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The Juiciest Mexican Shredded Chicken

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This shredded chicken is bursting with vibrant Mexican flavours, is a one-pot recipe, and is perfect for meal prep! Use this flavourful pulled chicken to fill everything from tacos to burritos, rice bowls and quesadillas. This stovetop and freezer-friendly recipe is simple to make, only contains healthy ingredients and will be your new favourite dish for Taco Tuesdays!

Ingredients for Mexican Shredded Chicken

Everything you need to make this delicious chicken dish consists of simple ingredients and pantry staples. The secret lies in the Mexican spice blend and the preparation method that keeps the chicken juicy and succulent.

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you need to make this Mexican-flavoured shredded chicken:

Chicken: This is the main ingredient for this dish. You can use both breasts or thighs, just make sure your chicken is boneless and skinless.
Onions: Sautéed onions add extra flavour and a hint of savoury sweetness.
Garlic: No recipe is complete without the ultimate savouriness that garlic brings.
Lime: A squeeze of lime juice adds acidity and balances the flavours.
Tomato paste: Tomato paste or a concentrated tomato puree adds flavour, colour and a bit of acidity.
Canned tomatoes: A can of tomato helps enrich the sauce and keeps the chicken succulent.
Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds savouriness and helps to keep the pulled chicken tender and juicy.
Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to sear the chicken before braising it in the tomato sauce.
Mexican seasoning: Our easy homemade Mexican seasoning is a staple spice blend that we use in all our Mexican-inspired dishes! It’s a combination of dried herbs and spices that are easy to find in most supermarkets. Here’s what you need: cumin, oregano, paprika, smoked sweet paprika, allspice, garlic, onion powder and chilli flakes. This combination gives that typical slightly smokey and savoury flavour to all your favourite Mexican-style dishes.
Salt & pepper: Every dish needs a sprinkle of salt and pepper to elevate all the other flavours and make them pop!

How to prepare Mexican Shredded Chicken

This recipe will create the tastiest and juiciest Mexican shredded chicken you’ll ever try! It’s super easy to make and can be frozen for future easy meal prep dishes. Here’s how to make Mexican shredded chicken:

Step 1: Prepare the seasoning

Add all the ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl and mix. The amounts in the recipe below give you enough spice blend for this chicken dish. You can easily scale the quantities up if you want to have extra spice blend on hand for future dishes. Check out our Easy Homemade Mexican Seasoning recipe for more tips, tricks and variations on this spice blend!

Step 2: Prepare the ingredients

Start with the onions. Cut them in half lengthwise, remove the ends and skins. Slice the onions lengthwise (from end to end) into thin strips, resembling half moons. This method of cutting the onions is ideal for stews, pulled meats or caramelised onions because it retains some texture after cooking.

Now prep the garlic. We’re going to use a whole bulb in this recipe. Remove the skins and finely dice the garlic cloves. Set aside.

Step 3: Season & sear the chicken

Place the chicken thighs (or breasts) on a plate and sprinkle on your Mexican Spice Blend. Tap it in so the spice blend sticks to your chicken. Turn the chicken pieces over and do the same on the other side. All chicken pieces should now be entirely coated in the spice blend.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan, such as a Dutch oven or braiser, over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sear the chicken until all sides are golden brown. Don’t worry about dark spots, just make sure it doesn’t burn. Once all sides are well-seared, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate. (Note: The chicken will still be raw in the middle. It will continue cooking in step 5 when we braise it in the tomato sauce.)

Step 4: Create the flavourful sauce

Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan you used to sear the chicken. Add the onion strips and cook until they are soft and translucent. This will take about 4 minutes. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to help the onions release their moisture and cook more quickly. Stir the onions occasionally to scrape off any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Now, add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Cooking the tomato paste will help remove some of the acidity and bring out an umami flavour. Add the can of tomatoes, while scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and remove any stuck pieces. This is all flavour! You want all that flavour to blend into your sauce. At this point, you also add the chicken stock and lime juice.

Step 5: Braise the chicken

Place the seared chicken back into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so it’s just simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until your chicken is cooked through.

Step 6: Shredding time...

Once the chicken has been simmering in the spiced tomato sauce for about 30 minutes you can check to see if it is ready to be shredded. Simply try to shred a piece of chicken by sticking two forks in it and pulling in opposite directions. It should come apart easily. If it’s difficult to shred, your chicken needs more braising time. Give it another 10 minutes and try again.

If your chicken falls apart when pulled with a fork it’s time to shred all of it. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken, you can also use meat claws if you have any. I like to shred the chicken inside the pan (less mess and less clean up!), but you can also place the chicken on a plate or cutting board to shred.

Step 7: The secret to succulent shredded chicken

This is where the magic happens. Turn the heat up to medium-high to reduce some of the sauce (leave the lid off). The shredded chicken will soak up some of the sauce while the liquid is reducing. This brings all the flavour into the chicken, instead of just on the seared outer pieces. Let the chicken simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Give it a taste and add extra salt, pepper, lime juice or spices if needed. Your shredded chicken is now ready to be served right away, or let it cool down and store it in the fridge or freezer. Keep on reading for serving ideas and meal prep and storage tips!

How to serve Mexican Shredded chicken

Mexican shredded chicken is a super versatile dish that can be used as a staple protein source for loads of recipes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Loaded Nachos: Add the shredded chicken as a topping for loaded nachos. Other toppings you can use are copious amounts of cheddar cheese, chilli sauce, jalapeños, corn, tomatoes and beans. Top with sour cream and homemade guacamole.

Main protein: Use this shredded chicken as the main protein source for your favourite Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes. Add the pulled chicken to tacos, fajitas, burritos and enchiladas.

Perfect for a taco bar: This dish can be made ahead of time and even frozen! It’s the perfect dish to add to your taco bar when you’re hosting a party. Serve it in a sizzling hot skillet or oven dish along side other taco ingredients like this fresh pico the gallo and a creamy authentic guacamole. It’s the perfect way to let everyone assemble their own favourite taco. Check out these epic Shredded Chicken Tacos that use this pulled chicken as a main protein.

Burrito Bowl: Go for a Mexican-style Buddha or Nourish Bowl. Start with a layer of rice or quinoa and top with this shredded chicken, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado, corn and a sprinkle of fresh coriander (cilantro).

**Serving Suggestion: Use the shredded chicken as a protein source to fill your tacos!**

Mexican Shredded Chicken Tips & Alternatives

Shredding tip: The chicken breast or thigh should be easy to shred once fully cooked. If it’s hard to shred the chicken, it’s not yet fully cooked. Let it braise in the tomato sauce for another 10 minutes and try again. Use two forks to pull apart the chicken meat.

Chicken breast or chicken thigh: Both parts can be used, it all comes down to personal preferences. Chicken thighs will give you more dark meat and are usually a bit more fatty and succulent. Chicken breast is more white meat and can therefore be drier. I’ve used both types of meat for this recipe and both work perfectly fine. The flavourful spicy tomato sauce will keep the shredded chicken juicy, succulent and tender.

Meal prep & storage: This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Let it cool completely after cooking and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove, in an oven-safe dish in the oven or in the microwave.

Freezer-friendly: This recipe freezes really well. Put it in a freezer bag and defrost it when needed. I like to let the bag defrost in my fridge and then reheat the shredded chicken either on the stovetop or in the oven.

Extra flavour: An easy way to add even more flavour to this dish is to add a tablespoon of Sazon Completa or Complete Seasoning mix. Check out our easy homemade complete seasoning without icky additives! Its flavour profile blends beautifully with the other herbs and spices used in this recipe.

Extra spicy: If you like your Mexican shredded chicken extra spicy add some jarred chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the recipe. Taste as you go because it will add a fiery kick!

Are you looking for more Mexican-inspired recipes?

Use this Mexican Shredded Chicken to make these epic Shredded Chicken Tacos for a quick, flavourful and healthy dinner!
This versatile Homemade Mexican Seasoning Mix enhances all your favourite dishes with authentic flavours.
Serve this Fresh and Creamy Guacamole as a side. It’s the perfect dip for a salty tortilla chip or an easy side dish to a Mexican feast.
This fresh and vibrant Pico de Gallo recipe is the perfect topping to serve with all your favourite Mexican dishes!
Check out this Mexican Shrimp Salad! It has all the flavours of an exciting fiesta, wrapped into a healthy salad!

The Juiciest Mexican Shredded Chicken

Servings: 6 portions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts or thighs (about 800 grams)
3-4 onions, cut in lengthwise strips
1 garlic bulb, cloves finely diced
1 small tin of tomato paste (70 grams)
1 lime, juice
1 can diced tomatoes (or whole tomatoes) (400 grams)
200 ml chicken broth (or 1 stock cube + water)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Mexican Spice Blend:

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Instructions:

Prepare the spice blend. Add all the ingredients for the Mexican spice blend in a small bowl and mix. Set aside.
Cut the onions in half lengthwise, remove the ends and skins. Slice the onions lengthwise (from end to end) into thin strips, resembling half moons. Set aside.
Remove the garlic skins and finely dice all the cloves from one garlic bulb. Set aside.
Place your chicken thighs (or breasts) on a plate and coat all sides in the Mexican spice blend. Tap it in so the spice blend sticks to your chicken.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan, such as a Dutch oven or braiser, over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sear the chicken until all sides are golden brown. Don’t worry about dark spots, just make sure it doesn’t burn. Once all sides are well-seared, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
(Note: The chicken will still be slightly raw in the middle at this point and will be fully cooked later on.)
Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan used for searing the chicken. Add the onion strips and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to help the onions release their moisture and cook more quickly. Stir occasionally, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then, add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze and remove any stuck bits. Then, add the chicken stock and lime juice.
Place the seared chicken back into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so that it’s just simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until your chicken is cooked through.
After 30 minutes, check if the chicken is fully cooked by trying to shred it with two forks. It should pull apart easily. Shred all the chicken directly inside the pan (or take it out and shred it on a plate or cutting board).
(Note: If the chicken is difficult to shred, give it another 10 minutes of braising time and try again.)
Once the chicken is shredded, increase the heat to medium-high to reduce the sauce, leaving the lid off. Let the shredded chicken simmer in the sauce for about 10-15 minutes while it reduces. Stir occasionally to prevent burning as the chicken absorbs some of the sauce and the excess liquid evaporates.
Once most of the liquid has been absorbed by the chicken give it a final taste test and add extra salt, pepper, lime juice or spices if needed. Your shredded Mexican chicken is ready to be served.