Shredded Sweet Soy Chicken Breast

This recipe offers a simple, quick, and incredibly tasty way to prepare chicken breast. The lean meat shreds beautifully and pairs perfectly with a sweet and sour sauce that is so flavorful it’s almost jammy. You can add a little kick of chili if you want! This shredded chicken is fantastic served over a bed of rice, and the sauce is so versatile you can even use it to flavor a fried rice dish.

Instructions

1. 1

   Slow Cooker Method: Place all the chicken ingredients (chicken, garlic, onion, oil, soy sauce, white vinegar, jam, black peppercorns, and 3/4 cup of water) into the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for 2 1/2 hours.

2. 2

   Pressure Cooker Method: Place all the chicken ingredients in the pressure cooker and cook for 35 minutes on high.

3. 3

   Stove Top Method: Place all the chicken ingredients in a saucepan large enough for the chicken to fit snugly in a single layer. Add an extra 1/2 cup of water so the chicken is mostly, but not completely submerged. Cover the pot and simmer for about 50 to 60 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice during cooking.

4. 4

   The chicken is ready when it can be easily shredded with two forks. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it while it's still warm. Set it aside and cover to keep warm.

5. 5

   Transfer the cooking liquid from the slow cooker or pressure cooker to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the liquid to about 1 1/4 cups; this should only take a few minutes.

6. 6

   In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 3 tsp of water to create a slurry. Add this mixture to the simmering saucepan and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency.

7. 7

   Toss the shredded chicken in the thickened sauce until it's fully coated. Serve over a bed of rice.

Recipe Notes

• I used blueberry jam for this recipe. Dark jams like blackberry or other dark fruit jams work great, but you can use any flavor you have on hand. The jam acts as a sweetener and thickening agent for the sauce rather than providing a strong flavor of its own.

• I love the little bursts of flavor from black peppercorns in this dish. Once cooked, the pepper becomes milder, but if you are making this for children or prefer less spice, I recommend using ground pepper instead.

• If your slow cooker has a "sauté" setting, you can reduce the sauce directly in the slow cooker. You can also do this in a stovetop pressure cooker once the chicken is done.

• The leftover shredded chicken and sauce are fantastic for making fried rice. Simply stir-fry some onions and garlic, add diced vegetables, day-old cooked rice, the shredded chicken, and the sauce. Stir-fry until everything is heated through and serve!

• Feel free to add other flavorings if you like! I often add a bit of ginger, sriracha or red pepper flakes for heat, a dash of hoisin or oyster sauce, or a touch of sesame oil for extra richness.

• You can freeze leftovers after the chicken is cooked and tossed in the sauce. To use the leftovers, allow them to defrost completely, then I recommend pan-frying them with a little bit of oil. This helps to revitalize the dish, as the sauce can become a bit watery once it thaws.