How To Reheat Shredded Chicken?

We all love chicken and there would’ve been times where after making chicken in large batches, you shred it and then store it in different packages for quick meal solutions. If you are yet to try this, then you are seriously missing out a lot on an excellent method to use to prepare the meat for your dish.

We all get busy, busy enough not to have enough time to cook and the good thing is that we always have the opportunity to prepare our meats in advance and prepare them for a series of dishes. We can then store them inside the refrigerator or the freezer and then use then when we are ready. The thing is that it will save us about 30 minutes we are supposed to spend to cook from scratch.

Now, let’s consider shredded chicken. You will need options on how to use your shredded chicken if you have made it in a large portion. It may be that you have lots of leftovers or you intentionally made them in advance to be used later. The question is whether or not you can reheat your shredded chicken and if the chicken will be ruined or the texture will be messed.

The process of reheating your shredded chicken is very straightforward. It can be reheated on a stovetop, a microwave, or an oven. The most essential thing you need to remember when you want to reheat chicken is that you should ensure to allow the temperature to reach a minimum of 165°F.

The reheating process of shredded chicken can be classified to be quite simple, it is not difficult, the steps to follow are very easy and you wouldn’t have to beware of anything when you store and then reheat it. If you can properly store it, you may even decide to eat it directly cold.

What we will check out in this article is to find out how you can reheat the shredded chicken. We will also check out how you should properly store it for the future. You are advised to continue reading to get all the important tips you need to know.

Table of Contents

A Guide to Reheating Shredded Chicken

This staple is a very popular staple that is used in meals. Chicken is considered to be very versatile meat used in a variety of dishes. Check below for some general ideas:

Pasta dishes
Wraps
Various soups
Egg rolls
Pizza topping
Barbeque chicken sandwiches
Chicken spaghetti
Quesadillas, tacos, and enchiladas
Dumplings and chicken
Casseroles
Noodles and chicken

Cooking Chicken for Shredding

Generally, you should cook chicken internally to a minimum temperature of 165°F. You need to ensure you appropriately cook chicken before you use it for any of your recipes. You will be risking your health if you take raw chicken or the one you are yet to cook to the required temperature.

It is very easy to cook chicken, we will not be providing you with the detailed steps but we want to show you some of the basic information you need to know. Because the article is about how you should reheat your chicken, you have to cook your chicken initially before you reheat it.

You have different ways you can use to cook the chicken that you want to shred. The beautiful thing is that the process is very simple and anything you want can be done with the chicken. You are allowed to season it with Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, or even rub it simply with pepper and salt.

Chicken can be cooked by baking inside the oven, by cooking in a crockpot, or by boiling in water. In recent times, methods have been found to cook chicken fully inside the microwave. After the chicken has been cooked fully, you may then proceed to shred it or do anything you will like to it.

If you want to have full or whole use of chicken, cook it in a large portion per time so that the cooking process will already be out of your way. They can then be shredded and portioned for different meals and you can store any of the portions you will not use inside the freezer for some days.

Storing Shredded Chicken

The process of storing your chicken is an essential process of the reheating process. You need to first have successfully cooked and stored the chicken before you can reheat it. We will try to show you the basic information on how you can properly store your chicken. Your chicken is usually safe once you have cooked it to the required temperature but you wouldn’t wish to take chances with chicken. Any little action can allow your chicken to lead to your illness if the processes are not well followed.

Freezing Shredded Chicken

First, leave the chicken to become cool at room temperature. Do not allow it for too long.
Proceed to portion your chicken into 1 or 2 cup sizes.
Put the chicken inside separated air-tight storage containers or freezer bags.
You may add or pour some broth to it if you want but it is not necessary. Allow a minimum of an inch space at the top to allow it to expand when it becomes frozen.
Your shredded chicken can stay fresh inside the freezer for about 6 months.

Refrigerating Shredded Chicken

Put the chicken in an air-tight container or storage bag.
Put it inside the fridge.
The shredded chicken can remain inside the fridge for about 4 days where it will remain fresh.

If you have made a large portion of chicken, just freeze the majority right away or any amount you know you will not be using anytime soon.

Reheating Shredded Chicken

It is very simple to reheat shredded chicken and this can be done on a stovetop, microwave, or an oven. The most common method used for reheating shredded chicken is probably an oven.

Furthermore, there are different options apart from reheating that you can do. The chicken can be eaten cold on your salad or a sandwich. You may also put your cold chicken inside any recipe you want to make and leave it to become reheated when cooking the dish. Check below for the full details of methods you can use to reheat your shredded chicken:

Reheating your Shredded Chicken on a Stovetop

Use a skillet to warm oil or butter under medium heat.
Put the chicken inside the heated butter or oil. The chicken could be defrosted or frozen.
Stir it frequently and cook it until it gets to the required temperature of 165°F internally.

Reheating your Shredded Chicken inside an Oven

First, allow the chicken to thaw overnight inside the refrigerator or defrost if it is frozen.
Put the chicken inside an oven-friendly pan and use aluminum foil to cover it.
Allow it to bake for up to 20 minutes at a temperature of 425°F or until the temperature of the chicken gets to 165°F internally and it is warmed thoroughly. You may stir it periodically as you reheat for the heat to go round.

Reheating your Shredded Chicken inside a Microwave

Ensure your place the chicken in a microwavable container.
Use a damp paper towel to cover your chicken.
Microwave it in an increment of 1 minute, potentially going up to five minutes. Endeavor to stir after each minute.
Remove your chicken from the microwave and allow it to settle for a minute.
Remove the paper towel before you proceed to eat.

Shredded chicken can also be reheated in the crockpot. Some water or broth may be needed to be added to the crockpot to prevent your chicken from becoming dry when cooking. You should use a low temperature for just 1 to two hours if you are using a crockpot.

How To Reheat Shredded Chicken?