I’m not sure if other people get as excited when I make this shredded chicken recipe as my wife, Caroline.  Don’t get me wrong, she loves most things that I make (some experiments just don’t work out) but shredded chicken can be made into so many different recipes.  Think about it for a minute, you can make chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken paprikash, put it on a pizza, in a sandwich… make a quesadilla or even chicken fajitas with it.  If you like chicken, this recipe is for you!  Around here, my first dish is almost always chicken fajitas, then paprikash and then some soup for the kids.

The best part about this shredded chicken recipe is that it freezes extremely well.  Typically when I make this, I make about 20 pounds of chicken thighs at a time.  After the chicken is shredded, it gets frozen off in 4 cup containers.  To defrost simply grab a container the night before you need it out of the freezer and toss it in the refrigerator.  By the next afternoon it should be completely defrosted and ready to use.

For this shredded chicken recipe, I always use boneless skinless chicken thighs.  Because we are going to braise them, they stay super juicy and have some great flavor.  They also shred really easily which I like a lot.  As an additional bonus, they are usually one of the cheapest cuts of the chicken per pound, which also makes this recipe economical for most families.

QUICK COOKING TIP: When working with boneless skinless chicken thighs, it’s really important to prep them properly.  Chicken thighs tend to have a lot of fat on them.  I’m not an advocate for removing every ounce of fat from the thigh, but if the big pockets aren’t trimmed it sometimes gives a strange bite when you’re eating the chicken later that is just not appealing.  Additionally, I suggest running your fingers around where the joint was before it was deboned.  Sometimes there are some sliced bones still in this area.  A quick slice with a paring knife will remove that easily.

Let’s get to getting on this shredded chicken recipe…