Instant Pot shredded chicken is the ultimate meal prep recipe. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and is versatile enough to use in different dishes throughout the entire week.
I’m letting you in on a little secret today! That’s right, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from my e-cookbook that will set you up for meal prep success throughout the entire week. This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is sooooo easy and takes almost no ingredients to make. And because it’s so simple, you can dress it up in a multitude of ways – no repeat meals here!
The simplicity of this chicken also makes it a great first food for baby if you’re following baby-led weaning. You can easily control the sodium by simply not adding any salt and season it with whichever herbs and spices you have a hankering to introduce to your child on any given day.
How to Make It
Seriously guys, I can’t think of any recipe that is easier than this one. And for all my Dish Density fans, this is pretty much the LEAST amount of dishes you’ll find in any of my recipes. (ICYMI, I introduced the exciting Dish Density feature on this post last week.) That deserves a lot of celebration, am I right?
All you need to do to make this super simple recipe is throw all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot, turn it on and set a timer [*affiliate link]. That’s it! The real fun comes after the chicken is made, when you get to come up with how you’re going to use it all up.
But don’t worry, I have some ideas for you!
Throw it on top of a seasonal salad.
Use it as part of a filling for enchiladas.
Make tacos.
Stir it into a soup.
Put together a simple protein, veggie and grain bowl and top with your favorite healthy dressing.
Pile it on top of a bun with some BBQ sauce for tasty sliders.
These ideas right here are enough for almost an entire week’s worth of dinners, but I’d love to hear if I missed any creative uses you can think of!
The other great thing about this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is you can totally freeze it! So make it some evening or weekend where you have a 30-minute block of time, and pop it in the freezer for a go-to weeknight meal in the very near future.
If you can totally get down with the freezer meal idea (I mean, what busy parent can’t?), be sure to check out my e-cookbook for 29 more freezer-friendly recipes!
Instant Pot shredded chicken is the ultimate meal prep recipe. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and is versatile enough to use in different dishes throughout the entire week.
1poundeach boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs (2 pounds total)
1cupchicken broth
Salt and pepper, as desired
Dishes needed:
Instant Pot
2 forks
Tongs
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Hit the “Pressure Cook” button and select High pressure for 10 minutes.
The Instant Pot will take a while to warm up, then it will start counting down. Once the timer is done, make sure the valve has switched to vent to release all the pressure.
Once all the pressure has been released and the chicken has cooled slightly, use two forks to shred it. After shredding, pour out any excess liquid.
Once shredded chicken has cooled completely, place in a resealable glass container or plastic bag and freeze. You can also separate the chicken into individual portions before freezing if desired.
An easy one-pan meal featuring juicy bone-in pork chops, apples and loads of fresh herbs. It’s a family-friendly meal that will be on the table in 30 minutes or less!
You asked, so you shall receive. A couple of weeks ago on Instagram, I asked you all what you wanted to see more of here on CaliGirl Cooking. Responses were a pretty even split between easy, weeknight meals and more ideas for babies and toddlers, so I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to continue to bring you BOTH of these types of recipes.
If you’ve already signed up for my email list, you’ll also see I’ve changed up how I bring that content to you. In an effort to get more personal with you and keep the conversation going, I’ll now be sending out weekly updates chatting about whatever new content I’ve posted each week as well as well, #life. My hope is that it becomes more of a two-sided conversation between you and me because, after all, I’m here to make your life easier and it’s up to YOU to tell me how to do that.
With this Weeknight One-Pan Apple and Herb Pork Chops recipe, I’m also excited to announce a feature I’ll now be including on ALL of my new recipes: Dish Density! I mean, how many of us would cook wayyyyy more often if we didn’t have to worry so much about that big sink full of dirty dishes staring us in the face when it’s all said and done? My goal with Dish Density is to both clearly outline what dishes and tools you’ll need with each recipe before you get started, and also to minimize the amount of dishes and tools needed, presenting the Ingredients and Instructions in a way that will help you reuse things when possible (food safety permitting, of course). I’m still working on the best way to present this to you, so bear with me as I feel things out and, as always, I’m open to suggestions!
Okay, all that fun new business stuff aside, let’s get to talking about these pork chops. Because you need them in your life ASAP. These were inspired by the garage freezer full of meat we happen to have at the moment, thanks to my Costco- and Food Saver-loving hubby [*affiliate link]. (I mean, really though, sometimes you just can’t beat the price and quality of Costco meat and seafood.) He’d been encouraging me to use some of it up, so I started brainstorming dishes I could reasonably manage on any given weeknight.
I love the pairing of apples with bone-in pork chops (thanks, Mom!) so that’s naturally where my mind headed. I also love a dish where I can throw in all the ingredients at pretty much the same time, pop it in the oven, and pull it out to serve less than 20 minutes later.
Before I go any further, I’m going to let you in on my #1 trick for one-pan meals…
The #1 thing you want to keep in mind when cooking one-pan meals is that, no matter what method you’re using to cook them, all of the ingredients need to cook at about the same rate. I find it’s easiest to start with whatever protein you’re using (in this case, pork chops) and build the rest of your ingredients from there.
Because the pork chops would only take 10-15 minutes to cook in the oven once I seared them, I wanted to make sure my apples, onions and herbs would be at a good point after this amount of time as well. In order to achieve this, I cut the apples and onions into smaller pieces and wedges so they’d be sufficiently cooked in this amount of time. This is a great rule of thumb to follow every time you make a one-pan meal!
Now back to the recipe…
The majority of this dish is cooked in the oven, but I wanted to get a nice sear on my pork chops before I popped them in. I placed my pre-seasoned chops in a hot cast iron skillet[*affiliate link] with some butter, and just got them nice and brown (without worrying about cooking them through) before adding in the apples and onions (plus a little more butter and some apple cider vinegar) and popping the whole thing in the oven.
Less than 15 minutes later, the pork chops registered a safe 145 degrees, and dinner was served!
I love that these Apple and Herb Pork Chops come out with so much flavor with so little cooking time. This makes them the perfect, easy weeknight meal, and your kids are bound to love them as well. To really round out this meal, I recommend serving it with fluffy gnocchi and oven-roasted asparagus (which, hey, you could also roast at the same time as the pork chops!)
Do you have a favorite one-pan meal you’d like to see me make? Let me know in the comments below!
An easy one-pan meal featuring juicy bone-in pork chops, apples and loads of fresh herbs. It’s a family-friendly meal that will be on the table in 30 minutes or less!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple, cast iron skillet, family-friendly, one-pan, pork, weeknight
Servings: 4people
Calories: 398kcal
Author: CaliGirl Cooking
Ingredients
3tablespoonsbutter, divided
4bone-in pork chops
Salt and pepper
1tablespoonchopped fresh rosemary, plus more whole sprigs for garnish
1tablespoonchopped fresh thyme, plus more whole sprigs for garnish
1/2onion, cut into small wedges
3small Fuji apples, cut into thick slices
2tablespoonsapple cider vinegar
Balsamic glaze (optional)
Dishes needed:
Chef's knife
Large cast iron skillet (12-inch)
Plate or meat-friendly cutting board (for seasoning meat)
Tongs
Butter knife
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and let melt.
While skillet is warming up, season both sides of the pork with salt, pepper, chopped rosemary and chopped thyme.
Once skillet is piping hot, place pork chops on it and sear for about 3 minutes each side. Now that the pork chops are seared, turn the heat down to low.
Add the onions and sliced apples. Pour the apple cider vinegar over top and divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of each chop.
Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and garnish with additional rosemary and thyme sprigs. Let cool slightly and drizzle with balsamic glaze (if using) before serving.
This quick and easy Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew is the perfect weeknight meal, or way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! It’s full of delicious, hearty flavors and comes together in less than one hour.
It’s been a while, but I hope you’ll forgive me once you take a look at this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew!
In case you don’t follow along on social media, I’ve been hard at work in what has become a favorite new capacity of mine – baby meal prepper! Just this week I came out with my second ever ebook, 30 Freezer-Friendly Recipes for Babies and Toddlers and it has been receiving rave reviews. It’s chock full of healthy recipes that the little ones go gaga over and – I have to say – I’m pretty darn proud of it!
One thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom is that delicious, healthy food doesn’t have to be elaborate or take hours to make. Whereas before I took pride in never taking the shortcut for any food I was preparing, I now take immense pride in figuring out ways to cook delicious meals using as many shortcuts as possible.
Perhaps the greatest “shortcut” I’ve discovered is the Instant Pot. To be honest, it took me a while to give in to the Instant Pot craze. Did I really need ANOTHER kitchen appliance? Was it really going to be THAT life-changing? It took a great sale last fall for me to finally break down and get one and I can now say with 100% certainty that YES, it is that life-changing. There’s a bit of a learning curve getting started, but once you get the hang of it you’ll never want to use your slow cooker again.
If you’re also new to the Instant Pot game (or are planning to be), these have been some of my favorite IP recipes I’ve made so far:
While I have an Instant Pot recipe in my new ebook and am working on adapting some of my old recipes for the IP, this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew is the first blog recipe I’ve developed for all of you IP fans out there and, if you don’t have an IP yet, now’s the time to get one! (*affiliate link)
We have had one of the rainiest winters we’ve had in a loooong time, so I’ve been craving all the comfort food. To me, there’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup or stew and a crusty piece of warm bread on a chilly, rainy evening. We had beef stew fairly often when I was growing up, but I’d never ventured into making my own…until now! With the Instant Pot, it comes together in less than an hour yet still fills your home with that delicious, slow-cooked aroma. Did I mention it tastes amazing?
Since St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, I thought I’d jazz up what would be considered a traditional beef stew with a healthy dose of Guinness (after all, you know I love my cocktails.) Otherwise, I kept things pretty traditional with the typical carrots, onions and potatoes.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with the couch, some beef stew and a big ol’ glass of wine. And will you do me a favor? Let me know your favorite Instant Pot recipes in the comments below!
This quick and easy Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew is the perfect weeknight meal, or way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! It’s full of delicious, hearty flavors and comes together in less than one hour.
111.2-ounce bottleGuinness beerOr 1 can would be fine
4Yukon gold potatoes, large diced
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
2tablespoonstomato paste
4cupsbeef broth
1teaspoondried thyme
2bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the beef and 3 tablespoons of flour in a medium bowl and toss so the beef is evenly coated in the flour.
Place 3 tablespoons of butter in the Instant Pot and set it on sauté for about 8 minutes. Once the butter is melted, add the beef. Let beef brown for at least a couple of minutes on one side and then stir to get a nice brown on all sides.
Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Pour in the Guinness to deglaze the pan.
Add potatoes, Worcestershire, tomato paste, beef broth, thyme and bay leaves to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
Turn the valve to Sealing, press the Meat/Stew button and select high heat for 35 minutes. The pot will take a bit of time to preheat, then it will begin to count down.
Once the time is up, turn the valve to vent. It will take a few minutes for all of the pressure to release. While you’re waiting, place remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small, microwave-safe dish and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once butter is melted, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Add this mixture to the stew in the Instant Pot and stir to combine. This will help thicken it up.
This Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs is simple to make yet full of flavor. It’s the perfect entrée for your holiday gatherings and showcases some of the season’s best ingredients.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
With all of the craziness of the holidays, it’s often easier to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things than it is to slow down and take time for what this time of year is really about – spending quality time with family and friends. In this season of life where I feel like there are never enough hours in the day, I find myself craving these types of moments more than ever. That’s why, when some of my favorite ladies in the food, wine and entertaining industries decided to get together for a Fall Harvest Feast, I quickly agreed to participate – and brought this Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs as the dinner’s centerpiece. It was almost like Friendsgiving came early and I’m so excited to share all of the details (including this roast chicken recipe!) with you today.
I’m going to make a general assumption here, and that assumption is that many of you feel intimidated about roasting large cuts of meat or whole birds. Am I right? I mean, I was once in the same boat. But I’m a firm believer that practice makes perfect and, let me tell you, I have practiced and practiced roasting chicken and – no brag – have pretty much perfected a super simple recipe for you.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
You may remember that a while back I posted a similar recipe – this Champagne Roast Chicken with Grapes and Shallots – as a great show-stopper for any dinner party (or weeknight meal, for that matter.) Well, this is ALMOST the same recipe, but with a few autumn-inspired tweaks that make it perfect for any gathering you may be hosting in the next couple of months.
And yes, it is so easy. Aside from spending maybe 10 minutes prepping the bird and one flip about 15 minutes into roasting, it’s basically a “set it and forget it” recipe, so you can spend that quality time with all of your loved ones. It also looks quite stunning in its finished form, so if you’re looking for a dinner dish that will add that festive feel to your table, this Red Wine Roast Chicken is it!
But enough about my chicken, I want to tell you a little bit about the dinner itself! First off, the location and one other very important component of any harvest dinner – the wine! We were lucky enough to go back to the beautiful Folded Hills, a winery and farmstead about 30 minutes up the coast from Santa Barbara. If you want to learn more about them, I wrote an entire post about it here. Long story short, if you’re looking for friendly faces, delicious wines, the best chocolate chip cookies and cute little farm critters, be sure to plan a stop here the next time you’re cruising the 101.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
And then, of course, I can’t leave out all of the other wonderful ladies who contributed their talents to this gorgeous feast. The table was set and styled by the lovely Viktoriya of Fold Santa Barbara, who makes beautiful linens both for retail and special events.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
My girl Becky from Baking the Goods contributed a Fall Harvest Grazing Board and the tastiest Spiced Up Grape Apple Pie. Be sure to check out her blog for some of the best baking recipes around!
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
Denisse (aka Le Petit Chef Santa Barbara) added a stunning Root Vegetable Gratin that was absolutely devoured. And can you believe blogging isn’t even her full-time gig? When she’s not blogging (or slinging donuts with her husband), Denisse is a private chef in and around SB. Did I mention she’s also extremely well-versed in vegan and other special diet cooking?
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
Wine pairings and a mouth-watering Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette were provided by my dear friend Hana-Lee of Wander and Wine. If you’re looking for all things wine- and travel-related, you definitely don’t want to miss out on her blog.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
Finally, I can’t leave out our very talented photographer, Silas Fallstich (aka Full Frame Fotos). If you live in Santa Barbara (or anywhere nearby), chances are you’ve seen Silas’ work. It’s featured in many of our local publications on a regular basis and we were so grateful to have such talent capturing our lovely day. We have him to thank for all of these gorgeous photos!
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
Sure, we call this “work” – and it is – but it’s days like these that make all of those hours in the kitchen, behind the camera, typing on the computer and with our arms elbow-deep in dirty dishwater completely worth it. If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this line of work, it’s that every blogger, entrepreneur or creative truly wants to help and support one another. Forget competition, we’re all in this together. And as we inch closer and closer to the ultimate day of gratitude, I have to say I’m so thankful for each and every one of these folks I’ve met along the way and the support structure we’ve built around one another.
Silas Fallstich www.fullframefotos.us
Here’s to a season of gratitude, thoughtfulness, positivity and support!
This Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs is simple to make yet full of flavor. It’s the perfect entrée for your holiday gatherings and showcases some of the season’s best ingredients.
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken, entertaining, entree, main course, protein
Servings: 6people
Calories: 287kcal
Author: CaliGirl Cooking
Ingredients
1approximately 5-pound whole chicken
1cupred wine
Salt and pepper
2sprigseach fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, plus additional for garnish
1poundseedless red grapes
2large shallots, peeled and quartered
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove innards from chicken and rinse with cold water. Let drain in a large colander for 2 minutes.
Pat chicken dry and place in roasting pan, breast side down. Pour red wine all over and inside the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the fresh herbs inside the chicken.
Place chicken in oven and turn down heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven and, using tongs or wooden spoons, flip chicken over so that the breast side is now facing up.
Return to oven and continue cooking until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Start checking the temperature after about an hour and a half. For the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, add shallots and grapes to bottom of roasting pan.
Once meat thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from oven. Transfer grapes and shallots to a serving platter first, and then transfer chicken so it sits in the middle of the grapes and shallots. Garnish with additional fresh herbs. Use a carving fork and knife to serve.
A tasty twist on the classic comfort food, Shepherd’s Pie gets a fall makeover with the addition of pumpkin and the season’s best fresh herbs.
If there’s one thing that never fails to get me in the mood for fall and the impending holiday season, it’s our annual #virtualpumpkinparty! This is my third consecutive year participating in the virtual get-together and, let me tell you, it’s something worth getting excited about. Our count has now grown to over 60 bloggers and each one of us has a tasty pumpkin recipe (both sweet AND savory) that we’re sharing with you today. You can find the entire list of pumpkin recipes here, but I’ve got to tell you all about what is probably my newest fall comfort food obsession – Easy Double Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie with Fresh Herbs!
Do you ever have a meal that you just love to eat but have never taken on the task of making yourself? That’s what Shepherd’s Pie was to me – well, up until a couple of weeks ago. For someone who grew up eating a lot of meat and potatoes, I sure don’t make ‘em a lot these days. But whenever someone would make me this one dish creation that happens to have meat, potatoes and veggies in one, I would be surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was about time I tried making it myself, but of course not without my own little twist!
And let me tell you, this twist just makes my version of Shepherd’s Pie over-the-top delicious. Not only did I add mashed fresh pumpkin to the potato topping, but I also cubed up some of that same fresh pumpkin and added it to the ground beef and pea filling. Oh, and we can’t forget the fresh herbs – there’s nothing like some fresh sage and thyme to make a dish REALLY feel like fall!
Now I know you’re already dying to whip up this Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie for dinner, but let me make the decision even easier for you. This is a TWO-pot meal, folks. You’ll use one large pot to boil the potatoes and pumpkin for your topping, and a cast iron skillet to assemble all the pieces together and broil under the oven for a few minutes. So easy!
Oh, and hey! Where my mamas at? Easy Double Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie is also a GREAT dish for baby-led weaning and for kids in general! For the little babes, I’d say just be careful with the peas. Either omit them completely or you can pick them out for your littlest ones if you just can’t give them up 😉
Okay friends, I’m going to keep this short and sweet today because, I mean, I have about 60 other pumpkin recipes to try my hand at, but I’ll tell ya – you’ll be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don’t give this Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie a shot. And be sure YOU also check out all of the other fun recipes for our 2018 #virtualpumpkinparty!
1whole sugar pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into large cubes plus ¼ of a second sugar pie pumpkin peeled, seeded and cut into a small dice (about 1 cup)
2russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
6tablespoonsbutter, divided
1/2large yellow onion, diced
3garlic cloves, minced
1poundground beef
1tablespooneach chopped fresh sage and thyme
1tablespoonflour
1/3cupbeef broth or stock
1cupfrozen peas
1/2cupheavy cream
2/3cupgrated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once water is boiling, add large pumpkin chunks and potatoes. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until pieces can be pierced easily with a fork. Strain out water and let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and small cubed pumpkin and saute until onions are translucent and fragrant, 5-10 minutes. Add beef, brown slightly, and then toss in fresh herbs.
Add flour, beef stock and frozen peas and stir to combine. Let cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer bright pink.
While beef mixture is cooking, mash your pumpkin and potatoes. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and heavy cream to the pot where the pumpkin and potatoes have been cooling. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, cream everything together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once beef mixture is cooked, taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Turn off the burner your cast iron skillet has been cooking over and preheat your oven’s broiler (on high.)
Spread the mashed pumpkin and potato mixture evenly over the beef in the cast iron skillet. Top with grated Parmesan and place under the broiler until the top has a lovely golden hue, which can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Just keep a close eye on it as it is under the broiler as things can take a turn towards burnt very easily!
Serve pie by scooping the mixture out into bowls while it’s still warm.
