Photo of Slow-cooker shredded chicken by WW

Slow-cooker shredded chicken

0
Points®
Total Time
6 hr 40 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
6 hr 30 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Easy
This easy, hands-free method slow-cooks chicken breasts until they’re perfectly tender and ready to go into all kinds of dishes. It’s perfect for meal planning, and you can freeze 1- or 2-cup portions in zip-top bags so that you have cooked chicken to fall back on when time is tight. The onion and garlic are ultimately discarded, but they pull their weight, adding savory flavor that permeates the chicken. See the notes below for ways to season the chicken to add Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern flair.

Ingredients

Uncooked onion

1 medium, thinly sliced

Garlic

4 clove(s), thinly sliced

Bay leaf

3 leaf/leaves

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast

3 pound(s)

Kosher salt

1 tsp

Black pepper

1 tsp

Unsalted chicken stock

1 cup(s)

Instructions

  1. Arrange onion, garlic, and bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top evenly with chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle chicken stock over chicken. Cover and cook on low until chicken is very tender and cooked through, 6½ to 7½ hours, or cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
  2. Remove chicken from slow cooker; strain liquid and discard solids. Shred chicken with 2 forks and combine with 1 -2 cups cooking liquid.
  3. Serving size: about ½ cup

Notes

Give this simple, savory chicken a global spin with one of the following flavor ideas. Add the seasoning amounts to 2 cups of shredded chicken. Chinese: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce, and 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar French: 2 tablespoons minced shallots, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped thyme, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Greek: 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano Indian: 1½ teaspoons garam masala and ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric Italian: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Mexican: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and ¾ teaspoon ground cumin Middle Eastern: 2 teaspoons sumac, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon