Meal prep like a pro with this Baked Shredded Chicken Base Recipe! Easily prepare lightly seasoned shredded chicken breasts in bulk, then use in various dinner recipes throughout the week. Shredding and freezing tips included!
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What are the ingredients in this Baked Shredded Chicken Breast?
You can probably guess most of the ingredients here! Chicken breasts of course, as well as a couple seasonings and some broth. That’s it! Here’s a little info on each and why it’s important:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – The quality of the chicken breasts can have a huge effect on the taste and texture of the chicken. I would encourage you to look for free-range, air-chilled chicken. I almost always get my chicken from ButcherBox (affiliate link!) (I cook with chicken a lot so sometimes I run out!). This article from Taste of Home has more info on how to buy the best chicken.
- garlic powder & onion powder – Simple but delicious seasonings that everyone should have in their spice drawer! They elevate the chicken and go with any of the meals you make with the chicken.
- sea salt (or kosher salt) & fresh ground black pepper – Vital for seasoning as well! Either kind of salt work, just don’t use table salt.
- broth, stock or water – In order to add moisture and create steam inside the baking pan, it’s important to add some liquid. Broth will add some flavor as well, but water will get the job done too!
- olive oil – This is an optional ingredient. While it’s not required with this method to give you juicy baked chicken, it will add some flavor and good fats!
Equipment you’ll need to make Baked Shredded Chicken Breast:
There are only a couple of specific kitchen items you need for this recipe – a knife to trim the chicken, and a baking dish:
- For my knife, I use a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
- For a baking dish, any glass 9×13 dish will do. I use a white one for photography, but I’d recommend grabbing a Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish (affiliate link!) if you don’t have one. Square will be too small!
How to make this Baked Shredded Chicken Breast Base Recipe:
This meal prep chicken recipe is as simple and easy as it gets for meal prepping a big batch of protein. Just season, cover, bake and shred!
Start by preheating the oven to 425F. This high temperature will help cook the chicken quicker so it has less time to dry out. Next, remove the chicken from the packaging and trim off the fat or any pieces you don’t want in a big shredded batch of chicken (for example, I really don’t like the part at the top of tenderloins!).
If any chicken breasts are significantly larger than others, use the heel of your palm or a meat tenderizer to pound the thickest part a few times to flatten. This will help all the chicken breasts cook evenly and finish at the same time.
You can season the chicken directly in the cooking pan. If you’re using olive oil, add a drizzle now and run it around with the fingers or a pastry brush. Evenly sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper over the chicken.
Flip each piece with tongs and cover the other side with all remaining seasoning. Once seasoned, arrange the chicken in a flat layer in the pan. Gently pour the broth into the pan into the space between chicken breasts. You can nudge the chicken around so the broth fills the pan evenly, but it’s not required.
Cover the pan very tightly with foil and place it into the oven. Covering will shield the chicken from direct heat, as well as create a space to contain the steam in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes for smaller chicken breasts, and 30 minutes for thicker chicken breasts.
The chicken is done with a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165F. Completely remove the foil and let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes. Follow your favorite chicken shredding method (two forks, hand mixer, Kitchenaid, etc). Use some chicken immediately in a recipe if you’d like!
Best tips for making chicken breast for shredding in the oven:
Here are my best tips for making this chicken in your own kitchen:
- It’s important to cover the pan tightly when cooking chicken in the oven for shredding. This helps shield the chicken from the direct heat, and helps keep the moisture contained inside the pan instead of evaporating away.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. This will help the chicken retain moisture instead of getting chicken juice everywhere!
- Shred the chicken while it’s warm. Shredding chicken works a lot better when the chicken is warm. Don’t refrigerate the chicken and then try to shred! It will be a lot more difficult.
Chicken shredding methods:
There are multiple ways to shred chicken, and everyone seems to have their own favorite method. This can depend on what tools you have and your preference.
- Shred with forks. The classic way to shred some chicken!
- Use a hand mixer. If you have a powerful hand mixer, this is a great method. Mine is a bit weak, so I don’t usually use this method.
- Use a stand mixer. This method was a solid 7/10 for me. I still need to try it with the whisk attachment. Some big pieces left, but overall saves time.
What is a base recipe?
A base recipe is a simple recipe that functions as a starting point for customizations and enjoying multiple meals without eating the same thing every day. Another example is my Protein Overnight Oats Base Recipe.
A good base recipe going to work great for meal prep, because it gives you the power and flexibility to change the recipe or use it in a different way.
Ways to use & customize this recipe:
The best way to customize this recipe is in how you end up using it. It’s meant to be ready to go for all kinds of main dish recipes. Here are some examples of how you could use this baked shredded chicken:
- Quesadillas or pizzas like these Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas
- Chicken Salads – Buffalo Chicken Salad, Dill Pickle Chicken Salad, Chicken Salad With Grapes, or these Caesar Chicken Salad Wraps
- Green Salads – Simple Spring Mix Lunch Salad or my Go-To Chicken Bacon Ranch Salads
- Pasta Salads – Chicken Club Pasta Salad, or Herby Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad
Ways to meal prep this recipe:
This recipe was meant for meal prep! Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card and you’ll end up with 2-3 pounds of baked shredded chicken prepped and ready to use in recipes for the next 4 days.
Another option is to freeze the cooked shredded chicken. I recommend using 1-Cup Souper Cubes Trays (affiliate link!). Fill the tray with as much chicken as you’d like to freeze and then cover each portion in chicken broth.
Freezing in liquid helps prevent dryness and freezer burn on the chicken. Freeze for up to 3-6 months for best quality.
Store in an airtight food storage container with lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze, I recommend using 1-Cup Souper Cubes Trays (affiliate link!). Fill the tray with as much chicken as you’d like to freeze and then cover each portion in chicken broth. Freezing in liquid helps prevent dryness and freezer burn on the chicken. Freeze for up to 3-6 months for best quality.
The best way to reheat this chicken is to put it directly into your next recipe and heat it as part of cooking that recipe. For example, for these Barbecue Chicken Pizzas, you would put the chicken directly on the pizza cold, and it would reheat during cooking.
If you reheat in the microwave, be sure there’s some liquid in the bottom of the dish to create steam. Reheat loosely covered for about 90 seconds, adding 30 seconds if needed.
This chicken would also reheat well in a HotLogic Portable Oven (see my full HotLogic Review here). Again, be sure to add some liquid to create steam and keep the chicken moist.
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Baked Shredded Chicken Base Recipe
Meal prep like a pro with this Baked Shredded Chicken Base Recipe! Easily prepare lightly seasoned shredded chicken breasts in bulk, then use in various dinner recipes throughout the week. Shredding and freezing tips included!
- Total Time45 minutes
- Yield~12 servings
Ingredients
- ~3 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 large or 6 small)
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, stock or water
Instructions
- Prep & trim chicken: Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the chicken (~3 pounds, 4 large or 6 small breasts) from packaging and place on a cutting board to trim fat if necessary. If any chicken breasts are significantly larger than others, use the heel of your palm or a meat tenderizer to pound the thickest part a few times to flatten. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Season chicken: Optionally, drizzle olive oil (1/2 tablespoon) over the chicken breasts and spread it around with your fingers or a pastry brush. Olive oil is not required for this cooking method but still does add some flavor. Next, evenly sprinkle garlic powder (1/2 tablespoon), onion powder (1 teaspoon), salt (1/2 tablespoon) and pepper (1 teaspoon) over the chicken. Flip with tongs and cover the other side with remaining seasoning. Once seasoned, arrange the chicken in a flat layer. Gently pour the broth (1/2 cup) into the pan in the space between chicken breasts.
- Bake: Cover the pan tightly with foil and place into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes for smaller chicken breasts, and 30 minutes for thicker chicken breasts. The chicken is done with a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165F. Completely remove the foil and let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Shred & store: Follow your favorite chicken shredding method (two forks, hand mixer, Kitchenaid, etc). Use some immediately in a recipe if you wish. Transfer remaining shredded chicken to a food storage bowl with lid. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Chicken can lose up to 25% of its weight during cooking. This means if you start with 3 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breast, you could end up with 2.25 pounds cooked chicken breast.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~4 ounces
- Calories: 124
- Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Protein: 24g
Did You Make This?
I love seeing what you made! Leave a review below, and be sure to tag me at @ProjectMealPlan when you share a photo!
Followed recipe exactly as written and came out perfect. Moist and flavorful. Thank you!
If I’m only cooking one pound do I need to reduce cook time?
No, leave the cook time as is!