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Home » Recipes » Chicken & Turkey

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Published: May 11, 2023 · Modified: Mar 3, 2025 by Meeta Arora · Leave a Comment

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shredded chicken in a dutch oven

This Dutch oven shredded chicken recipe is the easiest way to have moist and tender chicken on hand for quick meal prep.

Zoomed in overhead look into a dutch oven filled with shredded chicken.

You've probably seen all the slow cooker shredded chicken recipes, but I actually prefer to cook shredded chicken in a Dutch oven. For starters, it takes way LESS time. Slow cooker shredded chicken can easily take 4-5 hours, depending on what setting you're using. Using a Dutch oven, you have it done in an hour or less.

Yes, cooking chicken in a Dutch oven does take longer than boiling it to shred, but boiled chicken is just that: boiled chicken. It can end up being tough and not so flavorful.

Trust me, cooking shredded chicken in the Dutch oven is the best way to get juicy, flavorful chicken.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make?
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Chicken Yield
  • Shredding Chicken
  • Best Dutch ovens
  • Storing & Freezing
  • Ways to use Shredded Chicken.
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

You hardly need any ingredients to make this Dutch oven shredded chicken.

  • Chicken: I tend to stick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts when making shredded chicken. I've also used chicken thighs when I had them on hand. But if you don't mind removing bones, feel free to use any variety of chicken you like.
  • Avocado Oil: I like to toss the chicken in avocado oil with the spices. It keeps everything together and helps prevent sticking in the Dutch oven.
  • Chicken stock: Adding a little chicken stock to the pot helps moisten the chicken as it cooks, leaving you with extra juicy shredded chicken.
  • Spices: I like to keep things simple and just add a little bit of salt and pepper to the chicken to make shredded chicken. This way, I can use it for multiple recipes and just spice it once I use it. If you know, you want to use it for a specific recipe like bbq pulled chicken or some gluten-free enchiladas, feel free to add those additional spices to your chicken before cooking it.
Overhead view of a plate of chicken breasts, a bowl of avocado oil, a small bowl of salt and pepper, and a bottle of chicken stock.

How to Make?

Making Dutch oven shredded chicken is as easy as 1-2-3.

  1. Toss the chicken in the avocado oil and spices in the Dutch oven to coat completely.
  2. Pour the chicken stock into the pot.
  3. Cover and place the Dutch oven into the oven and let it cook.
Chicken placed into a dutch oven with some avocado oil and salt and pepper. Then a bit of chicken stock is added before being covered and placed in the oven to cook.

Tips and Tricks

  • Try not to overcrowd your chicken. - If you want to do a larger batch of shredded chicken and layering your chicken is a must, it's fine. Just note that the cooking time will be a bit longer before the chicken is shreddable.
  • Don't open the Dutch oven while the chicken is cooking. Keeping the Dutch oven closed keeps the heat and moisture locked in.
  • Shred the chicken while it is still warm - Chicken shreds easier when it is warm. Once it gets cold it is a little harder. If you wait untill it's cold, you'll likely end up having to dice it with a knife instead of shredding it.

Chicken Yield

Each 1 pound of uncooked chicken makes about 2 ½ cups of shredded chicken.

Shredding Chicken

Cooking chicken in the dutch oven makes the chicken beyond easy to shred on a plate or cutting board and just pull it apart with some forks. But, if you're like me and like to make things quicker and easier, then I highly suggest you shred your chicken with a stand mixer.

  1. Place the cooked chicken and a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Using the flat paddle, turn on the mixer starting on low.
  3. Gradually increase the speed as the chicken breasts break up until you have all of the shredded chicken pulled the way you like it.

Now, you have the perfect shredded chicken without having to actually shred it yourself.

  • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can also toss the chicken into a bowl and use a hand mixer at a low speed.
  • You can also just wait until the chicken has cooled enough to handle and then use your hands to pull the chicken apart into the desired size.
Chicken breast shredded up in the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat mixer paddle.

Best Dutch ovens

A huge reason I love cooking with Dutch ovens is the ability to cook with them both on the stove and in the oven. I've even placed a few of mine on the grill over the years.

When it comes to having a good Dutch oven for cooking in your kitchen, you don't have to go with the most expensive brands like Le Creuset Dutch ovens. There are several other brands, like Chantal, which are just as good, in my opinion. If you want to save even more money on a Dutch oven, look for brands like Martha Stewart, Lodge, or Le Creuset. I've even found some good deals on Dutch ovens at my local TJ Maxx and Homegoods.

You don't need to spend a fortune, but I always look for regular cast iron Dutch ovens or enameled cast iron. They hold heat the best, and I find I get the most consistent results time and time again.

Looking down into an orange cast iron dutch oven filled with some cooked, shredded chicken.

Storing & Freezing

Once cooked, shredded chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

If you want to keep it for longer, I suggest freezing it. Once cooled, portion out how much chicken you want in each freezer-safe bag or container, and store in the freezer for up to four months.

Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, or depending on the recipe, break it up and toss it in frozen as I do with my gluten-free chicken noodle soup.

Always let your chicken cool completely at room temperature before storing it.

Ways to use Shredded Chicken.

Having easy, already-shredded chicken on hand means you can throw together so many gluten-free lunches and dinners together even faster. It really is the best recipe to have on hand, especially for batch cooking for beginners who don't do it all the time or who want to do more.

Here are some of my favorite gluten-free dinners to make with this Dutch oven pulled chicken.

  • A slice of gluten-free chicken pot pie sitting on a stack of plates ready to be served.
    Savory Gluten-free Chicken Pot Pie
  • Gluten-free chicken tetrazzini being scooped up showing off the pasta and creamy, cheesy sauce.
    Gluten-Free Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup gluten-free in a bowl with spoon
    Gluten-free Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Up close, look at two gluten-free salsa verde enchiladas that have been cut into with a fork showing off the chicken inside.
    Gluten-free Salsa Verde (green) Chicken Enchiladas

📖 Recipe

Looking down into a cast iron pot filled with two silver forks and shredded chicken.

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Meeta Arora
This Dutch oven shredded chicken recipe is the easiest way to have moist and tender chicken on hand for quick meal prep.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course basic, chicken
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Cups
Calories 405 kcal

Equipment

  • 5 quart dutch oven.

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 Pounds Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless
  • 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil or a light cooking oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Pepper
  • ½ Cup Chicken Stock or vegetable stock, or water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Toss the chicken with the avocado oil and spices to coat.
    1-2 Pounds Chicken Breasts, 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil, 1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper
  • Place the chicken in the Dutch oven. Add the chicken stock to the Dutch oven.
  • Cover the dutch oven with a lid and bake it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven. Shred the chicken, and then stir it with the remaining stock.
  • Allow the chicken to cool, and then store it if you're not using it right away.

Notes

Try not to overcrowd your chicken - If you want to do a larger batch of shredded chicken and layering your chicken is a must, it's fine. Just note that the cooking time will be a bit longer before the chicken is shreddable.
Don't open the Dutch oven while the chicken is cooking - Keeping the Dutch oven closed while the chicken cooks keeps the heat and moisture locked in.
Shred the chicken while it is still warm - Chicken shreds easier when it is warm. Once it gets cold it is a little harder. If you wait till it's cold, you'll likely end up having to dice it with a knife instead of shredding it.

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 50gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1512mgPotassium: 909mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 73IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Keyword dutch oven shredded chicken
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Meeta Arora, writer at Grain Free Table

Welcome to Grain Free Table! I’m Meeta- a busy wife, mom of two girls, and lover of food. Here you’ll find lots of easy and delicious gluten & allergy-friendly recipes, info about my favorite food & products, for a gluten-free way of life!

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