How To Make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Making shredded chicken in a Dutch oven is so easy to do. With just a couple of ingredients and a little bit of time, you can make the most delicious moist shredded chicken for tacos, burritos, or any recipe that calls for shredded chicken.

I have been on a roll lately making dishes with shredded chicken. I have tried so many different ways to do this and this method of using the Dutch oven is the best.

My favorite way to make shredded chicken is using boneless skinless chicken breasts but I have tried this with boneless skinless chicken thighs and it works just as well.

The steam created from cooking the chicken in a Dutch oven with the lid on ensures the chicken will not dry out. It is more economical than buying a rotisserie chicken for shredded meat and so much better than just cooking the chicken breast in the oven in a baking dish.

Dutch oven cooked chicken produces moist shredded chicken and cooks quickly. I like to make a big batch on the weekend for meal prep and use it in meals during the week.

Let me show you how easy it is to make!

Step-by-step instructions

Ingredients

• Boneless Chicken breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts since we prefer white meat. You can also use chicken thighs if you like dark meat.
• Olive oil: This adds a little flavor and fat to help with the chicken cooking.
• Kosher salt and pepper: This is optional but if you cook the chicken with some salt, it gets into the meat better than if you salted it later.

How to Make Shredded Chicken In A Dutch Oven

• Add chicken breast to a large Dutch oven: I like to use a large Dutch oven, about 4-6 quart capacity.
• Add olive oil and salt: Just a little is added to the chicken before baking in the oven.
• Bake: The chicken when cooking in a Dutch oven does not need very long to cook. In a preheated 350-degree oven only needs about 40 minutes to cook.
• Shred the chicken: This part is so easy! With 2 forks, go ahead and begin to shred apart the chicken. If you prefer an even easier method, you can place the chicken in a food processor a pulse for a minute or so until it is shredded.

Tips

• Make sure your Dutch oven has a lid for it. Having the lid on top while the chicken is cooking, creates steam cooking which helps the chicken stay tender.
• Add more or less seasoning: I like to have a blank slate for my shredded chicken so it can go into different meals during the week but you can definitely add your favorite seasonings to the chicken. Add BBQ seasoning, chili seasoning, or even my homemade mesquite seasoning recipe!
• Don't over-crowd the Dutch oven: I like to cook up to 4-6 pieces of chicken at a time in my sized Dutch oven. Depending on the size of the Dutch oven you are using, just make sure that the chicken does not overlap too much and lays flat at the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Recipe Faqs

Storage and reheating

When storing the chicken, you want to allow the chicken to cool first. The U.S.D.A. recommends cooling it rapidly to prevent food-borne illness. The best way to do this is to divide the warm shredded chicken into smaller groups to cool it fast. Once this is done, you can:

• Storing: You can store leftover shredded chicken in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week.
• Reheating: To reheat the chicken, place it in aluminum foil or baking dish with a lid and place it in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Ways to use cooked shredded chicken

The reason I make big batches of this shredded chicken is so I can have easy meals during the week. Here are some of my favorite recipes to add this shredded chicken to:

More Dutch oven recipes

If you love this Dutch oven shredded chicken, you may also like these: