This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Shaw’s Supermarket. All opinions are 100% mine.
My favorite way to use my Instant Pot is to prep a bunch of chicken to have on hand for the week. I love how tender the chicken stays and how easy it is to shred after steaming. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m not the biggest meal prepper, but shredded chicken is a meal prep item I fully support because you can make one thing- the chicken- and then end up preparing it a ton of ways!
I’m guessing many of us are starting to tire of the same lunch and dinner options as we are eating at home more frequently. By preparing shredded chicken ahead of time, I’m able to create different meals pretty easily and avoid leftover fatigue! I steam chicken breasts in my Instant Pot for 16 minutes and 19 minutes for thighs which are usually thicker. Today I’m sharing three of my favorite ways to use shredded chicken- a Greek salad, a healthy chicken salad where greek yogurt replaces the mayo and shredded chicken tacos- but there are so many possibilities beyond these ideas!
When I am purchasing chicken to cook in my Instant Pot, I’ve been getting Open Nature® Air Chilled Chicken from Shaw’s Supermarket.The chicken is 100% vegetarian fed without added hormones or steroids and no antibiotics ever. Until recently, I didn’t really know what air chilled meant when it referred to chicken. Traditionally, chickens are chilled in a cold water bath during processing. Air chilled chicken are individually processed in a chamber of cold and purified air. Because air chilled chicken is not placed in water, the chicken has a more intense flavor. I never knew why air chilled chicken tasted better, but now I do! Throughout my partnership with Shaw’s I know I’ve mentioned this, Shaw’s offers Grocery Delivery and Pick Up for convenient ways to shop. I love using both options to get my groceries and favorite Open Nature products from Shaw’s. If you don’t live near a Shaw’s, chances are you do live near one of the other Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons.
I hope these recipes can inspire you to try something new for lunch or dinner this week! What are some ways you fight leftover fatigue?
xoxo, Jenna
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
To make shredded chicken using your Instant Pot, place chicken breast or thighs in pot. Cover with water. Place lid on Instant Pot and seal. In pressure cook mode, cook for 16 minutes for breasts and 19 minutes for thighs or until cooked through depending on thickness of chicken. Once complete, allow the pressure to slow release for ten minutes before breaking seal. Remove chicken from Instant Pot and shred using two forks.
Greek Chicken Salad
You’ll Need:
- Open Nature® Air Chilled Chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and shredded
- Lettuce of your choice (I prefer kale or mixed greens)
- Chick peas
- Cucumbers, diced
- Feta cheese
- Tahini
To Make:
Prepare salad bowl with lettuce of your choice.
Top with shredded chicken, chick peas and cucumbers.
Drizzle chicken with tahini.
Sprinkle salad with crumbled feta cheese.
Healthy Cranberry Chicken Salad (Pictured above)
You’ll Need:
- Open Nature® Air Chilled Chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and shredded
- Kale, massaged in olive oil
- Dried cranberries
- Celery, diced
- Plain Greek Yogurt
To Make:
Massage kale with olive oil and place in salad bowl.
In a small bowl, mix shredded chicken with greek yogurt, dried cranberries and diced celery to create a chicken salad.
Place on top of kale and enjoy.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
You’ll Need:
- One pound Open Nature® Air Chilled Chicken breasts or thighs
- One 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Two cups of your favorite salsa
- Diced avocado for serving
- Shredded cheese for serving
- Your favorite tortillas
To Make:
Place chicken, drained black beans and salsa in Instant Pot.
Set pot to manual for 15 minutes for chicken breasts and 18 minutes for thighs.
While chicken is cooking, prepare and warm tortillas.
Once time is complete, allow to slow release pressure for five minutes before breaking vent seal.
Remove chicken from Instant Pot and use two forks to shred chicken.
Return shredded chicken to Instant Pot and stir with salsa and black beans.
Serve chicken mixture on tortillas and top with avocado, cheese or your other favorite taco toppings.