30 Recipes That Start With Shredded Chicken

By Carl Hanson
May 14, 2020
Credit: Occasional Cook

Shredded chicken is such a smart, time-saving trick for quick dinners during the week. We love having shredded chicken around, already prepped for the week. These top-rated shredded chicken recipes are terrific, whether you're using up leftover chicken, roasting a chicken specifically for shredding, or simply dropping by the grocery store for a pre-made rotisserie chicken to shred.

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Chicken Enchiladas II

Credit: Dianne
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"A great way to use leftover chicken," says teppij. "Even kids love these!" There's no tomato-based enchilada sauce in this chicken enchiladas recipe, just a satisfying cheese, and shredded chicken filling, all topped with a creamy sauce. It's always a family favorite."

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Sarah's Easy Shredded Chicken Taco Filling

Credit: Marissa R.
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"Serve warmed as a substitute for ground beef in tacos," says Holiday Baker, "in a taco shell, with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, or other favorite toppings."

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Pollo Mechado (Shredded Chicken)

Credit: hhchan
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A traditional Venezuelan recipe with shredded chicken, capers, garlic, tomato, and a snap of sherry. "This was great," says Roz. "I put them on arepas. The sherry really gives it an awesome flavor."

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Mango-Lime Shredded Chicken Tacos

Credit: Linda T
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"If you like sweet and spicy together, this is a great dinner idea," says Stephy. "Fill shells with chicken, lettuce, tomato, fresh cilantro, and your choice of hot sauce. Enjoy!"

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Spicy Rice Noodle Salad

Credit: Pamela Gray
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Here's a simple and spicy Asian salad with rice noodles and chicken, plus carrots, green onions, and fresh herbs — basil, cilantro, and mint — tossed with a super-easy dressing.

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Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

Credit: Sugarplum
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"This is one of our favorite quick meals," says Sarah Jo. "If I have it on hand, I'll use leftover chicken taco filling or even leftover chicken fajita filling from the night before. I like to use homemade salsa and sometimes, I'll add a layer of homemade refried beans. Pure comfort food."

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Quinoa Pilaf with Shredded Chicken

Credit: Occasional Cook
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For a super-easy weeknight meal, simply combine shredded chicken with quinoa, coconut oil, and sage. "This was the BEST quinoa recipe I've tried so far," says Kris. "It could be easily used for a couple made up of a vegetarian and a carnivore, as the chicken can be thrown in at the last minute."

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Salsa Chicken Burrito Filling

Credit: Jennifer Ryan Frye
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"Quick, easy burrito/taco filling that is delicious and freezes great," says JUBEEFISH. "I serve this with tortillas, shredded Cheddar cheese, and little sour cream. You could fill the tortillas and put them all in a baking dish and then cover with salsa and cheese and bake for about 10 minutes if you don't want a mess at the table."

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Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Credit: Catkin
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"My Vietnamese mother inlaw makes it just like this and it's delicious. She always adds mint and I would definitely not go without it," writes rumtum05. "Don't be afraid of the fish sauce. If you're concerned about it, add extra lime and extra sugar. I often serve this as a party appetizer scooped on top of tortilla chips. Everyone loves it."

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Lime Chicken Tacos

Credit: Dianne
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Another great way to use up cooked chicken. We served ours with fresh tomatoes, radishes, and cilantro for an extra pop of color and flavor. Instead of Monterey Jack, you can also use queso fresco.

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Cheater's Chicken Chili

Credit: Deb C
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Enjoy this quick-and-easy chicken chili plain or over rice. "Top with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt, and/or green onions," says Vicki. "Could also be served over tortilla chips for a great nacho dish."

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Broccoli Chicken Divan

Credit: Reyna
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Combine cubes of leftover cooked chicken with chopped broccoli, shredded Cheddar, a creamy broccoli soup mixture, and dried bread crumbs. Then bake until bubbly and delicious.

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Chicken Tamale Pie

Credit: Yoly
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"Easy and great alternative to all the work of hand-wrapping chicken tamales, with no masa," says laidback. "Leftover cooked turkey works great, too!"

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Chicken Biscuit Pie

Credit: Tisha Payne
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"This is the best chicken pie recipe I have ever tried. I substitute Bisquick for the topping for time's sake. I have also topped it with a pie crust instead of the biscuits. It tastes great both ways," Jaime says.

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Chicken Salad with Apples, Grapes, and Walnuts

Credit: Erin Grainger
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"I had chicken breasts left over from a barbeque I had and decided to make a chicken salad," Jo Stinnett-Junkins says. "I played around and came up with this. It is delicious!"

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Thai Chicken Pizza with Carrots and Cilantro

Credit: abrooks
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"This is an especially good recipe," Ruthy Stapleton says. "I like to make my own peanut sauce out of a mixture of creamy peanut butter (hydrogenated), soy sauce, Asian chili oil, and honey. The chili oil gives it a little extra kick that you won't find in store-bought Thai peanut sauce."

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Credit: KGora
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"I've made this twice, and it's been a hit both times. Did it with penne pasta and added garlic and oregano. Love the penne," Connie says. "Heartier!"

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Poppy Seed Chicken II

Credit: SunnyByrd
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"This is an excellent way to use up leftover chicken. This is served up at our house at least once a month. We like it with mashed potatoes or rice and a green vegetable." — SHONDA93

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Chicken Stuffed Baked Avocados

Credit: Soup Loving Nicole
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"I made this as is, and it was awesome. I also made another batch and added fresh cilantro, chopped poblano, shredded cheddar, and garlic. It was so tasty and delicious! And so quick and easy. I used the leftover stuffing to make quesadillas." — ViperGirl

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Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Credit: Kimberly Laroche Gray
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"This is an awesome dish. The entire family loved it. I used wide egg noodles and cooked them in the chicken broth as suggested. It tasted great. I have already made it twice and will be making it again." — mdhendrick6

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Chicken Chimi in the Oven

Credit: Alberta Rose
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Shredded chicken is seasoned in a spicy mixture, rolled up into flour tortillas, and baked. "This was such a great recipe to make with a leftover roasted chicken," says reviewer RENA21.

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Silver's Savory Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Credit: atbarber
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"This is an easy to make recipe that is great for potlucks, church gatherings, holidays, or outside gatherings," says recipe creator SILVER SHADOWWOLF. 

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Baked Chicken and Rice Chimichangas

Credit: Allrecipes
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Consider this a lighter take on a restaurant classic. "This was an excellent dish and made easier when I prepared the ingredients ahead of time for a large gathering," says reviewer SandyS. "I shredded the meat from a rotisserie chicken and made Mexican rice and beans from scratch earlier in the day then assembled and baked the chimichangas later."

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Chicken Encilantrada

Credit: CookinBug
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This unique dish gets its name from its ingredients: cooked chicken, tomatillo sauce, and fresh cilantro. "This recipe was a good meal to throw together when you are low on groceries because it didn't have a lot of ingredients," says reviewer Nicki Crain.

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Shrimp and Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

Credit: Celia McKinley
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This hearty, tomato-based gumbo is loaded with shredded chicken, Italian sausage, and shrimp. "I liked that the recipe was straightforward and didn't have 40 ingredients," says reviewer Lisa Taylor.

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Easy Chicken Flautas

Credit: Lela
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Tacos are great and all but they can be a real mess to eat. Enter flautas — which are basically, rolled, soft tacos. "With a family of 7, I'm always on the lookout for new Taco Tuesday ideas (you know, I don't want to keep repeating the same meal every week!)," says reviewer tmhonor. "Everyone LOVED these flautas!"

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Herbed Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Credit: acapece1105
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"Green beans, chicken, herbs, a creamy sauce, and mashed potatoes are the foundation of this variation of a classic comfort food," says recipe creator Catman-do. "I have made this my wife and for her family and all have enjoyed it."

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Chicken, Tomato, and Spinach Quesadillas

Credit: Christina
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Quesadillas always make for a fast, throw-it-together, weeknight dinner. This simple recipe is no exception. "Everyone loved it," says reviewer EspressoDave. "A fast meal to put together."

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