Thanks to our friend the air fryer, you can now have shredded chicken done in a fraction of the time.
✨Ready to elevate your chicken game to the next level?
✨How about making your life easier and your mealtime a whole lot tastier?
Elevating the shredded chicken starts with our homestyle seasoning which makes it so flavorful and the air fryer does the rest. It is so tender you can shred it with your hands but two forks are easier. Then, in no time you can upgrade some leftover rice into chicken fried rice or make some air fryer chicken tacos. This recipe is the answer to mealtime after a busy day. The recipe can give you and your family a meal on its own. Better yet, since it is so versatile you can make chicken Alfredo to shredded chicken quesadillas.
Recipe Highlights
- Beyond the recipe: We all get there sometimes after a long day, “What’s for dinner?”. The last thing you want is a long project to feed the family. Our recipe is done in under 30 minutes. Then you can enjoy air fryer shredded chicken with a side dish, or make shredded chicken fajitas or tacos.
- Equipment you will need: The trusty air fryer, a pan, and 2 forks. That is it.
- Time for this recipe: This is the best part. It is done in 18 minutes.
- Servings: Easily four, more if adding to another recipe like fried rice.
What can I do with shredded chicken?
- Fried rice
- Quesadillas
- Chicken salad wrap
- Chicken tostada salad
- Have leftover hamburger buns? Make some BBQ shredded chicken sliders.
- Mix it in with pasta and your favorite sauce.
Side dishes
Ingredients
The air fryer shredded chicken starts with skinless boneless chicken thighs. For our homestyle seasoning, you just need a few staple ingredients from the cupboard. Okay, maybe not the lemon pepper but we have tons of rubs and seasonings that use it.
Substitutions and Variations
The skinless and boneless chicken thighs can be substituted with chicken breasts or bone-in chicken thighs. Keep in mind they will cook differently. So the timing may need to be adjusted. Additionally, you can change the seasoning blend to your favorite or use one of ours.
Need some other variations to seasoning the shredded chicken:
- Kid-friendly – Make a classic sweet BBQ rub with brown sugar.
- Spicy – Give the seasoning from our air fryer spicy nuggets a try.
- Ranch and bacon – Use a Ranch mixture on the chicken and add bacon bits once the chicken is shredded.
Instructions
Season the chicken.
Preheat & air fry the chicken thighs.
Shred the chicken & air fry.
Enjoy shredded chicken.
Scroll down to the recipe card to see the exact ingredients and instructions.
Sprinkle’s Tip
You can add the seasoning the night before for convenience and to add even more flavor. Once you have seasoned the chicken, place it in a Ziploc bag, and put it back in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.
Other chicken recipes
Equipment
- Air Fryer: I used a basket style. There are so many brands and sizes of air fryers, so keep in mind the times may vary depending on which air fryer you use.
- Cake pan: Make sure it fits in the air fryer.
- Meat thermometer: I use an instant-read meat thermometer. It is the easiest and safest way for me to make sure the chicken is at the right temperature.
Storage / Rewarm / Leftovers
- Storage: When the shredded chicken cools you can place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Rewarm: Time to fire up the air fryer at 350°F for 4 – 5 minutes.
- Leftovers: The sky is the limit here. You can make air fryer shredded chicken nachos, chicken salad melt, add it to pasta salad, or even pizza.
What do you think of the air fryer shredded chicken? Please leave us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the review below and tag me @thekitchenbucketlist on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Air fryer shredded chicken
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Pan
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Season the chicken
- In a small bowl mix the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Paprika, and lemon pepper to make the seasoning.
- Unpack the chicken thighs, and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle the seasoning on the chicken thighs to cover both sides. Set aside.
Preheat & air fry the chicken thighs
- Place a cake pan in the air fryer and preheat to 370 ℉ for 3 minutes.
- Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar into the cake pan.
- Add the seasoned chicken thighs.
- Air fry at 370℉ for 13 -15 minutes, and flip them halfway through.
- The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature has reached a minimum of 165℉.
Shred the chicken & air fry
- Carefully remove the chicken thighs from the pan and place them on a plate.
- Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into pieces.
- Place the chicken back into the pan with the au jus and cook in the air fryer for an additional 2 – 3 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Food Safety
All of us are responsible for the safe preparation, cooking, and serving of food. The Kitchen Bucket List shares with you our personal experiences in cooking and food safety. We are not a food safety site. As a convenience, we provide informative information we find from food safety sites. If you have questions about your food safety check your local guidelines and/or head over to the USDA. The “Storage / Rewarm / Leftovers” section of the post is our personal estimate.
Here are some key things to remember:
- Like Mom always said, “Wash your hands.” It is the easiest thing to do for your food safety.
- Avoid cross-contamination between raw food items and the utensils with which they come in contact with.
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