 3 extra minutes to cook time (so 15 minutes.)  

    How to store

    Store: Let chicken cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I love using these clear storage containers for meal prep. 

    Freeze: Make sure that chicken cools completely and then store in a freezer safe bag. Try to remove as much air from the bag as possible. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer. 

    How to use pulled chicken

    You can use shredded chicken for so many different recipes. One of our favorites is adding BBQ sauce to the chicken and using it for BBQ chicken sandwich. Here are few other suggestions: 

    • Buffalo chicken wraps 
    • Buffalo chicken pasta
    • Chicken salad
    • Chicken croquettes
    • Chicken lasagna
    • BBQ chicken pizza
    • Chicken broccoli cheese pockets

    Shredded chicken in an Instant Pot

    More easy Instant pot recipe

    • Instant pot country style ribs – Fall apart, country style ribs with bbq sauce. 
    • Instant pot German potato salad – Warm potato salad with vinegar and bacon.
    • Instant pot vegetable soup – Easy to make vegetable soup. 
    • Instant pot french toast casserole – French toast casserole made in the pressure cooker. 
    • Instant pot spaghetti squash – Make spaghetti squash fast and easy in the pressure cooker. 

    *** If you made this recipe, please feel free to leave a comment and star rating below. 

    Shredded chicken in pressure cooker
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    5 from 5 votes

    Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

    Easy to make pulled chicken in the Instant Pot.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time22 mins
    Total Time27 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: instant pot, chicken
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 221kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 chicken breasts
    • 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning or your favorite seasoning blend. See notes.

    Chicken Seasoning

    • 1/4 tablespoon paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon parsley
    • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
    • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon course salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Pour chicken broth, seasonings and chicken into Instant Pot. 
    • Cover with lid, set valve to sealing. Pressure cook for 12 minutes and then naturally release for another 10 minutes. (This cooking time helps make it easy to shred.)
    • After 10 minutes of natural release, flip the valve to venting. Once the pin drops, remove the lid. Using two forks, shred or pull the chicken. 
    • Serve or let cool and save for meal prep.

    Video

    Notes

    I made this in a 6-quart Instant pot. For a larger pot, add an extra 1/2 cup liquid. 
    Seasoning: Feel free to use just salt and pepper or seasoning salt. Replace the chicken seasoning with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper or seasoning salt. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 865mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @foodlovinfamily or tag #foodlovinfamily!

     

     

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. rika

      September 21, 2020 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      This is my favorite way to cook pulled chicken! So easy and delicious!

      Reply
    2. solrazo.com

      September 18, 2020 at 11:17 am

      Adding this yummy treat to my chicken recipe collection and will try my soon!

      Reply
    3. Ana

      September 18, 2020 at 8:52 am

      5 stars
      I’m always up for any chicken recipe and this looks incredibly delicious! The best park is that its quick to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!

      Reply
    4. Ruth I

      September 17, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Oh I would love to try this recipe! Now to buy a new insant pot. ha!

      Reply
    5. Jenn @ EngineerMommy

      September 17, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      I need to use my instant pot more often. This pulled chicken recipe sounds easy and totally delicious. Definitely want to give it a try.

      Reply
    6. Gervin Khan

      September 17, 2020 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      We love anything about chicken and this recipe looks really good and tasty, I love it!

      Reply
    7. Paula Schuck

      September 16, 2020 at 10:03 pm

      5 stars
      I have been looking for a recipe for pulled chicken – I often make pulled pork but have yet to do this with chicken. It is so good and my family loves it. Did you have one for carnitas too?

      Reply
    8. Amber Myers

      September 16, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      This looks tasty and easy! I’ll be trying this out for sure. I’d use it for fajitas!

      Reply
    9. melissa chapman

      September 16, 2020 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      I do not have an instant pot but it seems like a great way to cook chicken. Jerk seasoning is always a good addition to any chicken recipe.

      Reply

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