Like Slow Cooker Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken, this Asian shredded chicken is ideal to toss through noodles, use in salads or serve over rice!
Shredded Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken Breast
This is a bit of a unique recipe in my books for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are very few recipes where I’ll say it really does not matter if you brown the meat first before cooking it. This really is a “chuck it all in, set and forget” recipe. And secondly, I don’t cook with chicken breast much. I know it’s healthier and I do know a foolproof way of poaching it so it’s guaranteed to come out juicy (I’ve got the direction in this Foolproof Poached Chicken Chinese Noodle Soup recipe). But chicken breast is more expensive and has less flavour than every single other part of the chicken! (Eerm, well, I must say, I stick to the ordinary cuts – wings, thighs etc. I’m told that chicken feet, liver, heart etc is very tasty, but I don’t have any immediate plans to find out for myself!) I find it very amusing when I go to Asian butchers and find that “western” cuts of meat are so cheap because Asians don’t value lean cuts of meat like chicken breast, lamb back strap and pork tenderloin. Asians love “dark meat” – chicken wings, and red meat cuts that need to be slow cooked. More flavour! However, when it comes to shredded chicken, breast is best (try saying that after 5 wines). You can make this with any cut of chicken, but chicken breast shreds the easiest. Plus, because the sauce it’s tossed in is so jammy, you don’t need a fatty cut of chicken.
I make this in my slow cooker, on the stove and even the pressure cooker. Just depends on my schedule on the day. 🙂 No marinating is required, no browning, nothing. This really is a super shortcut recipe that doesn’t compromise on flavor or quality at all. You know how there are some recipes which are turned into shortcut recipes? This is not one of those. This is how it is meant to be made. It’s a handy “back pocket” recipe to have because you probably always have the ingredients to make this in your pantry. And the sauce flavour is quite neutral so it’s a great base for adding your own touch. I like to add ginger, sriracha or red pepper flakes, a dash of hoisin or oyster sauce, or sesame oil. Typically I just serve it on rice, though I LOVE it in Chinese buns too. And I often make a double batch because the sauce and chicken are fantastic for making fried rice! I’ve provided directions in the notes to the recipe. Oh, and it freezes well too! The sauce does thin slightly, but the flavour is all there. When I defrost it, I like to pan fry it as the caramelisation sort of revitalises it and the excess liquid evaporates. Hope you’re having a wonderful week! – Nagi
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