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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

By Lauren | Updated: Apr 25, 2024 | Published: Jan 15, 2021 | Leave a Comment

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This Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken recipe is made by slowly cooking bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces in a light and easy tomato sauce. It can be dressed up by serving it over brown rice with steamed asparagus, toasted crunchy bread crumbs, and garnished with parsley.

The chicken is cooked on low heat for a little over an hour so that when it is done, the chicken falls of the bone and takes very little effort to shred. It is a great meal for leftovers and comes together in a few very simple steps.

Shredded chicken in a green Dutch Oven in a light tomato sauce.

This recipe is easily customizable. You can use a whole chicken quarter, or any combination of chicken breasts, thighs, wings, etc. Just be sure to choose roughly anywhere between 2-4 lbs with some pieces that are bone-in and skin-on.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken
  • How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
  • Common Issues and How to Avoid Them
  • If You're Interested in More Chicken Recipes, You May Love These:
  • Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Tender Chicken: The chicken is so soft it falls off the bone, with only a little over an hour of cooking time.

Customizable: You can use a variety of different cuts of chicken and the sauce can be adjusted to whatever you have easily accessible.

Great For Leftovers: This recipe makes enough for plenty of leftovers for another meal or two during the week.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken. I have separated the ingredients below into two categories:

  • Primary Ingredients: Shredded chicken in a light tomato sauce.
  • Optional Items: For suggested serving.
Ingredients needed to make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken.

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

  • Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil if possible.
  • Yellow Onion: Use a small onion, diced (I prefer dicing into fairly small pieces).
  • Garlic: Minced, adds flavor.
  • Diced Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes. Look for cans that are BPA free if possible.
  • Roma Tomatoes: I like to add fresh diced Roma tomatoes because they add flavor and extra water content creating a lighter sauce.
  • White Wine: Adds a subtle layer of flavor, but it is optional. If you prefer not to add wine, just leave it out. Use a dry white wine.
  • Oregano, Bay Leaves, Red Pepper Flakes: Spices to add flavor.
  • Chicken: You can use any combination of bone-in, skin-on pieces roughly 2-3 lbs.
  • Salt: Add salt to taste. If you don't know where to start, add ¼ teaspoon and increase from there as needed.

Optional for Suggested Serving

  • Brown Rice: For serving.
  • Asparagus: Sliced at an angle and steamed.
  • Panko: Toasted in a saute pan with olive oil.
  • Parsley: For garnish.

How to Make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken.

*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.

A large green Dutch oven with sautéed onions and the Dutch oven with garlic added.

Step 1. Bring a large Dutch oven to medium heat. On an electric stove this would be a "4" on a scale of "1-10". Add the olive oil and allow to warm through. Add the onions and sauté stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes.

Step 2. Add the garlic and sauté stirring occasionally for 1 minute.

The dutch oven with white wine added and the dutch oven with canned tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaves.

Step 3. Add the white wine (if using, otherwise skip to the next step), and allow to simmer until it no longer smells like wine (3-5 minutes).

Step 4. Add the canned tomatoes, diced Roma tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

The Dutch oven with the raw chicken added and the dutch oven after the chicken is fully cooked.

Step 5. Add the chicken, cover, and bring to a slow boil. Then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. This is often on a setting of "1" or "low". Simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes until the meat is falling off the bone. Keep the pot covered while simmering. This will help it to retain liquid in the pot rather than it evaporating.

The Dutch oven with the chicken shredded and added on top and after it is mixed in.

Step 6. Using tongs, remove the chicken one piece at a time and place it on a cutting board. Using the tongs and a fork or two forks shred the chicken. Be careful to ensure that small bones are removed. Discard the bones and skin and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine with the sauce.

Optional Steps for Recommended Serving

The below steps are optional, but they will give you a few ideas for serving.

A pot of cooked brown rice and a pot with steamed asparagus in a mesh strainer.

Step 7 (optional). Make Brown Rice: Add 1 cup of brown rice and two cups of water to a small pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Remove when all the water has been absorbed and the rice is soft and fluffy.

Step 8 (optional). Steam Asparagus: Place an inch of water in a small pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus to a mesh strainer and place it over the boiling water and cover it with the lid. Allow to steam for 5 minutes. Thicker asparagus may take longer and thinner asparagus may take less time. Adjust as needed anywhere between 3 - 7 minutes, err on the side of less time.

Step 9. Toast Panko: Bring a saute pan to medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and allow to warm through. Add 1 cup of panko. Stir occasionally until golden brown.

To Serve: Add the rice to low shallow bowls and top with chicken, sauce, asparagus, toasted bread crumbs, and parsley.

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat

  • To Store: Place the chicken and sauce in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. Store any leftover panko, brown rice, and asparagus separately, each in their own containers. The brown rice and asparagus should be stored in the fridge. The panko can be placed in a plastic bag and stored on the counter until ready to use.
  • To Freeze: This recipe is an excellent recipe to freeze and reheat at a later time. To freeze, place the chicken and sauce in a large airtight container, or even large gallon-sized freezer bags, and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To Reheat:
    • Fresh: Place in individual bowls and microwave at 50% power for 1 minute at a time until heated to your preferred temperature.
    • Frozen: Add the remaining shredded chicken and sauce back to a Dutch oven and bring to a medium-low temperature until thawed. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Common Issues and How to Avoid Them

  • Dry Chicken: To prevent dry chicken, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Make sure it is not boiling while it is cooking for the 1 hour 15 minute to 1 hour 30 minute cooking time. The temperature may need to be set quite low to ensure a low simmer. Also, do not cook for longer than directed. The meat should be falling off the bone by the 1-hour 30-minute mark.
  • Lack of Flavor: Using canned and fresh tomatoes as the base of the sauce along with a few spices like oregano, bay leaves, and a small amount of red pepper flakes will add plenty of flavor to this dish. Additionally, at least half of the chicken pieces should be bone-in, skin-on. The bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces will add a lot of flavor to the dish, even when you remove and discard the skin and bones when shredding.
  • Insufficient Liquid: There should be enough liquid from the can of tomatoes, the Roma tomatoes, and the white wine to cover most of the chicken. If there is not enough liquid you can add chicken stock to the Dutch Oven. However, the longer it cooks the more water is released from the tomatoes and fat is released from the chicken, which will help to cover the chicken.

If You're Interested in More Chicken Recipes, You May Love These:

  • A chipotle chicken quesadilla cut into three pieces, with more quesadillas in the background.
    Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
  • Plate with chicken, rice pilaf, sautéed peppers, fresh pita bread and spicy dipping sauce on a spoon.
    New York Street Cart Chicken
  • Dutch Oven Chicken Chili
  • The finished Chicken Cacciatore in a Dutch Oven.
    Chicken Cacciatore with San Marzano Tomato Sauce

If you tried this Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I appreciate your feedback!

Shredded chicken in a green Dutch Oven in a light tomato sauce.

Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken

Slowly cooked chicken in a light tomato sauce, served over brown rice with crispy bread crumbs and asparagus.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Author Lauren Skardal
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 with leftovers
Calories 553 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2+ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup white wine optional
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 2-3 lbs assorted pieces of chicken (breast, thighs, etc. – some bone in skin on)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 cup brown rice optional
  • 1 bunch asparagus, sliced at an angle into one-inch pieces optional
  • 1 cups panko optional
  • ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven at medium heat. Add the onion and sauté stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add the white wine (if using, otherwise skip to the next step) and allow it to cook until you can no longer smell the wine, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, plum tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Add the chicken. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the chicken begins to fall off the bone.
  • Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks or a knife and two forks take the chicken off the bone and shred it into pieces. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Discard the bones and skin. Be sure to remove all small bones and not add them back to the pot with the shredded chicken.
  • Prepare the brown rice (optional): Add 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of water to a small pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Remove from heat when the rice has absorbed all the water and is light and fluffy.
  • To Toast the Panko (optional): Bring a sauté pan to medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and allow to warm through. Add the panko breadcrumbs. Stirring occasionally and watch carefully until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown. Set aside.
  • Steam the Asparagus (optional): Add a small amount of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Place the asparagus in a fine mesh strainer over the pot of boiling water and cover for 5 minutes to steam. Do not overcook. For thinner asparagus, you may only need 3 minutes, for thicker asparagus you may need up to 7 minutes.
  • To Serve: Serve the chicken and sauce over brown rice in bowls, add the asparagus, and sprinkle with parsley and breadcrumbs.

Notes

Chicken: You can use a whole chicken quarter, or any combination of chicken breasts, thighs, wings, etc. Just be sure to choose roughly anywhere between 2-4 lbs with some pieces that are bone-in and skin-on.
Optional For Serving: The brown rice, asparagus, and toasted panko bread crumbs are all optional, but suggested for serving. If you just want the shredded chicken in the sauce then you can skip the optional serving steps.
Cooking on Low: A Dutch Oven will retain heat really well. So when you turn the heat down to cook at a simmer for over an hour, make sure that the pot is really at a simmer and not at a boil. This may mean turning the temperature all the way down to low. Keep an eye on it until you are sure that it is a steady simmer.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 1194mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2488IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 8mg
Have you tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and share a photo on instagram and tag @elleandpear or #elleandpear. I'd absolutely love to hear from you and see what you're making!

This recipe was adapted from Mediterranean slow-cooked chicken in Good Food To Share by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan.

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Lauren sitting at table in Tuscany with a glass of wine, charcuterie and rolling green hills and winery in the background.

I'm Lauren, I've worked in Finance, earned an MBA, and lived and traveled throughout Europe and the US. I love to cook and bake, and bring our family together around the table. Recipes shared here are real family recipes with real fresh ingredients inspired by our travels.

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