Shredded Chicken for Tacos

Name: Shredded Chicken for Tacos
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs; 1 large white onion, peeled and quartered; 5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 ancho or other mild dried chile (optional); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(1,136)
Notes: Read community notes

Just about any food that fits on a tortilla has found its way into some type of taco, but this shredded chicken remains an easy weeknight staple. Poached in a simple broth of onion, garlic and spices, the chicken stays moist and is infused with flavor. You could opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts; add some fresh cilantro or sliced jalapeño to the liquid; use a glug of light beer, if you have some on hand. Shred the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and it’s ready to be tucked into a taco with little more than some pico de gallo. You could freeze the resulting stock for future use or even boil it until thickened to drizzle it over the meat. The rules here are far from ironclad, but the fail-proof method guarantees an easy building block for tacos and beyond.

Featured in: The Taco Joint in Your Kitchen

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

2pounds boneless chicken thighs
1large white onion, peeled and quartered
5cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2bay leaves
1tablespoon ground cumin
1ancho or other mild dried chile (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and add water to cover. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, and skim any foam that comes to the surface.
Step 2
Partially cover and adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from liquid and cool.
Step 3
Shred meat with fingers. Taste and adjust seasonings; use within a couple of days.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,136 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Sandee6 years ago

Removed the chicken before shredding it and reduced the broth to its "essence." Poured back over the chicken. Really amped up the flavor.

Diane6 years ago

Served these tacos with cabbage slaw and sliced avocado, which was a nice contrast of textures and flavors. Slaw was made with shredded cabbage, onions and carrots tossed with a homemade dressing: equal parts mayo and sour cream, with addition of some lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, kosher salt and pepper.

Becky6 years ago

This made OK taco meat but what was really delicious was the broth. I refrigerated it skimmed off the fat (recall not much) and used the broth and leftover chicken meat to make chicken tortilla soup garnished with fried tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, mild crumbled feta and a squeeze of lime. Delicious and EZ!

Maribeth6 years ago

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question (I'm young! Don't shoot!) but why do you have to skim the foam off? Does it affect taste/texture or something?

Jesse6 years ago

Pretty good and very easy. Works well w. white meat too.

Rowan6 years ago

Very easy and tasty. Definitely up the cumin amount. Maybe add in some paprika and substitute some of the water for beer. Good for making the taco the star and the chicken a superb supporting character.

Sue T.6 years ago

Delicious. Made as instructed but doubled cumin, used red chile flakes instead of chile, cut up boiled onion into shredded chicken and as always, corn tortillas.

Cassandra5 years ago

It makes the broth cloudy if you don’t and does affect the taste.

Liz5 years ago

I like this recipe! I add a chopped jalapeño and some chili powder to boost the flavor. I then like to save the liquid and veggies from it and cook my beans in there to go with in the tacos. Super delicious!

Anne6 years ago

Super easy! Stuffed roasted poblano peppers with this shredded chicken and topped with grated colby jack cheese for a quick dinner ... yum!

B6 years ago

Tasty. And the cooking liquid makes an excellent base for soup.

L.W.6 years ago

Yummy, but next time I would swap out the water for chicken broth or a chicken broth/beer mix.

Laura6 years ago

Took the notes and upped the cumin - the chicken (breasts) was delicious. Added small amount of tomato sauce, paprika and chili powder to the broth, and put it over the chicken for the tacos. Served with Dominican style rice and beans, platanos, and salad. I think I will take advice from previous notes and make soup with the rest. Fantastic.

CCScotti5 years ago

This was easy and fast. Once it’s done, remove the chicken and boil the liquid down until you have around a cup left. Shred the chicken and add the broth back.

Steve5 years ago

For tacos - after boiling I drained then shredded using a Kitchen Aid with the flat beater attachment. Gave the shredded chicken a quick shallow fry to crisp and brown it. Definitely need to add some liquid back to the shredded chicken, I'm thinking dip the chicken in some chicken stock with butter or chicken fat before building tacos.

Ben8 months ago

This was delicious and better and more flavorful than I thought it would be. I used pre-shredded chicken. Like others suggested, I doubled the cumin and added chili powder, paprika, and an extra bay leaf or two. Beer would be a good addition to the liquid but IMO chicken stock wasn’t necessary. Will make again.

barbara9 months ago

Or save broth for a tortilla soup

KarOC10 months ago

Remove chicken - Simmer sauce down to 1 cup and pour over chicken.

KarOC10 months ago

Remove chicken - simmer sauce down to 1 cup, pour over chicken

Adam1 year ago

Agree that the broth is essential to have flavor. Cook it down and pour it over the taco before eating.

robyn1 year ago

I used half a jalapeño. Also be careful not to over cook chicken.

Chrisdat2 years ago

Two meals in one. A great Chicken Stock - and then chicken to for fresh tortilla filling.

Elizabeth2 years ago

Not great.

Helvetica The Bold3 years ago

As per suggestions I added the tablespoon of paprika and very reduced down sauce and then the chopped up onion etc and a good amount of seasoning at the end. Really tasty. I’ll make it again.

Danielle3 years ago

This was delicious and versatile! Made in my cast iron braiser. Uncovered at the end, which seemed to create a more tender texture rather than rubbery chicken. Will try the beer next time.

Danielle3 years ago

I also took advice from another reviewer and used the leftover broth to make black beans. So good!

Raina3 years ago

Watch your flame and check chicken for doneness before 30 min. My Bertazzoni range is a little psycho and the boneless, skinless chicken thighs I used were almost overcooked at 15 min.

Carol4 years ago

Wow, Sandee is a genius! I followed Sandee's suggestion and reduced the broth down to about a cup, then poured it over the shredded chicken and let it soak in. The tacos were fantastic.

steph4 years ago

Insanely delicious. I had a huge pack of pre-seasoned leg quarters that I needed to use, so I removed the skins and rinsed them off really well. Boiled them in equal parts beer and water along with some added spices. Took the chicken out to shred and re-added it back into the mix to boil longer. Served with corn tortillas, cabbage mixed with lime juice and salt, and an avocado wedge. After eating, my mom said I should open a restaurant. This is truly legit and amazing Mexican food.

Paula4 years ago

After shredding, I added some of the broth to boost the flavour & keep it moist.

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