Mexican Shredded Chicken (One Pot)
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Quick and easy Mexican shredded chicken recipe made on the stovetop in 1 pot and only 30 minutes. Great for tacos, casseroles and sandwiches.
Before I even get into this post, let me just say that this is probably not the most authentic or traditional Mexican recipe, but it still tastes amazing and you really have to try it! Once you make a batch of this, you will have endless meal options for the entire week! And if you like this recipe, you may also like this Buffalo Chicken Pasta.
Table of contents
Key ingredients
- Oil– This is used to saute the onion and add savor.
- Onion– Be sure it is finely chopped.
- Chicken breast– The higher quality, the better taste and texture.
- Taco seasoning– This can be homemade or store bought.
- Salt– An essential seasoning for this dish.
- Pepper– Adjust according to your preference.
- Water or chicken broth– Either works, but the chicken broth brings in more flavor.
- Tacos– You can use hard or soft.
- Toppings– Such as lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and more.
Variations
- Use a crockpot or slow cooker- Just dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover lid and cook on high for 2 hours. Timing may vary depending on the type of slow cooker you use.
- Spicy version- Add red chili flakes or some chopped jalapenos while cooking.
- Add lime juice- To make the chicken even more moist and flavorful.
- Make it saucy- By adding cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, a white sauce, red enchilada sauce, or even tomato sauce for Mexican chicken tinga.
- Make it crispy- Once cooked, you can place the chicken in a frying pan with a little oil and let the water evaporate out while crisping the outside.
- Cube it- Instead of shredded the chicken once it is done, simply cut it up into 1 inch chunks.
How to make Mexican shredded chicken?
- Heat oil in pan- And saute the onions.
- Add chicken breasts– Taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook– Until chicken is tender.
- Shred chicken- And use in tacos or anything else you like.
What to serve using shredded chicken?
- Chicken tacos- Use them as a filling in soft or hard taco shells like these Shredded Chicken Taco recipe. You can add any toppings you like, such as cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, guacamole. You can even bake them in the oven to make the cheese nice and bubbly.
- Casserole- Toss ingredients into a 9×13 casserole dish and bake in the oven for a delicious dinner, like this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole.
- Burritos and enchiladas- Simply add chicken into a flour tortilla, add your favorite ingredients, bake in the oven, and enjoy! You can add red sauce, sour cream, or green salsa to top it off.
- Salad– Prepare a salad with your favorite vegetables and then mix in this shredded Chicken. Use salsa or enchilada sauce instead of dressing and you will have a delicious, healthy meal.
- Dip– Combine leftover chicken with with sour cream, velveeta, cream cheese jalapenos, beans and tomatoes and dig in!!
- Sandwich/torta- A couple slices of bread, lots of Mexican cheese blend and shredded Mexican chicken is all you need for this.
- Add cooked rice- And mix together like in this One Pot Chicken and Rice recipe. Or put the chicken on top of Mexican rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Soup- Such as this Chicken Corn Soup, Chicken Taco Soup, Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup, or this Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup. You can also add rice for a chicken and rice soup.
- Quesadillas- This gives a little extra flavor and bulk to your typical quesadilla. Cook them as usual but be sure to place a layer of chicken on top of the cheese like this Chicken Quesadilla (One Pan).
Tips and techniques
- Use a non-stick pan– To prevent the chicken from sticking and burning.
- You can use homemade or store-bought– Taco seasoning for this recipe.
- If you use frozen chicken breasts– You would have to increase the cooking time by a few minutes since it will release more water.
- If you want this chicken filling to have more sauce– Don’t reduce the water completely. Turn off the heat when you have a thick mixture.
- To shred the chicken- You can simply use 2 forks to easily spread the chicken apart.
Recipe FAQs
Can you buy cooked shredded chicken?
No, you cannot buy that. However, you can buy chicken breasts, cook it, and shred it yourself.
How do you cook chicken to be shredded?
You can cook it with taco seasoning, onions and broth on stovetop or in the slow cooker or in the pressure cooker.
Storage
- Make ahead- This can be made up to 3 days ahead if kept in an airtight container in the fridge, or up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw and reheat before serving.
- Refrigerate– Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze– Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Reheat– If taking from the freezer, first thaw in the fridge. Then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Mexican Food Recipes
- Instant Pot Mexican Soup
- Mexican Ground Beef Taco Meet (One Pot)
- Mexican Corn on the Cob (One Pan)
- Mexican Corn Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Mexican Shredded Chicken
Quick and easy Mexican shredded chicken recipe made on the stovetop in 1 pot and only 30 minutes. Great for tacos, casseroles and sandwiches.
Yield: People
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Onion, Finely chopped
- 1 pound Chicken breast
- 4 tbsp Taco seasoning
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper , To taste
- 1/2 cup Water , Or chicken broth
- 8-10 Tacos, Hard or soft
- 1 cup Toppings , E.g. lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour crea e.t.c
Instructions
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink and onion is golden brown.
- Stir in taco seasoning, salt, pepper and water or chicken broth. Mix thoroughly.
- Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the cover and cook until water is reduced and chicken is cooked through, making sure to stir every few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Fill your hard or soft tacos with shredded chicken and your choice of toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 231mg, Potassium: 279mg, Vitamin A: 190IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! My oven broke down over two months ago. Finding stove top or slow cook meals has gotten tedious. Sadly fast food has often been the answer. Best Buy delivered twice the wrong color, out of box and damaged new ovens. This Thursday is try number 3! Fingers crossed it is stainless, new and works!!
So I had boneless chicken thighs to cook and had no inspiration. First I was going to make Asian orange chicken but the recipe was too involved. I remembered we had refried beans, salsa and chips. So I searched Mexican style chicken. Thank you😋 thank you😀 a hundred times. It was an easy recipes with pantry staples, I had 2lb of meat so it was way more than the two of us needed. I only shredded a third of the meat with some of the juice. We had nachos with pulled chicken refried beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese.  I have plenty of leftovers for some of your other ideas!
I am very happy to hear you liked this recipe so much. It’s so simple but packs so much flavor. Hope you get your oven soon (the right one, this time!lol).
Can I add jalapeños? Would I add them with the onions?Â
Yes, you can add them along with the onions.