How To Shred Chicken The Quick And Easy Way

If you prefer a home-cooked meal, chances are you find yourself shredding chicken pretty often. The simple ingredient completes chicken salad, fajitas, stir-fry, and even some spaghetti recipes. Here's the problem—shredding chicken isn't quite as easy as it sounds.

Using a fork leaves us with crumbly, uneven pieces—not ideal. Some folks use a knife, but that results in chicken chunks instead of fluffy shreds. Of course, hand shredding the chicken is always an option, but this is a timely and unsanitary process. Plus, who wants chicken bits stuck under their fingernails? None of these methods will produce the perfect outcome. We've got good news: There's a better way—and it may even shock you.

The Best Way To Shred Chicken

You may be under the impression that handy-dandy hand mixers are reserved for making your favorite cake. Think again. The common kitchen tool is actually a great way to shred chicken. Yes, seriously.

You can use pre-cooked or fresh-baked, boneless chicken pieces, although if the meat is still warm the shredding process is easier. Here's how to do it:

1. Remove any skin from the chicken pieces.
2. Place the parts of the chicken you want into a large bowl and begin shredding it with your hand mixer on low speed (a stand mixer can be used as well). Continue this process until the chicken shreds to the desired texture.

You won't believe how fast and easy this process is. You'll never go back to forks, knives, or fingers.

How To Shred Rotisserie Chicken

While the hand mixer will work wonders on boneless chicken breasts or thighs, this trick doesn't work so well when bones and skin are in the way. To shred rotisserie chicken, you'll first need to follow these steps:

1. Allow your chicken to come to room temperature if it has been chilled.
2. Using your hands, remove the skin and pull the meat away from the bones. Place the meat in a mixing bowl. Make sure to separate any gristle as well. Depending on how tough it is, you may need to use a knife to remove meat from the breast.
3. Shred chicken with your hand mixer or stand mixer.

What Else Can You Shred With A Mixer?

Give the hand mixer a try, and you'll surely be motivated to make fresh, shredded chicken dinners more often. Do you want to know the best part? The hand mixer method also works flawlessly on roast beef, pork tenderloin, or pork shoulder.

Try These Shredded Chicken Recipes

If you're dying to take a crack at it, try one of these recipes. As always, let us know what you think:

• Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches
• White Lightning Chicken Chili
• Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
• Chicken And Drop Dumplings