Shredded chicken is one of those ingredients that is just GOOD to have around. Cook a few extra chicken breasts, use up leftover roast chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. No judgement here. The end result is the same: dinner is already halfway done.
If you're wondering what to make with shredded chicken, you've come to the right place. These easy shredded chicken recipes cover everything from burritos and quesadillas to soups, casseroles, wraps, salads and some good old-fashioned comfort food.
Some of these recipes start with chicken and shred it as part of the recipe, while others are perfect for using leftover shredded chicken that is already hanging out in your fridge. I have also included a few easy swaps for recipes I already make where cooked shredded chicken can save you some time.
Basically, if you have a pile of chicken and no plan for it, we can fix that.
What Can I Make With Shredded Chicken?
SO MANY THINGS.
Shredded chicken works in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, wraps, sandwiches, soups, chili, pasta, casseroles, salads, grain bowls and pizza. It is mild enough that it can go from Buffalo sauce to pesto to Mexican-inspired seasonings without fighting you on any of it. Use it for:
- Tacos, burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas
- Wraps and sandwiches
- Soups and chili
- Pasta and casseroles
- Salads and grain bowls
- Pizza, calzones and other fun handheld dinners
Here are 25 easy shredded chicken recipes to get you started.
Mexican-Inspired Shredded Chicken Recipes
1. Shredded Chicken Burritos
If you're going to start anywhere, start here. These Shredded Chicken Burritos have seasoned shredded chicken, Mexican-style rice, refried beans, corn, vegetables and cheese all tucked into a tortilla.
This recipe makes a BIG batch of 14 burritos, so eat some now and help your future self out by putting the rest in the freezer. Future You will be thrilled.
2. 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
This is less of a single dinner and more of a gift you give yourself for the entire week. Throw everything in the slow cooker, go live your life, then shred the chicken when it is done.
Use the salsa chicken in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, salads or wherever else you need an easy protein. Five ingredients. That's it.
3. Taco Pockets
The original Taco Pockets use seasoned ground beef, but cooked shredded chicken is an easy way to change them up when that's what you have on hand. Toss your chicken with taco seasoning and a little salsa, then use it in the pockets in place of the beef.
They're portable, kid-friendly and basically all the good parts of taco night tucked inside dough. What's not to love?
4. Shredded Chicken Quesadillas from I Heart Naptime
Quesadillas may be one of the fastest answers to "what can I make with leftover shredded chicken?" Chicken, cheese and a crispy tortilla are already a solid combination and this version adds peppers and onions for a little more flavour.
Keep them plain for the picky people at your table or load yours up. Everyone wins.
5. Easy Chicken Enchiladas from Real Food Whole Life
Shredded chicken, cheese, enchilada sauce and tortillas. Simple ingredients doing very good things together.
These chicken enchiladas are exactly the type of cozy weeknight supper that leftover chicken was made for. Add your favourite toppings and call dinner DONE.
6. Shredded Chicken Taquitos from Easy Chicken Recipes
If you have shredded chicken and want something crispy, make taquitos. These are stuffed with chicken, tomatoes, green chiles and cheese before being cooked until crunchy.
Serve them with salsa, sour cream or guacamole and watch how fast they disappear.
7. Shredded Chicken Nachos from Foolproof Living
Nachos count as supper and I will hear no arguments about it.
Pile tortilla chips with seasoned shredded chicken and plenty of cheese, bake everything until hot and melty and then let everyone add their own toppings. This is also a great way to stretch a smaller amount of leftover chicken into dinner for the whole family.
8. Chicken Tortilla Soup from What's Gaby Cooking
Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of those meals where the toppings are half the fun. This one combines shredded chicken with a smoky tomato-based broth, beans and plenty of flavour.
Load your bowl with avocado, cheese, tortilla strips, lime and sour cream. You know the drill. Soup shouldn't be boring.
Shredded Chicken Wraps, Bowls, Salads and Sandwiches
9. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Bowls
Buffalo Chicken can be on more than chicken wings. Wild, I know.
These bowls have shredded Buffalo chicken cooked with cream cheese, quinoa, avocado, tomatoes, green onion and all the toppings. They somehow manage to feel fresh and indulgent at the same time, which is exactly what I want from supper.
10. Cranberry Apple Pecan Chicken Wraps
These Cranberry Apple Pecan Chicken Wraps are one of my favourite ways to turn leftover chicken into something that doesn't FEEL like leftovers. You get tender chicken, crunchy apple and pecans and sweet cranberries all wrapped together in a creamy chicken salad.
They are easy to make ahead for lunches but substantial enough for a quick supper too.
11. Roasted Chicken and Quinoa Spinach Salad
If you want to use shredded chicken for something a little lighter, this is it. Chicken, quinoa and roasted vegetables are piled onto spinach and brought together with a sweet and creamy dressing.
Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken works beautifully here, which means most of the actual work is just roasting vegetables and cooking quinoa.
12. Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce
Crunchy vegetables and shredded chicken are pretty much made for a big Thai-inspired salad. Add a peanut dressing and you have a fresh meal that still has enough substance to qualify as dinner.
This is also a great option when you have cold shredded chicken in the fridge and absolutely no desire to turn the oven on.
13. Quick and Easy Pesto Chicken Sandwiches
Pesto and chicken are one of those combinations that require very little effort to taste REALLY good. The chicken gets shredded and coated in pesto before being layered into a sandwich with tomato, spinach and pesto mayo.
Toast the whole thing until golden and crispy and you have a lunch that is much better than another sad leftover chicken sandwich.
14. BBQ Chicken Pinwheels
These BBQ Chicken Pinwheels are ridiculously easy and only need a handful of ingredients. Shredded chicken gets mixed with BBQ sauce, cream cheese, cheddar and green onion before being rolled up in tortillas and sliced.
Serve them as an appetizer, pack them for lunch or eat enough of them that they accidentally become supper. Been there.
15. Shredded Chicken Sliders from Easy Family Recipes
Shredded chicken + soft rolls + melted cheese = a very solid dinner plan.
These sliders add provolone and a honey mustard glaze and work equally well as an easy family supper or something to put out when you're feeding a crowd. They're especially handy when you have chicken to use but not quite enough for everyone to get a full chicken breast.
Cozy Shredded Chicken Dinner Ideas
16. Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash
This Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash is for anyone who wants Buffalo chicken flavour without making another plate of wings. Both the squash and chicken get shredded and then tossed together with fresh vegetables and Buffalo Ranch sauce.
Top it with ranch and some extra crunchy veggies. If your family is weirded out by eating supper directly out of a squash shell, scoop everything into a casserole dish. Problem solved.
17. Calzones
Calzones are essentially a choose-your-own-adventure dinner and shredded chicken fits right in. BBQ chicken and onion is an easy combination, or try chicken with spinach, feta, pesto or whatever cheese is currently taking up space in your fridge.
This is especially good when you have a little chicken, a little cheese and a lot of random ingredients that need to be used. Clean-out-the-fridge dinner at its finest.
18. Pizza Roll Ups
The original Pizza Roll Ups are made with classic pizza toppings, but there is absolutely no reason shredded chicken can't come to the party. Add BBQ sauce and chicken for BBQ Chicken Pizza Roll Ups or use pizza sauce, chicken, peppers and cheese.
Kids love these and they're an easy way to make a small amount of chicken go a surprisingly long way.
19. Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
There is a reason Chicken Noodle Soup never really goes out of style. Chicken, vegetables, noodles and broth make one of the simplest and most comforting ways to use chicken.
If you already have cooked shredded chicken, even better. Add it near the end so it only needs enough time to heat through.
20. Easy Butter Chicken and Naan
My easy Butter Chicken was designed for nights when you want Butter Chicken without making dinner into a whole production. If you've already got cooked shredded chicken, you can make things even easier by warming it through in the sauce instead of starting with raw chicken.
Serve it over rice with naan to scoop up the sauce. Because leaving good Butter Chicken sauce behind should be illegal.
21. Chicken and Rice Bake
A quick note on this one: my Chicken and Rice Bake is originally cooked with chicken pieces right on top of the rice, so it isn't a straight shredded-chicken substitution recipe. I still wanted it here because the creamy chicken-and-rice combination is exactly the sort of comfort-food direction to take when chicken is on the menu.
If you're specifically trying to use already-cooked shredded chicken, use this one for inspiration rather than simply swapping it into the original bake time. The original recipe is best followed as written.
22. Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie from A Farmgirl's Kitchen
Chicken Pot Pie may be one of the best possible destinations for leftover shredded chicken. Chicken and vegetables are tucked into a creamy filling and covered in flaky pastry for peak comfort food.
Rotisserie chicken works too, which removes one whole step from getting supper on the table. I support this level of efficiency.
23. One Pot Shredded Chicken Pasta from Borrowed Bites
This is what you make when you have a rotisserie chicken and want it to become proper comfort food. Shredded chicken is combined with pasta, tomato, garlic, Cajun seasoning, cream and Parmesan in one pot.
One pot also means fewer dishes, and that is ALWAYS worth mentioning.
24. Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Salt & Lavender
White Chicken Chili gives shredded chicken a completely different personality. Tender chicken, white beans, green chiles and a creamy broth make this cozy without being the same old beef-and-tomato chili.
Throw everything in the slow cooker and let it do its thing. Add avocado, cheese, lime or tortilla strips when you're ready to eat.
25. Chicken Noodle Casserole from The Salty Marshmallow
Think Chicken Noodle Soup, but make it casserole. Cooked shredded chicken, egg noodles and vegetables come together in a creamy sauce with a buttery breadcrumb topping.
It's familiar, cozy and an easy way to use a few cups of chicken without anybody at the table saying, "Chicken AGAIN?"
What Is the Easiest Chicken to Use for Shredded Chicken Recipes?
Honestly? Whatever you already have.
You can cook chicken breasts or thighs specifically for shredding, use leftover roasted chicken or take the shortcut and buy a rotisserie chicken. Most recipes with shredded chicken are pretty forgiving because the chicken is being mixed with sauces, seasonings and other ingredients anyway.
If I know I have a busy week coming, I like cooking extra chicken once and using it in completely different meals. Salsa chicken one night can become burritos or nachos the next. Plain shredded chicken can go into a salad for lunch and soup for supper.
Cook once. Get several meals. That's my kind of meal prep.
How Do You Shred Chicken?
Two forks work perfectly fine: hold the chicken with one fork and pull it apart with the other.
For a larger batch, I like using an electric mixer. Put the warm cooked chicken in a large bowl and mix it on LOW until it breaks apart. Do not walk away unless you're looking to make chicken dust. It works FAST.
You can leave your chicken in larger pieces for things like salads and wraps or shred it more finely for burritos, pinwheels and casseroles.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken in These Recipes?
YES.
Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest shortcuts for shredded chicken recipes because it is already seasoned, cooked and ready to go. Remove the skin and bones, shred the meat and you're halfway to supper.
Just remember that rotisserie chicken is already seasoned, so taste the final dish before adding extra salt.
What to Make With Leftover Shredded Chicken
If you're staring into the fridge at a container of leftover chicken, don't overthink it.
For the fastest dinner, make quesadillas, nachos, wraps or sandwiches. If you have a little more time, turn it into burritos, enchiladas, pasta, soup, chili or chicken pot pie.
Shredded chicken is also great for meal prep because changing the sauce completely changes the meal. Buffalo sauce, salsa, BBQ sauce and pesto can take essentially the same chicken in four VERY different directions.
And that is how we avoid eating sad leftover chicken three days in a row.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you still haven't found what you're craving, here are a few more chicken dinners from my kitchen:
Whether you're starting with leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken or cooking a batch specifically for the week, hopefully this list answers the eternal question: What the heck am I going to make for supper?
Save this list of 25 shredded chicken recipes for the next time you have cooked chicken in the fridge and need an easy weeknight dinner idea.
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