Shredded Chicken is used in a TON of recipes and it is VERY easy to do - So let's get you shredding like a pro!
The first step is obviously to buy a whole chicken or chicken pieces. lol The best shredded chicken comes from a whole chicken. You can buy chicken pieces, but you may end up with too much white meat or too much dark meat. You can also purchase a chicken known as a "fryer.
Remove all wrappings and paper from the chicken. Hold the whole chicken or chicken pieces under running cold water and wash well. Remove any feathers that may still be attached. If you are cooking a whole chicken, you may have to remove the bag of extra parts that has been placed inside.
Place chicken in a large pot and cover the chicken completely with water. Cover the pot with a lid. Add salt and pepper to your taste. (Check to see if more salt is added later when you use the chicken in a recipe.) Bring the chicken to a boil for about an hour and then reduce the heat to medium low and allow the chicken to cook. You will know the chicken is done when it is fork tender and coming loose from the bone. Your chicken can be cooked in a crock pot and then shredded.
Remove the chicken from the broth with a slatted spoon. Place it in a shallow pan to cool. Pull meat from the chicken bones with your hands to remove all skin and pieces of bone. Shred the chicken with your fingers as you pick it off the bone. You can shred it even more by using 2 forks held back to back. Run the forks through the chicken to shred it into fine pieces.
Now you can either use it right away or place shredded chicken in freezer bags or boxes and place in the freezer until needed. Defrost the chicken when you are ready to use it in a recipe. BTW, every 8 ounces of raw chicken will yield about 6 ounces of cooked and shredded chicken. So now you know!
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