Slow Cooker Chicken Breast (Juicy, Shredded)
The easiest slow cooker chicken breast, just salt and garlic powder, no added liquid needed. Comes out juicy every time and shreds perfectly for tacos, salads, meal prep, and more.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle both sides with salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 3-6 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Note: All slow cookers are different, so keep an eye on your chicken the first time you make this recipe. It may even be done after 2 hours, so check early to avoid overcooking.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Alternatively add to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until shredded.
- If desired, carefully strain the cooking liquid from the slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and add back as much of the strained liquid as desired. Alternatively strain the liquid and reserve for another use.
Notes
- Serving Size: I usually cook 4 pounds of chicken breast at a time, which makes about 6 1-cup servings or 12 ½-cup servings of shredded chicken.
- Low Temp: Cook your chicken low & slow, and keep an eye on your slow cooker temperature because it can overcook quickly. Every slow cooker cooks differently, so start checking on the early side the first time you make this recipe. Yours may even be done after 2 hours, so keep on eye on it!
- No Added Liquid: Unlike other recipes, no extra liquid is needed here! The chicken will release its own liquid, and I got about 1.5 cups of liquid just from the chicken during the cooking process. I like to drain the liquid into a container, shred the chicken, then add back in for extra juicy chicken or reserve it to use like I would chicken stock.
- Trim the Fat: Make sure your chicken is well-trimmed - any fat will melt and congeal to the bottom of your slow cooker. It’s not a big deal though - you can mix any white fat that accumulates in the bottom of the slow cooker back and into your chicken or scrape it out before adding the chicken back in.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 6) | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 539mg | Potassium: 1131mg | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
