"We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention."
Keeping cooked,
shredded chicken on hand is crucial to making dinner night a pleasure
and not a pain. There are tons and tons of recipes out there that
call for cooked chicken and I’m going to share with you my
latest favorite method for getting tender, delicious cooked chicken
without a) buying a rotisserie chicken and b) having to plan ahead.
Frequently, if I have
happened to plan ahead, I’ll throw chicken breasts in the
slow cooker with low-sodium chicken broth and some simple seasonings
and let it cook on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken breasts are
just cooked through (too long in the crockpot and they’ll be
dry).
After the chicken has
been shredded and cooled, I will freeze the chicken to use for later.
However, I don’t always think to plan ahead and so when I came
across this latest method from America’s Test Kitchen, I knew
it would be a lifechanger. And it has been.
I’ve used this
method at least 5-6 times in the past two weeks and I love the
result. The chicken is moist and flavorful and I can have cooked,
shredded chicken for a recipe in less than 15-20 minutes (plus, you
can increase the proportions and freeze to use later).
To be perfectly honest,
I like the finished product of this chicken much more than the
crockpot method. It has more flavor and is juicy and delicious. It’s
my new go-to.
Simple Shredded Chicken: A Quick How-To Yield: Makes 3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
In a large 12-inch nonstick
skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot
and rippling. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on
both sides.
Place the chicken top-side down
in the hot skillet and let the chicken cook for 5 minutes until
golden brown on top. Flip the chicken, add the water or chicken
broth, cover the skillet and let the chicken simmer gently over
medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (it
will register 160 degrees on a thermometer). Don't overcook or it
might be dry.
While the chicken is simmering,
add additional water 1/4 cup at a time if the liquid evaporates too
quickly. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Let it cool slightly
before shredding. The cooked chicken will keep well-covered in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.