Tag: basics

Easy, Versatile Shredded Chicken

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This slow cooker easy, versatile shredded chicken recipe is super easy and versatile enough to be used for any kind of chicken dish. I have used this for everything from tacos to pasta to chicken salad. The key is this basic recipe has a fairly neutral flavor profile and just highlights the flavor of the chicken. You can toss it with any kind of sauce to bring it into a dish or even just top a simple salad.

If you want to make this recipe even simpler don’t bother with the fresh celery and onion. You can use celery salt instead of the table salt and 1 tsp of onion powder, not onion salt, that would make it too salty. I like to use my super simple chicken broth recipe for this shredded chicken but you can get creative with what liquid you’re using depending on what you have available and what recipe you’re ultimately going to use. If you’re in a real pinch and don’t have any broth or other appropriate liquids around you could even just use salt water. There won’t be as much depth of flavor but 1 cup of water with 2 additional tsps of salt will still give a little flavor while bringing the chicken to the desired texture.

Texture, after all, is what we’re after here. You want that chicken to be fall apart shredded goodness. That’s what makes it perfect for tacos or even pizza! Seriously, you can use this easy, versatile shredded chicken anywhere and everywhere. 

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?

Many people are wondering which kitchen appliance they should buy. The Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years and can be used interchangeably with many slow cooker recipes, you just need to adjust the timing.

For my recipes I use a slow cooker. This is simply because I have one. I’ve had my slow cooker for over 10 years now and I love it. It was a gift to me from my mom and is a high quality, large size crock pot that I couldn’t live without. You simply throw everything in the pot and hit go, done. Dinner is ready a few hours later nice and hot and tender.

If you have an electric pressure cooker instead, then by all means use that! Just adjust the settings accordingly, all ingredients for this versatile shredded chicken will stay the same.

If you are wondering which one to buy that’s going to depend on how you intend to use it. The electric pressure cooker is going to have more functions than just cooking full meals. For example, your Intant Pot can double as a rice cooker. If you don’t already have a rice cooker this could be a huge advantage for you!

The disadvantage to an electric pressure cooker is the size. My slow cooker can hold a full roast, several potatoes, multiple veggies, and broth all at the same time. An Instant Pot has a smaller capacity and is less suited for making 8 serving sized meals. If you’re mostly cooking for 1 an Instant Pot might be all you need, but if you want to make a full pork shoulder I would say lean toward a Crock Pot.

Check out some top rated options:

Crock Pot Slow Cooker|8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Countdown Timer, Black Stainless Steel – SCCPVFC800-DS

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Sterilizer, and Warmer, 6 Quart, 13 One-Touch Programs

Shredded Chicken FAQ

Ingredients

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 whole sticks celery
• 1 yellow onion, halved
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• olive oil

Instructions

1. lightly drizzle the inside of the slow cooker with olive oil
2. add all other ingredients
3. cook on high for 4 hours
4. remove celery and onions
5. shred chicken with two forks

Easy Versatile Shredded Chicken

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 5 servings

Ingredients

  

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 whole sticks celery

1 yellow onion, halved

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

olive oil

Instructions

 

lightly drizzle the inside of the slow cooker with olive oil

add all other ingredients

cook on high for 4 hours

remove celery and onions

shred chicken with two forks

Keyword corn free, gluten free recipes, soy free recipes

Easy Chicken Stock

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This chicken stock is the perfect way to use up the remnants from deboning your own chicken legs and thighs. Deboning your own dark meat is way easier than it looks and will save you a lot of money. All you need is a sharp knife and you can trace along the bone to remove the meat. Then just peel the skin off by trimming with the same knife or grabbing firmly with your hands to peel it away. You’re going to end up with a pile of bones, fat, and skin that you are likely not going to want to eat but it also feels like a waste to throw it away. So how to turn all of that into a flavorful stock?

Simply take the bones, meat pieces, skin, fat, and any excess that you wouldn’t want in another recipe and throw it into a big pot. Then, take all the vegetable scraps you have from all your other cooking and throw that in as well. I’m talking celery ends, mushroom stems, onion skins, wilted green onions, carrot peels, anything edible but not the most appetizing by itself. You can add as little as you have or up to 2 cups of it. Don’t go out of your way here, we’re just making this recipe at the end of a big cooking day to make a little less waste.

You will want to avoid certain vegetables that will overpower the stock. Asparagus will make it bitter and strong, jalapenos or other peppers will make it too spicy. If you want a spicy broth though, go ahead and add peppers and ginger! This works really well for asian style soups and stews. Of course, the peppers won’t be used for an elimination diet chicken stock but ginger is fair game.

Next add as many cups of water as you have bones of chicken. So if you have 8 thigh bones use 8 cups of water. I recommend 6-8 for a medium batch of stock but if you want to make in bulk feel free to add more. Just up all the other ingredients as well and make sure that there is room in your soup pot! You really don’t want this one boiling over.

Lastly, season. Always season! You’re going to add way more salt than feels natural to add to a pot but you want this stock to be alive with flavor! That’s the base for a great soup or any other dish! Seriously, don’t skimp on the salt. Your taste buds will thank you later. If it’s seasoned well you won’t need to add as much salt later on in your recipes it’s already in the easy chicken broth!

For this recipe you’ll need a nice big cooking pot, check out this one on Amazon:

Chicken broth or chicken stock?

Getting into semantics here. Technically this recipe is more of a stock than a broth. A stock means that the bones of the animal are used. I basically always use the bones when making this simple chicken broth because that’s when I have scraps! I never just have meat scraps lying around, I cooked those!

I’m not the kind of purist who is going to say you need broth for one thing and stock for another. I think that the bones add more richness to the flavor of this broth or stock and you should go ahead and use them. Use this recipe anytime you need chicken broth or chicken stock, there should be absolutely no difference in how the recipe comes out. Just know that homemade is always better! Better flavor and much better ingredients! Especially when minding your elimination diet.

You can use this same recipe to create a much richer bone broth by simmering it for much longer. For chicken, simmer for 21-24 hours to break down the bones into gelatin. This provides a really nourishing and healthy base for other recipes or even to be enjoyed on it’s own. In general, a longer simmer will mean more flavor so if you have longer than an hour go for it!

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thigh, leg, or breast bones and assorted scraps (skin, meat, fat)
• up to 2 cups vegetable scraps (ends, skins, leftover pieces)
• 4 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 6-8 cups water, 1 cup for each chicken bone

Instructions

1. place all ingredients in a large soup pot
2. bring to a boil
3. reduce heat to a high simmer
4. simmer for 1- 1 ½ hours, liquid will reduce
5. skim any bubbly fat off the top as necessary
6. pour contents through a colander or sieve into a heat safe container
7. refrigerate and use within a week or freeze and use within 6 weeks

Easy Chicken Broth

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

6-8 chicken thigh or leg bones and assorted scraps (skin, meat, fat)

up to 2 cups vegetable scraps (ends, skins, leftover pieces)

4 tbsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

6-8 cups water, 1 cup for each chicken bone

Instructions

 

place all ingredients in a large soup pot

bring to a boil

reduce heat to a high simmer

simmer for 1- 1 ½ hours, liquid will reduce

skim any bubbly fat off the top as necessary

pour contents through a colander into a heat safe container

refrigerate and use within a week or freeze and use within 6 weeks

Keyword corn free, gluten free, soy free recipes