This delightfully tangy shredded Italian chicken salad gets a bright pop of flavor from lemon juice and red wine vinegar.

If you’re new to an egg-free lifestyle, this recipe will make you forget all about that mayonnaise laden traditional chicken salad from the past. And as a bonus, it’s made in the Instant Pot, making it another one-pot wonder in my recipe arsenal.

Why you should buy an Instant Pot

If you know me at all, you know how much I adore the Instant Pot. It makes big batch cooking so easy, and is great for those nights that you’re frazzled but still need to get dinner on the table. If you’re unfamiliar with the Instant Pot, think of it like a slow cooker on steroids. 

Not only does it have a slow cooking function, but it can also do things like sauté, meaning no more having to brown your meat in one dish before adding it to the slow cooker pot! Hooray for having less dishes, am I right?

And my absolute favorite function is the pressure cook setting. If you forgot to defrost your chicken in the fridge last night, don’t even worry about it. You can literally go from having a block of frozen meat to fall off the bone tender chicken in almost no time. 

How to make this Italian Chicken Salad

Making this allergy friendly chicken salad couldn’t be easier. First, set your Instant Pot to sauté and add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering, add your chicken and brown on all sides. Next, add your vinegar, lemon juice and oregano and stir to mix.

This is where the magic happens: put the lid on the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Once the release is done, remove the lid. If necessary, de-bone the chicken.

Next, set the Instant Pot back on sauté and stir to evaporate any excess liquid. The chicken will be so tender that it’ll literally shred itself!

TIP: A great way to shred meat in a hurry is to use a handheld mixer. They’re not just for making cookies, folks! Next time you’re making pulled pork, carnitas, or any other shredded meat for a crowd, give it a try.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of chicken should I use?

Feel free to use whatever chicken you have on hand for this. White, dark, fresh, frozen, it all works! We usually use bone in breasts, but have made this with boneless breasts and thighs as well.

How should I serve this dish?

The beauty of this shredded Italian chicken is how versatile it is. We love serving it on a big bed of greens, but it’s also equally delicious in a wrap or served with crackers for a packable lunch. Sprinkle it on a cauliflower pizza crust with some vegan cheese for a twist on pizza night. You can even throw some in a box of (gluten free and vegan) mac and cheese to dress it up a little!

This recipe will make a substantial amount, so if you make a batch on Sunday you can enjoy it all week long. It’s delicious both hot and cold, so get creative!

Need more allergy friendly recipe inspiration? Check these out:

• Shredded BBQ Chicken 
• Basmati Rice and Kale
• Chicken Stir Fry

If you love this recipe and want more easy, gluten and dairy free recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!

Shredded Italian Chicken {Instant Pot}

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This easy to make shredded Italian chicken in the Instant Pot is a crowd pleaser, and can be used so many differnet ways.

We really enjoy it with salad, pasta, in a sandwich, in a wrap, or with chips as a snack.

This is recipe makes a good size batch, and this Italian shredded chicken is great left over!

If you are new to an egg free diet, this is a great alterantive to the traditional chicken salad with mayonnaise.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken of your choice (frozen is OK!)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice or the juice of 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Set Instant Pot to saute.
2. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to pot
3. Add chicken to the Instant Pot, and brown
4. Add lemon juice to Instant Pot
5. Add red wine vinegar to Instant Pot
6. Add oregano to Instant Pot.
7. Stir contents of Instant Pot before closing.
8. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes
9. Allow to natural release for 10 minutes.
10. Open the instant pot. There will be a good amount of liquid.
11. If using chicken with bones in it, debone chicken and break into chunks, then return to pot. If using boneless chicken, break up chicken with a pair of tongs or a serving spoon. This chicken shreds itself.
12. Stir chicken, this chicken will shred itself as it cooks!
13. Turn Instant Pot to saute, and allow liquid to cook down until dsired consistency is reached. This will shred the chicken more.
14. Add fresh chopped parsley to the chicken before serving.

Notes

Feel free to use whatever chicken you have on hand for this. White, dark, fresh, frozen, it all works! We usually use bone in breasts, but have made this with boneless breasts and thighs as well.

This chicken shreds itself as you reduce the liquid, just make sure to stir it! It is so tender!

We love to have this chicken in a salad, with a sandwich, a wrap, as an appetizer with chips. The possibilites are endless.

If you are missing chicken salad with mayonnaise, the tangyness of this dish from the lemon and red wine vinegar will make you forget all about that other type of chicken salad!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 28g

Nutrition data is estimated.