Making this air fryer shredded chicken is so simple, quick and requires just a handful of ingredients! Coming together in less than 30 minutes, we air fry the chicken so it's juicy, flavorful and perfect for making tacos, soups, salads or sandwiches.
Do check out my air fryer stuffed chicken breast and air fryer chicken tenders without breading recipes for more easy dinner ideas that doesn't require turning the oven on!
Air frying chicken has become such a go-to for weeknight meals for me, and this air fried shredded chicken breast joins popular recipes here including my air fryer chicken bites and air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs. They're just the thing for a busy day when you need dinner and fast!
This tried and tested recipe (my dad is quite the fan!) is so versatile, and super quick. Use your shredded chicken for making delicious hot dishes such as tacos, a stuffed baked potato, my chicken pesto risotto or cold dishes such as a chicken sandwich or salad.
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⭐ Why This Recipe is So Good
Fresh, juicy tender chicken. Don't worry about making a trip to the store to grab some shredded chicken, it's so easy to make yourself in the air fryer!
No need to turn the oven on. The only equipment you need is your air fryer, and a meat thermometer for safe cooking of your chicken.
Versatile. Make tacos, risotto, soup, salads and sandwiches with this shredded chicken in the air fryer recipe!
🐓 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken - we use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Olive oil - this helps give some browning to the chicken and prevent it from sticking to the air fryer basket.
- Garlic powder - to add a hum of heat and delicious flavor. You can also use a pinch of garlic granules as a swap.
📖 Swaps and Variations
Add herbs or spice. For extra flavor, you can easily add a pinch of onion powder (if suitable for you), sweet paprika or dried thyme to the chicken.
🔪 How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Air Fryer
It's so easy to make this tender shredded chicken without turning the oven on! Grab your chicken breasts, oil and spices, and let me show you how quick it is.
All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Season the chicken
Preheat your air fryer at 375F / 190C for 3 minutes.
Pat dry your chicken breasts with paper towel and add to a large bowl. Drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle over the garlic powder, salt and black pepper and use your hands or tongs to thoroughly coat the chicken (image 1).
Step 2: Add the chicken to the air fryer basket
Use tongs to place the chicken breasts in your air fryer basket in an even layer, with a little space between them for air circulation (image 2). If you have a dual basket air fryer (as I do) then use both baskets if needed.
Step 3: Air fry the chicken
Air fry the chicken breasts for 10 minutes, then use tongs to flip the chicken and air fry for a further 7-8 minutes (image 3). Check that the chicken is white meat throughout and reads 165F using a meat thermometer at the deepest point. If you are using larger chicken breasts, you may need to air fry for a further few minutes.
Step 4: Shred the chicken
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. Either use two forks (my preferred method) to shred the chicken, or use a stand mixer with the appropriate attachment (image 4).
🍴How to Shred Chicken
There are a few easy ways to shred chicken:
- Two forks - simply grab some cutlery and hold your chicken with one fork, then gently shred it with the other fork. I like this method as I can shred to larger or smaller pieces as I wish. Super simple and minimal clean-up!
- Stand mixer - if you have one, use the appropriate attachment to shred the chicken. Have the speed on the lowest setting - don't worry it will still be fast to do. This method is great if you are shredding a larger quantity of chicken breasts.
💭 Expert Recipe Tips and Notes
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure to have some space between the chicken breasts. Work in batches if you have a smaller air fryer or use both baskets if you have a dual basket version.
- Evenly coat the chicken in oil. Use your hands or tongs so the chicken breasts are evenly coated. This both helps with a little browning and preventing it from sticking to the air fryer basket.
- Adjust the cook time. Chicken breasts vary in size, so adjust the air frying time as needed. Larger chicken breasts (or thighs) will need a longer cook time.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's very easy to make shredded chicken in the air fryer using chicken thighs. Simply add a little more cook time and be sure that they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
If you don't have a stand mixer, it's so simple to shred chicken using two forks on a plate or chopping board.
Yes, it's very easy to freeze shredded chicken for another meal. Simply allow to completely cool and then add to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. My low histamine readers may wish to read the SIGHI advice on freezing food.
🥣 How to Serve
Shredded chicken is always delicious and can be used in both hot and cold dishes. Some tasty ideas to try:
- Salads - adding shredded chicken to your salad gives flavor and protein. Use this air fried shredded chicken to make my chicken salad without mayo or dairy or my kale chicken salad for a tasty lunch or side dish.
- Soups - stirring shredded chicken into soups makes them so hearty and you can easily use this recipe to make my chicken paprikash soup for a cozy lunch or dinner.
- Hot dishes - use this recipe to make tacos, stuffing a baked potato or risotto dishes such as my chicken and pumpkin risotto.
🍽 More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Alongside other proteins such as my frozen cod in the air fryer, there are lots of air fryer chicken recipes to choose from here! As well as my thin sliced chicken in air fryer recipe, have a peek at:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Shredded Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 375F / 190C for 3 minutes.
- Pat dry the boneless skinless chicken breasts with paper towel and add to a large bowl. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle over garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Use your hands or tongs to coat the chicken breasts in the oil and seasonings.
- Use tongs to place your chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in an even layer with a little space between them. Air fry for 10 minutes at 375F / 190C, flip using tongs (not fingers - the basket is hot!), then air fry for a further 7-8 minutes. Check for an internal temperature of 165F at the deepest part of the chicken and cook for longer, if required.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then either use two forks or a stand mixer to shred the chicken into small pieces.
Notes
- For more flavor, you can also add onion powder, sweet paprika or dried thyme to the chicken.
- Make sure to have some space between the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket to allow for air circulation.
- Cook time will vary slightly depending upon the size of your chicken breasts.
- Chicken thighs can also be used to make shredded chicken in the air fryer. They will need a little longer cook time, so be sure to check they are cooked through with a meat thermometer.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- garlic, which scores 1, with a note, 'In small amounts, usually well tolerated after cooking'.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
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