How to reheat shredded chicken?

Have you ever made a big batch of chicken and then shredded it and stored it in separate packages for a quick meal fix? If you have not tried it, you are missing a simple way to have meat prepared for any meal.

One of the best things to help you with meals and the busyness of life is to cook your meats ahead of time and prepare them for a meal. You can then store them in the fridge or freezer and take them out for dinner, but probably saving 30 minutes of cooking time.

Now introduce the shredded chicken. Whether you’re making a big batch of shredded chicken and looking for the ultimate solution, or just have shredded chicken left over from today’s dinner, you need options.

Can you reheat shredded chicken? Will it ruin the chicken or mess up its texture?

Reheating shredded chicken is a simple process that you can do in the oven, microwave, or on the stove. The most important thing to remember when reheating chicken is to make sure it reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Reheating shredded chicken is pretty easy. The steps are easy, and there is nothing difficult or challenging to watch out for when storing the chicken and then proceeding to reheat it for whatever use you put it to. If it is well stored, you can even eat it cold.

In this guide, we’ll share with you everything you need to know about reheating shredded chicken, including how to properly store it for future use.

Read on for all the important details on reheating shredded chicken and much more.

Shredded Chicken: Guide for Reheating

Shredded chicken is one of the most popular staple foods to use for meals. Chicken is a versatile meat that can be used in a large number of dishes. Here are a few to give you a general idea.

• chicken with noodles
• salads
• stews
• chicken and dumplings
• Enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas
• chicken spaghetti
• BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• pizza topping
• Egg rolls
• assorted soups
• wrappers
• pasta dishes

As you can see, there are many options. This list barely scratches the surface, because the truth is, you can use shredded chicken in almost any recipe you want, and once the chicken is fully cooked, it can even be used cold.

Cook the chicken to shred it

Chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. It is very important that you make sure that you cook the chicken properly before using it in any recipe. Raw chicken or chicken that is not cooked to the proper temperature is a health risk.

Cooking chicken is pretty basic. We’re not going to offer a step-by-step walkthrough on this topic in this guide, but we wanted to go over some basic information. After all, this guide is all about reheating chicken, which means you have to cook the chicken first.

There are several ways to cook chicken so that it can be shredded. The nice thing about this process is that it’s relatively easy and ultimately you can do whatever you want with the chicken. You can season the chicken with taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, or a simple rub or even just salt and pepper.

You can cook the chicken by roasting it in the oven, boiling it in water, or cooking it in the slow cooker. Now there are even means to fully cook chicken in the microwave. Once the chicken is fully cooked, you can shred it and do whatever you need with it.

A great way to get the most out of chicken is to cook a large batch at once and remove the cooking part. Then you can crumble it and divide it into portions for several meals and store in the freezer the portions that you will not use in a couple of days.

Shredded Chicken Storing

Chicken storage is an important part of the process. In order to reheat chicken, you must first cook and store it properly. We want to cover with you some basic information to properly store chicken.

Chicken is usually safe once it’s been cooked to the proper temperature, but chicken is also one of those foods that you certainly don’t want to take any chances with. It seems that any little thing can make the chicken sick if things are not done correctly.

If you want to learn how to preserve fried chicken, check out this post I wrote.

How to refrigerate fried chicken

1. Place the chicken in a storage bag or an airtight container.
2. Put it in the fridge.
3. Shredded chicken will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze shredded chicken

1. Let the chicken cool to room temperature, but don’t leave it out for too long.
2. Portion the chicken into 1 to 2 cup portions.
3. Place chicken in separate freezer bags or airtight storage containers.
4. Add a little broth if you want, but it’s not necessary. Leave at least one inch of free space in your storage piece to allow room for possible expansion of the freezer.
5. Store shredded chicken in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If you’re making a large batch of chicken, we recommend that you freeze most of it right away, or whatever amounts you don’t plan to use for a couple of days.

Reheat shredded chicken

Reheating shredded chicken couldn’t be easier. It is very simple and you can reheat it in the microwave, in the oven or on the stove. The oven is probably the most popular method of reheating.

Also, there are other options besides reheating it on its own. You can eat the chicken cold in a sandwich or in a salad, if you like. You can also add cold chicken to any recipe you are preparing and allow it to reheat during the cooking process of that dish.

Here’s a breakdown of the steps for reheating shredded chicken by the various means available.

Reheat Shredded Chicken in the Microwave

1. Make sure the chicken is in a microwave-safe container.
2. Cover the chicken with a damp paper towel.
3. Microwave the chicken in 1-minute increments, potentially up to 5 minutes. Stir after every minute.
4. Remove from the microwave and allow the chicken to rest for 1 minute.
5. Remove the paper towel and proceed.

Reheating the shredded chicken in the oven

1. If the shredded chicken is frozen, you must thaw it first or let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
2. Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish and cover it with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the chicken is heated through. You can stir the chicken periodically during the heating process so it heats evenly.

Reheat Shredded Chicken on the Stove

1. Heat the butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the chicken to the heated oil or butter. Chicken can be frozen or thawed.
3. Stirring frequently, cook chicken in skillet until heated to desired temperature, making sure it is at least 165 degrees internally.

The stovetop is also the preferred method of reheating orange chicken .

You can also reheat shredded chicken in a slow cooker. You may need to add some broth or water to the slow cooker to prevent the chicken from drying out as it cooks. If you use a slow cooker, we recommend that you use a low temperature for only 1-2 hours.

Related questions

We hope you found this guide helpful in preparing and reheating shredded chicken and that you feel totally prepared for the process.

We invite you to review our questions and answers section below for additional information that may be helpful to you.

What is the best way to tell if the chicken has gone bad?

There are two main ways to tell if cooked chicken may be spoiled. You can look at both color and smell for this process. Cooked chicken should be brown or white when fresh. If it is starting to go bad, it will turn gray or gray-green.

Also, you can smell the chicken to see if it is spoiled. Spoiled chicken will have a strong unpleasant odor that is perceptible. You’ll know it when you smell it. Spoiled chicken can also be slimy.

Does shredded chicken have to be chicken breast?

Chicken breast is the most common form of chicken used for shredding, but really, you can use any cut for shredding. Whether it’s a leg, breast, thigh, or even wings, everything flakes well.

If you are going to make your own shredded chicken with chicken breast, you may want to consider a good chicken tenderizer. I recently wrote an article ranking the best chicken tenderizers. You can check it here.

What do I do if my chicken is dry?

The best way to restore moisture to the chicken is to heat it on the stove with a little chicken broth. This shouldn’t take long, but you can place the shredded chicken in a pot and add a small amount of broth. Heat it for about 5 minutes

In addition, you can also use this process in the oven, pouring the broth over the shredded chicken in a baking dish and heating it for about 10 minutes in the oven.