Easy Mexican Shredded Chicken {Verde!}

5 from 5 votes

Easy Mexican Shredded Chicken {Verde!}

Perfect tender, fall apart chicken that you can take and use for any number of things. Tacos – yes. Enchiladas – Duh. Burritos – absolutely. Taco Salad – why not. Quinoa Bowls – Obviously. The ideas just keep coming.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Green Enchilada Sauce or Tomatillo Salsa

Instructions

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
Place a large skillet with olive oil over high heat and let the oil heat for a moment. Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken to the skillet and sear the chicken on both sides for 3 minutes each so that each side is golden brown.
Add the Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce to the skillet and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to medium and let the chicken cook for 25-30 minutes.
After 20 minutes, using a pair of tongs, flip the chicken over to the over side and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and using 2 forks, shred the chicken and then use as needed.

For an Instant Pot

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
Turn an instant pot onto the saute setting. Add the olive oil and let the oil heat for a moment. Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken to the instant pot and sear the chicken on both sides for 3 minutes each so that each side is golden brown. Add the sauce or salsa on top, close the lid and make sure it's sealed, and set the instant pot to poultry. Let the chicken cook and remove once the instant pot is done. Shred with 2 forks and serve as needed.

Notes

Pat the chicken thighs dry before seasoning. Surface moisture creates steam in the pan, which prevents a proper sear. A dry surface means better browning and more flavor in the final dish.
Use chicken thighs, not breasts. Thighs have more fat and connective tissue, which breaks down during braising and gives you juicy, shreddable meat. Breasts dry out quickly and shred into stringy, chalky pieces.
Get the oil fully hot before adding the chicken. Adding chicken to oil that hasn't reached temperature causes it to stick and steam rather than sear. You want to hear a strong sizzle the moment the chicken hits the pan.
Sear each side for a full 3 minutes without moving the chicken. Letting the chicken sit undisturbed allows the Maillard reaction to develop a golden crust. Moving it too early tears the surface and you lose that fond on the bottom of the pan.
Use a tight-fitting lid when braising. A proper seal traps steam inside the pan, which keeps the chicken moist and helps the enchilada sauce penetrate the meat as it cooks down.
Flip the chicken once during the braising phase. Turning the chicken halfway through ensures both sides spend time submerged in the sauce, so every bite absorbs that tomatillo flavor evenly.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before shredding. Resting allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat fibers. Shredding immediately after cooking causes those juices to run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the chicken.
Shred the chicken directly in the braising liquid. Tossing the shredded chicken back into the sauce coats every strand and keeps it from drying out, whether you are eating it now or storing it for later in the week.
Choose a salsa verde with tomatillos as the first ingredient. Tomatillo-forward salsas deliver the bright, tangy acidity that makes this dish work. Sauces that lead with water or tomato paste produce a flat, one-dimensional flavor.
Store the chicken with the braising liquid, not drained. The sauce acts as a protective coating in the fridge, keeping the chicken tender and moist for up to 4 days. Draining it before storing leads to dry, reheated leftovers.
Reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of extra salsa verde. High heat tightens the proteins and dries out the chicken fast. Low and slow with a little added moisture brings it back to the same texture it had on day one.
Freeze in flat, single-portion bags for faster thawing. Flattening the portions before freezing increases the surface area exposed to refrigerator air during defrosting, cutting thaw time in half compared to a thick block.

Nutrition (estimated)