Shredded chicken is a versatile ingredient that pairs well with everything and packs a powerful protein punch. It’s also meal-prep friendly, which makes it ideal for people living a busy lifestyle.
So, if you have some on hand, whether it’s leftovers from your last rotisserie cooking adventure or a fresh batch, here are some of the best shredded chicken recipes for you. They range from pizzas and soups to sandwiches and pasta, giving you plenty of options for creative and delicious meals.
1. Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup)
This cozy, comforting, and nourishing soup combines chicken and rice in a silky smooth Greek sauce made with a lemon and egg broth. It also has veggies like onion and celery that balance out this Grecian-style dish. To elevate its appeal, serve it topped with fresh herbs.
2. BBQ Chicken Pizza
Sweet, tangy, and smoky, this BBQ chicken pizza is downright delicious! It’s loaded with shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, and mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection. Serve it on its own, but if you want to take it to the next level, throw in some fresh green herbs on top for oomph.
3. Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
If you’ve got some buffalo chicken dip on hand, use it to make these wonderful zucchini boats. They really hit the spot in terms of flavor. They’re creamy and cheesy and get some heat from the hot sauce. And because the chicken mix is served on zucchini, they’re a healthy fix for dinner! Serve them topped with ranch dressing to balance the spicy flavors.
4. Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta
This chicken pasta is so addictive you won’t want to put your fork down. It calls for pairing shredded chicken with crispy bacon and pasta. The recipe features a cheesy sauce made with cream cheese, shredded cheese, and chicken broth. The best thing? The meal comes together in one pot, which allows for easy cleanup!
5. Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti
This recipe combines savory shredded chicken and hearty pasta in a light Alfredo sauce to produce a creamy, cheesy, comforting meal everybody will love. You can serve it garnished with parmesan and parsley for added flavor and freshness. The recipe is adaptable, so go ahead and use your favorite veggies and seasonings to modify it to your taste.
6. Chicken Alfredo Pizza
This white-sauced pizza will quickly become a favorite with your family. It has shredded chicken, Alfredo sauce, and mozzarella cheese on a lovely homemade crust and is garnished with minced parsley for a boost of freshness. You can brush it with melted butter after you get it out of the oven to bring out all the flavors.
7. Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Creamy yet light, this chicken lasagna is addictively delicious. It’s made with shredded chicken, mushrooms, baby spinach, and lasagna noodles — all of which are smothered in a milk-based sauce flavored with nutmeg and parmesan to infuse every bite with a yummy taste. Serve it with a Caesar salad or wedge salad to elevate your dinner spread.
8. Chicken Patties (Easy Chicken Cakes)
Make these delicious chicken patties with shredded chicken, panko bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese, lemon zest, dill, and a simple batter. They’re crisp on the outside and delightfully cheesy on the inside and can be made ahead of time. Serve them in sliders with a lemon aioli sauce for dipping or with some mashed potatoes for a delicious, well-balanced meal.
9. Chicken Pesto Sandwich
This hearty sandwich makes for a substantial and tasty lunch or dinner. It is made by combining Greek yogurt and pesto with shredded chicken to produce a creamy filling. You can layer it on a baguette with tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella cheese. The key ingredient here is the basil pesto prepared with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, seasonings, and olive oil.
10. Chicken Pot Pie
Featuring a buttery and flaky crust, this pot pie has a dreamy filling. You can prepare the filling with shredded chicken, loads of nutritious veggies, heavy cream, aromatics, and flavorings to get the best of flavor and nutrition. It freezes well, so you can prepare it ahead of time and enjoy it on hectic weekdays.
11. Chicken Pot Pie Soup
This one-pot soup has all the flavorings of a classic pot pie without the hassle of preparing the crust. It’s made with chicken, mushrooms, potatoes, veggies, cream, broth, and a handful of aromatics that will fill your home with wonderful smells as it cooks. Serve it garnished with parsley for extra flavor.
12. Chicken Potato Soup
Easy to make and packed with comforting flavors, this hearty soup is loaded with chicken and potatoes. The mirepoix, tomatoes, and chicken broth infuse it with incredible flavors. There’s no compromising taste here! Add a spritz of lemon and garnish with parsley before serving. It’s also freezer-friendly, so it will make a fine addition to your meal prep menu.
13. Chicken Tetrazzini
This chicken tetrazzini is made by smothering shredded chicken, hearty mushrooms, veggies, and pasta in a decadent sauce, giving you insane flavor in every mouthful. The recipe also includes a buttery breadcrumb topping before it is baked to golden brown perfection. This dish is so delicious you’ll want to put it on repeat!
14. Crack Chicken Dip
This appetizer dip is a must-have on game nights. It’s unbelievably cheesy, brimming with delicious flavors, and also packs a powerful protein punch, allowing you to meet your nutrition needs without sacrificing flavor. The loaded chicken dip also has bacon and a ranch seasoning mix, which adds to its appeal. Serve it up at parties and watch your guests gobble it up!
15. Cranberry Chicken Salad
This recipe shows you how to elevate a simple chicken salad with a few simple additions. It has sweet and tart cranberries and roasted crunchy pecans in a Dijon mustard and mayonnaise-based dressing that adds a lovely tangy and zesty flavor. It’s tempting as-is, but you can also pack it into a croissant, serve it on a bed of greens, or smear it on crackers!
16. Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
This 30-minute recipe is made by mixing chicken and pasta in a creamy sauce, producing an addictively light and fresh meal. Make the sauce with chicken broth, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest, butter, aromatic garlic, and grated parmesan cheese. You can also use reserved pasta water if you want to thin the sauce out a little. Serve warm, and enjoy!
17. Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
This lasagna is the stuff of dreams. It has layers of lasagna, shredded chicken, creamy spinach white sauce, and ricotta cheese mixture and is baked with a topping of shredded mozzarella until it develops a gorgeous golden-brown hue. You can also add your choice of veggies and seasonings to customize it to your palate.
18. Red Chicken Enchiladas
These chicken enchiladas will be the highlight of any party! They’re made by stuffing tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese, then smothering them with red enchilada sauce, garnishing them with cheese, and baking them until the cheese has melted into ooey-gooey deliciousness. You can serve it with Mexican rice, Arroz Verde, refried beans, guacamole, or avocado salad.
19. Easy Chicken Quesadillas
These quesadillas are brimming with Mexican-inspired flavors. The quick and easy recipe comes together in 30 minutes and just needs shredded chicken, Mexican blend cheese, red and green onions, taco seasonings, bell pepper, and tortilla wraps. Make sure to chop the vegetables small, or the quesadilla will break. Serve them with pico de gallo, salsa, or guacamole to enjoy.
20. Greek Avocado Chicken Salad
You won’t be able to get enough of this hearty, healthy chicken salad! Make it by tossing avocado, feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onion, shredded chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes in a Greek-inspired dressing to produce a dish that’s creamy without being heavy on your tummy. If you have leftovers, you can easily enjoy them for lunch the next day.
21. How to Make the Easiest Ever Chicken Pesto Pasta
This pasta dish can be on the table in less than 20 minutes. It’s perfect for days when you’re short on time. It uses just three ingredients — shredded chicken, penne pasta, and pesto sauce. But you can serve it topped with grated Parmesan cheese to give it more flavor and texture.
22. Instant Pot Chicken Tacos (Shredded Chicken Tacos)
Simple, delicious, and so easy to make, this instant pot recipe offers a lot of versatility in your meals. It uses shredded chicken to create the magic, and you can serve it with your favorite toppings to customize it as you like. If you have more shredded chicken than you need for your tacos, use the extras to make salads or taco bowls!
23. Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Warm up on chilly evenings with this warming and comforting soup. You only need a handful of simple ingredients like shredded chicken, a heady dose of spices, egg noodles, onion, and celery, all cooked in chicken broth. It comes together quickly in under 30 minutes, making it uber-convenient for your weeknight menu!
24. Shredded Chicken Nachos
Make these delicious game-day nachos with shredded chicken, chips, and cheese, and spruce them up with a range of flavor combos like diced onions, diced tomatoes, or sliced avocado. They are loaded with toppings that you can customize to complement individual taste preferences and dietary requirements. You can also alter the ingredient list to make it dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian!
25. Shredded Mexican Chicken Casserole
This easy weeknight meal has the best of textures and flavors. It’s made with tender and juicy shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and salsa, which you can flavor with a special blend of spices to get yummy flavors in every mouthful. It is filling as-is, and you can also serve it with Mexican rice for a satisfying meal.
26. Spicy Italian Chicken Pasta
If you love some fire in your meals, this heat-packed pasta recipe will quickly become your favorite. It’s a quick and easy 30-minute recipe that depends on a spicy tomato sauce to coat pasta, chicken, and veggies to produce a dish brimming with scrumptious flavors. Serve it topped with freshly grated parmesan for an authentic Italian meal.
27. The Best Chicken Tinga Tacos
These tinga tacos are saucy and spicy — a flavor combo no one can resist! Make them by loading tortillas with juicy and tender shredded chicken, smokey adobo sauce, and buttery avocado. You can top them with cilantro, red onion, and crumbled cotija and give them a burst of freshness and delicious tart and tangy flavors with a spritz of lemon.
28. Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải)
Transform a simple vegetable slaw into a spectacular meal by mixing in some protein-rich shredded chicken and tossing it all with a delicious sweet, savory, tangy, spicy dressing. It’s a simple recipe that packs insane flavor in every bite! Serve it with peanuts to give it an added crunch and some herbs for extra flavor.
29. White Chicken Chili
This hearty and healthy dish is packed with exquisite flavors. In it, shredded chicken and beans are floating in a creamy, irresistible broth. It’s delicious on its own but is infinitely better when you load on creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, and other toppings. If you’ve made extras, you can use it to enjoy a satisfying lunch the next day.
30. Whole30 + Keto Shredded Chicken Salad
This protein-packed meal is a copycat of the all-time favorite Costco chicken salad, so you can be assured that everyone around your dinner table will fall in love with it! All you need are shredded chicken, mayo, chicken broth, celery, onions, seasonings, and slivered almonds. You can serve it over fresh greens or in lettuce wraps to enjoy.
