Fall-apart tender every time, this Dutch oven shredded chicken is the easiest way to make a big batch of shredded chicken for your favorite recipes! It’s delicious on its own, or toss it with BBQ sauce, make chicken enchiladas, add it to taco bowls, and so much more. The options are endless! {Gluten-free & Low Carb}

Table of Contents
Shredded Chicken in Dutch Oven
If you enjoy the convenience of having leftover rotisserie chicken in your fridge, then you’ll understand exactly why I love this Dutch oven shredded chicken.
It requires very little effort, yields tons of shredded chicken for your favorite recipes, and it’s super moist and tender thanks to the chicken stock. It’s a game-changer for meal prepping!

Why We Love This Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe
- Minimal effort required – season, sear, simmer, and serve!
- Moist and tender, thanks to braising the chicken in the aromatic broth
- Requires super simple ingredients
- Makes a big batch for meal prepping (or a large family)
- Ready in just under 30 minutes!
- Unlike rotisserie chicken, you don’t have to pick the meat off the bones
- Control the quality of your ingredients and minimize additives and preservatives
Ingredient Notes

- Olive oil: To keep the chicken breasts from sticking to the pan.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: These are packed full of lean protein and are no-fuss. You don’t need to deal with the bones or skin at all! Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Seasonings: I like to keep the seasonings simple with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to go along with a wide variety of recipes.
- Reduced sodium chicken broth: For extra tenderness and flavor.
How to Make Shredded Chicken in Dutch Oven




Stove method:
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan and season the top of the chicken with a bit of the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, using tongs to flip the chicken half way through.
- Add the chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder and remaining salt and pepper. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. You can measure this with an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and shred the chicken. There are a couple of ways to do this – you can place the chicken in a bowl and shred using two forks or you can place the chicken in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment for your stand mixer, lock the tilt-head down (if you have one) and increase the speed to 2. Mix until chicken is shredded, about 15 seconds. If you like extra moist chicken, you can add some of the remaining liquid from the pan to the shredded chicken and toss to combine. Serve or store for later!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- If you prefer to use frozen chicken, it helps to thaw it in the microwave first so you can get a nice sear.
- Technically, searing is optional, but you’ll get a much better texture, flavor, and color. Sometimes I will skip this step if I need the shredded chicken ASAP.
Recipe FAQs
If you want shredded, pull-apart chicken to add to your favorite recipes, you need a Dutch oven! After searing the chicken breasts, you gently braise them in chicken stock, which helps them break apart and become super tender. It only takes about 30 minutes and is the easiest way to prepare shredded chicken ever!
I do recommend it. A cast iron Dutch oven has a heavy bottom that prevents the chicken from burning. It also holds onto heat really nicely, so the chicken will stay warm for a while. If you don’t have one, choose a heavy-bottomed stock pot with a lid.
Yes, but you may find that you don’t need to! First, sear the chicken for a few minutes. Then, either cook the chicken breasts on the stove or pop them into a preheated oven at 350F. Cook until the chicken reaches 165 and is tender enough to pull apart. This can be a nice way to cook the chicken when you need the stovetop to prepare your favorite sides.

Storage Guidelines
To refrigerate: Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To reheat: To reheat, either microwave the chicken with your favorite sauce or simmer it on the stove with a splash of water.
To freeze: For longer storage, let the chicken cool, then pack it in a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. So handy for making last-minute meals!
Serving Suggestions
This is the best part – there are so many different ways to use this Dutch oven pulled chicken. I’ll share a few of my favorite variations:
- BBQ chicken sandwiches: Simmer the cooked chicken in your favorite barbecue sauce (try this Healthy Homemade BBQ Sauce) and serve on a bun like these Healthy Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. I like mine with a little coleslaw on top!
- Buffalo chicken: Toss the cooked chicken with your favorite buffalo sauce for a spicy, tangy flavor. We like to use this in our Buffalo Chicken and Rice Meal Prep, Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers, and more.
- Taco meat: Simmer the chicken with taco seasoning and serve in warm corn tortillas with all the fixings. This works great for enchiladas, like these healthy chicken enchiladas, too!
- Make soup: Add the chicken to homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Potato Soup, Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup, etc.
- Make chicken salad: Let the chicken cool down, then use it to make my Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad.
- Add to casseroles: Add the cooked chicken breast to creamy casseroles, like my Chicken Zucchini Casserole, Chicken Burrito Casserole, and more.
- Coat with pesto: Fresh basil pesto is a great way to give this chicken incredible flavor. My Shredded Pesto Chicken is one of our favorite ways to prep a lot of protein for meal prep!
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the seasoning: If you know you want to use chicken breasts for a particular recipe, add some of your preferred seasoning as it braises. For chicken tacos, sprinkle some taco seasoning. For BBQ chicken, add some smoky elements like smoked paprika. You will still need to add more sauce or seasoning before serving, but you’ll get that flavor all the way inside the chicken.
- Make a gravy: Use the browned bits at the bottom of the Dutch oven and the leftover stock to make a nice gravy!
- Try a different cut: Chicken breasts are super low fat and high in protein, but you can also use chicken thighs, tenders, or whichever cut you prefer.

More Meal Prep Recipes
- Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables
- Pulled Pork without BBQ Sauce
- Shredded BBQ Beef
- Crockpot Ground Beef Taco Meat
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 chicken breasts)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Stove Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan and season the top of the chicken with a bit of the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, using tongs to flip the chicken half way through.
- Add the chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder and remaining salt and pepper. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. You can measure this with an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and shred the chicken. There are a couple of ways to do this – you can place the chicken in a bowl and shred using two forks or you can place the chicken in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment for your stand mixer, lock the tilt-head down (if you have one) and increase the speed to 2. Mix until chicken is shredded, about 15 seconds. If you like extra moist chicken, you can add some of the remaining liquid from the pan to the shredded chicken and toss to combine. Serve or store for later!
Notes
- If you prefer to use frozen chicken, it helps to thaw it in the microwave first so you can get a nice sear.
- Technically, searing is optional, but you’ll get a much better texture, flavor, and color. Sometimes I will skip this step if I need the shredded chicken ASAP.
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