This is an easy air fryer shredded chicken recipe that is easy and quick to make. The flavorful shredded chicken is juicy, delicious, and great for use in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, frittatas, sandwiches, salads, and more.
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Air Fryer Shredded Chicken Recipe
One of the things I love about my air fryer shredded chicken recipe is its simplicity. No mambo-jumbos, no masterchef level cooking intricacies. Just season the chicken, air fry, and shred! I like shredding chicken to use in salads and wraps and I prefer to cook the chicken in the air fryer rather than use any other method.
I like that with only three ingredients - chicken breast (or boneless chicken thighs), seasoning, and oil you get flavorful, tender shredded chicken that can be eaten on its own, used in other recipes, or served with other foods.
It takes less than 20 minutes to make with the cooking time included
Air fried shredded chicken is versatile and can be served on its own, but also makes a base for other recipes. You can use it to prepare tacos, sandwiches, soups, stews, and more. The list just goes on!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make shredded chicken in air fryer:
Chicken breast - I use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Salt
Pepper
Paprika or Seasoning of choice- optional
Oil- Extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, or any other odourless oil is fine for this recipe.
How To Make Shredded Chicken In Air Fryer
Here's the step-by-step guide to making delicious air fryer shredded chicken:
Step 1- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
Step 2- Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning generously on all sides.
Step 3- Transfer the seasoned chicken to the air fryer basket.
Step 4- Set the air fryer to 200C/400F and air fry the chicken for 12-15 minutes or till its internal temperature reaches 165F. Make sure to flip the chicken halfway through to ensure it’s cooked even on both sides.
Tip: If using frozen chicken breast, cook it for longer and ensure internal temperature is 75C at the thickest part.
Step 5- Bring out the chicken from the air fryer, let it rest for 5 minutes so that all the juices redistribute evenly throughout the meat.
Step 6- Shred the chicken breasts. I do it with two forks, but you can use a hand mixer, or food processor to shred the chicken.
Storage
If you have any leftover chicken that you would like to use later, transfer it to an airtight container and put it in the fridge. It should be good to use for the next 4-5 days. However, if you plan to use it later than that, I would recommend freezing it. It will store well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips
Cooking shredded chicken in air fryer is fairly easy. However, there are still some things to keep in mind to cook it to perfection. Here are some:
- If you’re dealing with large pieces of chicken breast and are short on time, try cutting it into cutlets. This way, you can obtain the same juicy results without waiting for long.
- A larger chicken piece might take more time to cook than a smaller one so It's best to confirm doneness by checking the internal temperature of the chicken with an instant read thermometer. Take the chicken out of the air fryer as soon as it hits an internal temperature of 165F at the thickest part.
- Don't overcook the chicken, the difference between a perfectly cooked chicken and an overcooked, dry, and tough chicken is no more than a few minutes so stick to the recommended cooking time and if need be, you can always add more time.
- Rest the chicken for a few minutes before you shred them.
- For best results, shred chicken when it's still warm.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Air fryer chicken Cajun chicken
Air fryer frozen chicken wings
I hope you like this air fryer shredded chicken recipe as much as we do. If you find this post helpful, please rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below. I love reading from you.
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Air Fryer Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
- Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning generously on all sides.
- Transfer the seasoned chicken to the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer to 200C/400F and air fry the chicken for 12-15 minutes or till its internal temperature reaches 165F. Make sure to flip the chicken halfway through to ensure it’s cooked even on both sides.
- Bring out the chicken from the air fryer, let it rest for 5 minutes so that all the juices redistribute evenly throughout the meat.
- Shred the chicken breasts. I do it with two forks, but you can use a hand mixer, or food processor to shred the chicken.
Notes
- If you’re dealing with large pieces of chicken breast and are short on time, try cutting it into cutlets. This way, you can obtain the same juicy results without waiting for long.
- A larger chicken piece might take more time to cook than a smaller one so It's best to confirm doneness by checking the internal temperature of the chicken with an instant read thermometer. Take the chicken out of the air fryer as soon as it hits an internal temperature of 165F at the thickest part.
- Don't overcook the chicken, the difference between a perfectly cooked chicken and an overcooked, dry, and tough chicken is no more than a few minutes so stick to the recommended cooking time and if need be, you can always add more time.
- Rest the chicken for a few minutes before you shred them.
- For best results, shred chicken when it's still warm.
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