Ingredients
Scale
- 2–4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon of water per breast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt per chicken breast
- freshly ground black pepper (if desired)
Instructions
- Add boneless skinless chicken breasts to your Crockpot. Sprinkle the top of each breast with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt and a spin of freshly ground black pepper. At this point, you can also add a packet of taco seasoning, an 8-ounce jar of salsa, or any other seasoning that sounds good on top.
- Add a tablespoon of water per chicken breast.
- Step 3: Cover with the lid it came with and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. (One to four boneless, skinless chicken breasts will take 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Add another 15 minutes on high or 30 minutes on low if adding more chicken breasts.) Add 1/4 cup more water if for any reason the bottom of your Crockpot is completely dry while cooking (this is not common).
Note: if your lid has locking clips, do NOT lock it. That is for transporting only. - Check to make sure your chicken breasts have reached at least 165°F (74°C) to ensure they are done (they’ll probably be higher, that’s OK). If there is a lot of liquid remaining, pour it out into a cup and leave about two tablespoons in the Crockpot. If there isn’t a lot of liquid (it really depends on your climate and the chicken), no need to pour it off; you want a few tablespoons in the bottom of the pot.
- Shred the chicken. A hand mixer is the easiest way to shred chicken if you have one; press the mixers into the middle of each breast and use a low speed until all of the chicken is shredded, about 90 seconds. If you don’t have a hand mixer, use two forks or clean hands to shred the chicken. Add more of the reserved liquid if needed while shredding.
Notes
Depending on what you’re making, plan on 1/2 to 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast per serving. If you’re making tacos, 1/2 breast per serving is usually perfect. If your shredded chicken is the main dish, plan on 1 chicken breast per person.
Thawed (not frozen) chicken yields the best textures, but frozen chicken can also go straight into the Crockpot. It may need an extra hour of cooking; always cook chicken to at least 165°F (74°C).
