Easy Stove Top Creamy Shredded Chicken

The easiest creamy shredded chicken! It comes together in about 30-minutes and is perfect for tacos, rice bowls, burritos, and meal prep.

this recipe

Quick Shredded Chicken

Everything about this creamy shredded chicken recipe is insanely simple. No need to take out your crockpot or instant pot. This quick shredded chicken is made on the stovetop in about 30 minutes.

The secret to this recipe is chicken tenders. Normally shredded chicken is made with chicken breast, which is great in their own way, however, chicken tenders cook in half the time.

The result is insanely tender, creamy, and flavorful chicken. This will become your go-to chicken recipe!

What Are Some Dinner Ideas for Shredded Chicken?

Creamy shredded chicken is an easy, time-saving trick for quick meals during the week. It’s a staple recipe to have on hand when you’re short on time. It’s great to use to make our favorite chicken fajita pasta or any of the following favorite dinner ideas:

• Zucchini chicken enchiladas
• Quesadillas
• Burritos
• Easy grilled chicken tacos
• Chicken fajita bowls
• Tossed with pasta
• Chicken stuffed portobello mushrooms

Ingredients for Stove Top Shredded Chicken

You’ll need the following ingredients to make shredded chicken on the stove top. It may seem a lot but you’re basically adding all of the ingredients to a dutch-oven at once. Super easy!

• Chicken tenders
• Fire-roasted tomatoes
• Salsa verde
• Chicken broth
• Green chilies
• White onion
• Garlic
• Spices – chili pepper, cumin, salt
• Cream cheese
• Lime
• Cilantro

How to Make Quick Shredded Chicken – Step by Step

Step 1: In a 4-quart dutch-oven combine the following ingredients: chicken, tomatoes, salsa, broth, chilies, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt.

Place the dutch oven over medium heat and let it come to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Uncover the dutch-oven and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked through.

Step 3: Remove the dutch-oven off the heat and shred the chicken with two forks. If it’s too hot, let the chicken cool slightly before shredding.

Step 4: Return back to the stove and stir in the cream cheese.

Step 5: Turn off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.

How to Shred Chicken

The are a few different ways to shred cooked chicken. My personal favorite is the fork method. I find it to be easy and quick. Plus it doesn’t require any crazy equipment. You simply need two forks. For this specific recipe, I used serving forks. But dinner forks work just as good.

Simply use the forks to pull the tenders apart until desired consistency. It helps to let the chicken cool slightly before shredding so you don’t burn your hands with hot steam. 

How Do You Store Shredded Chicken in the Freezer?

Leftover shredded chicken will keep refrigerated up to 4 days. You can also freeze the shredded chicken. Once it has completely cooled, transfer the chicken to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove top over medium heat. I personally like to freeze shredded chicken in 1-2 cup portions. That way it’s easier to thaw out and you can reach for it anytime you need a serving of chicken. 

This stove-top creamy shredded chicken is also a great swap in our salsa verde enchiladas. Simply use this filling instead of the rotisserie chicken!

Print