Shredded Italian Chicken (Instant Pot or slow cooker)

Today’s easy Shredded Italian Chicken is a flavorful dump-and-go recipe. Even better, it’s a two-fer! Just shred it up after cooking to serve over pasta, then enjoy the leftovers as sandwiches the next night.

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How about a batch of easy Shredded Italian Chicken tonight? I made mine in the Instant Pot today, but you could easily use your slow cooker instead. (You’ll find both sets of directions and cooking times below.) The chicken stays nice and juicy here because it cooks up right in the sauce, and slow-cooking or pressure-cooking bone-in chicken gives it an extra depth of flavor.

This easy dump and go chicken recipe just requires some shredding at the end, then makes enough shredded Italian chicken to use in two different meals! Just enjoy half of your chicken over pasta tonight, then use the other half to cook up a batch of shredded Italian chicken sandwiches tomorrow.

I sometimes like using this organic pasta sauce from ALDI in recipes, but you can substitute in your own favorite — or even choose arrabbiata sauce, if you’d like to punch up the spice. And let me just say that I love love love my little jar opener — I used to struggle terribly with these lids, but pop them open no problem now!

Shredded Italian Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
4.5-5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
24 oz jar of pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt, to taste
Can of tomato paste
Can of green beans, drained

Directions

Add the water to the bottom of your Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Place the chicken thighs in the pot, skin side up. (I didn’t bother to trim these, since we’ll be discarding the skin at the end anyway.)

Dump in the pasta sauce and seasonings and stir gently to combine, making sure that the chicken remains covered.

In the Instant Pot: Cook for 15 minutes on high pressure, then let natural release for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.

In the slow cooker: Cook for 5.5 hours on low.

Near the end of the cooking time: Open the tomato paste, open and drain the green beans.

When the chicken is done cooking, leave the Instant Pot or slow cooker on keep warm.

Remove the chicken to a separate large bowl. Stir the green beans and tomato paste into the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer while you shred the chicken.

Shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Taste and add additional salt, if desired. (Mine needed a bit more here.)

Serve half of the shredded Italian chicken over pasta of choice tonight, and use the other half to make Italian chicken sandwiches tomorrow night! You’ll need to reserve about 4 cups of cooked chicken for those.

Note: The total time in this recipe reflects the Instant Pot directions (including time to come to pressure and NR); allow 4.5-5 additional hours if using a slow cooker.

So yummy with garlic bread

I just toasted up some quick sourdough garlic bread to go with today’s Italian chicken, which paired perfectly. You could also enjoy yours with salad, garlic knots, or your own favorite side dish for pasta. You have to love a dinner recipe that everyone eats without complaint; this one is a great family meal that the kids and adults here appreciated equally.

Using the Instant Pot or slow cooker also helps you keep the house cool on a hot summer’s day — while still reaping the benefits of a hearty home-cooked dinner. Enjoy! 🙂

Shredded Italian Chicken, printable recipe

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Shredded Italian Chicken (Instant Pot or slow cooker)

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Shredded Italian Chicken is an easy & flavorful dump-and-go recipe, and even better, it’s a two-fer! Just shred it up after cooking to serve over pasta, then enjoy the leftovers as sandwiches the next night.

Course dinner

Cuisine Chicken

Keyword chicken thighs, instant pot, italian chicken, shredded Italian chicken, slow cooker

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 servings

Author Rachel Singer

Equipment

instant pot OR

slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 4.5-5 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 24 oz jar of pasta sauce
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Sea salt to taste
• Can of tomato paste
• Can of green beans drained

Instructions

• Add the water to the bottom of your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
• Place the chicken thighs in the pot, skin side up. (I didn’t bother to trim these, since we’ll be discarding the skin at the end anyway.)
• Dump in the pasta sauce and seasonings and stir gently to combine, making sure that the chicken remains covered.
• In the Instant Pot: Cook for 15 minutes on high pressure, then let natural release for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
• In the slow cooker: Cook for 5.5 hours on low.
• Near the end of the cooking time: Open the tomato paste, open and drain the green beans.
• When the chicken is done cooking, leave the Instant Pot or slow cooker on keep warm.
• Remove the chicken to a separate large bowl. Stir the green beans and tomato paste into the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer while you shred the chicken.
• Shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones.
• Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Taste and add additional salt, if desired. (Mine needed a bit more here.)
• Serve half of the shredded Italian chicken over pasta of choice tonight, and use the other half to make Italian chicken sandwiches tomorrow night! You’ll need to reserve about 4 cups of cooked chicken for those.

Notes

The total time in this recipe reflects the Instant Pot directions (including time to come to pressure and NR); allow 4.5-5 additional hours if using a slow cooker.

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