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Home » Chicken » Easy Shredded Chicken with Tomatoes (So Versatile!)

Easy Shredded Chicken with Tomatoes (So Versatile!)

August 16, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

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This easy shredded chicken is seared then braised in tomatoes and salsa to make tender and tasty chicken that can be used for so many weeknight meals.

***This post was updated February 2021 with updated copy, slight tweak in the recipe, and new photos. Hope you enjoy!***

By now, if you've been following along on this culinary journey of ours, you know we need meals cooked in 30-ish minutes or less.  Chopping for days or creating fancy sauces, all of that stuff isn't in the cards right now.  We both work full time and try to get some gym time in before picking up the kids.  Without fail, the kiddos are ravenously hungry when we pick them up from school. 

It was especially difficult between the ages of 18 months and a little over 2 years old.  They were completely hangry every day, and if you didn't give them 10 snacks to make them stuffed before dinner, they would totally lose it and melt down.  I started coming home, quickly prepping dinner, putting it on the stove or oven and then would pray our house wouldn't burn down when I left to pick them up.  I'm happy to say we've moved past this point, but it's still critical to be quick about getting food on the table.  Plus, we genuinely love spending time with each other, so the less time we're in the kitchen, the more time we have to play restaurant or build a Magna-Tile zoo.

aerial picture of a large white bowl of shredded chicken with plate of chicken and smaller bowl of salad against marble background.

Easy Shredded Chicken is Your Answer

Look no further. You need this shredded chicken in your life. It requires about 45 minutes, so it's longer than my typical weeknight meals, but it can last for a couple of nights. This makes up for the longer cook time. It's also a great meal to make on Sundays and then it's ready for the week (or packed for lunches!).

It's a simple concept: sear the chicken on both sides so there's some browning that occurs (which means added flavor) then braise the chicken in tomatoes and salsa. It really doesn't get easier than that.

two hands shredding chicken with two forks.

How to Make Easy Shredded Chicken

It's so simple. First, pat your chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Sear your chicken on both sides with very high heat. Add tomatoes and salsa. Reduce the heat to medium-low and put the lid on the Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Flip the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes if using thighs or another 20 minutes if using large chicken breasts.

Immediately shred the chicken with two forks while it's still warm. The longer the chicken sits, the harder it is to nicely shred. Voila! That's all.

two part collage with top half showing 4 chicken breasts searing in Dutch oven and second part showing the addition of tomatoes and salsa.

Other Tips and Tricks

  • Pat your chicken dry before searing. Excess moisture will make it very difficult to get a nice brown sear.
  • Use whatever salsa you have on hand. There's no particular salsa that works best here -- just a personal preference.
  • Shred chicken right away. It's hard to shred chicken once it cools, so go ahead and take two forks to it as soon as it's done.

The Many Uses of This Chicken

This chicken is VERSATILE. I put my shredded chicken in tacos with some cilantro, sour cream, and avocados, the kids had deconstructed tacos (which basically means they dip their chicken in a huge vat of sour cream with some cheese on the side), and John put his chicken over a salad and made a bowl.  Everyone can have it exactly as they wish.

large white bowl of shredded chicken with parsley on top and two forks stuck inside.

Other Recipes Perfect for A Couple of Meals

  • Versatile Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
  • Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms
  • Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
  • Hibachi Chicken and Hibachi Vegetables

xox,

kathryn

As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

large white bowl of shredded chicken against marble backdrop.

Easy Shredded Chicken with Tomatoes

Easy shredded chicken is seared then braised in tomatoes and salsa to make tender and tasty chicken that can be used for so many weeknight meals.
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: chicken with stewed tomatoes, easy chicken dinner
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs OR 4 large chicken breasts
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted)
  • ½ cup salsa, any kind (spicy, tomatillo, the options are endless)

Instructions

  • Pat chicken thighs or breasts dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Heat Dutch oven with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When Dutch oven get very hot, add the chicken thighs or breasts (be careful of the oil splattering!).  Sear without touching chicken for 3 minutes per side.
  • Add the diced tomatoes and salsa.  Cover with lid.  Turn down to medium to medium-low heat.
  • Let the chicken cook about 20 minutes before turning chicken over to cook for another 20 if cooking breasts or another 10 minutes if cooking thighs.
  • Take chicken out of the Dutch oven and shred immediately with two forks.

Notes

The chicken is great to eat over the course of 3-4 days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 
 

More Chicken

  • Copycat Sweetgreen Chicken Pesto Parm Salad Recipe
  • Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl Recipe
  • Easy Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
  • Healthier Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

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Hey, y'all!

I'm Kathryn! Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.

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