This shredded chicken and gravy recipe is a budget-friendly and ridiculously comforting homestyle meal! It's a family favorite with just 3 ingredients.
If you want to make a similar recipe in the Instant Pot, try my Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy next.
Why you'll love it
Busy mamas and dads out there, this one is for you. All you need is chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, and a packet of chicken gravy mix to make this soul-warming chicken dinner with very little prep. That's it! No shame in using shortcuts. Together they're transformed into tender and perfectly seasoned shredded chicken.
You can make this irresistible 3-ingredient dump and go chicken recipe in the oven or as Crockpot chicken and gravy, making it super versatile. Let's talk about all that gravy, though. There's absolutely no need to add anything else like a thickener or extra seasoning. So good yet so simple to make for an incredibly convenient supper.
What you'll need
- Chicken - we're using boneless skinless chicken breasts for easy shredding
- Cream of chicken soup - the tried and true kitchen shortcut of a can of condensed soup is one that busy families have been using for decades, but if you aren't feeling it, try my Crockpot Chicken and Gravy as an alternative with no canned soup!
- Chicken gravy mix - use a packet of your favorite brand
Helpful tips
- I do not add any extra water/liquid to the recipe. This ensures the gravy ends up fairly thick. The chicken will release some water as it cooks.
- Tightly seal it up before putting it in the oven! I use foil, but if your casserole dish came with an oven-safe lid, use that.
- Ovens, casserole dishes, and the size of chicken breasts tend to vary, so keep in mind cook time is a guideline and may need to be adjusted, especially if using particularly large or small chicken breasts.
- You can leave the chicken breasts whole instead of shredding them if you prefer.
- Prefer to do this in your slow cooker? Crockpot instructions are included in the recipe card below!
How to make shredded chicken and gravy
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the chicken breasts to a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup and gravy mix until smooth with a whisk or spoon.
Pour the gravy mixture over the chicken. Tightly seal the casserole dish, and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Shred with two forks, season with extra salt & pepper if needed, and enjoy.
Tools for this recipe
- One of my most used kitchen tools is an instant read thermometer. It's inexpensive and makes cooking chicken foolproof. It's safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- This casserole dish is one of my favorites.
- For the slow cooker cooking option in this recipe I used my trusty 7-quart Crockpot.
Substitutions and variations
- Try swapping one of the cans of cream of chicken soup with cream of mushroom soup.
- You can sub the chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you plan on using the low heat (7-8 hours cook time) Crockpot method, that may be the best idea as chicken breasts tend to dry out.
- Try a packet of turkey gravy mix if you can't find chicken.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of chicken and gravy will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Warm over a low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months, but keep in mind that the texture of the gravy may change and the chicken may dry out a bit.
What to serve with chicken and gravy
- There's a generous amount of gravy that's perfect over a mountain of Mashed Potatoes, rice, or pasta. A dinner roll or fresh crusty bread is great too. Go all out with my popular Cheesy Garlic Bread for a memorable meal!
- For a fresh pairing, try a side salad with my Homemade Italian Dressing.
- Steamed veggies, Easy Creamed Corn, or my Easy Asparagus Recipe all work as well.
If the blog post didn't answer your questions about this glorious chicken and gravy, talk to me in the comments below! I'd love it if you left me a review, or tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Easy 3-Ingredient Shredded Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (1 ounce) packet chicken gravy mix
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Place the chicken breasts side-by-side in a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Add the cream of chicken soup and chicken gravy mix to a bowl and stir together until smooth.
- Pour the cream of chicken soup mixture over the chicken breasts and fully cover them with it.
- Tightly seal the casserole dish with foil (or use the oven-safe lid it came with if it came with one) and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with two forks. As every oven, casserole dish, and the size of the chicken breasts may vary, keep in mind cook time is a guideline and may need to be adjusted.
- Take the casserole dish out of the oven, uncover, and shred the chicken with two forks (do this right in the casserole dish). Season with salt & pepper if needed, and serve immediately.
Crockpot Instructions:
- Place the chicken breasts side-by-side in the Crockpot. Add the cream of chicken soup and chicken gravy mix to a bowl and stir together until smooth, then pour it over the chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Shred chicken with two forks (do this in the slow cooker) then season with salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- Gravy packets typically weigh around 1 ounce - you don't need to be exact as brands vary.
- You can skip shredding the chicken if you prefer!
- Serves up to 6 people depending on portion size/how big the chicken breasts are.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches a 165F internal temperature.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Cari says
Sent my husband to the store to get skinless chicken breast & he came back with skinless chicken breast THIN SLICED. Do you know how long I should put it in the over for & what temp I should use? They are really thin breast but I still used the right amount & they’re overlapping each other. I just hope the gravy part makes out right. Please if you have idea what I should do let me know. Thank you so much!!
Natasha says
Hmmm it's really tough to guess, but maybe check after 20 minutes and if they're very raw I'd probably go up to the 40-45 minute mark. Let me know!! 🙂
Sharon White says
Nevermind! I found the Instant pot version!
Thank you for this quick and delicious recipe!❤️
Sharon White says
Do you have directions for cooking this in an instant pot?
Tacey says
This looks really good. Can you use leftover cooked, shredded chicken or even turkey in this recipe? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! I suppose you could, but in that case I'd just heat everything through on the stovetop since there's no point in baking already cooked chicken... it'll end up really dry and overcooked.
Cora shields says
Do you use the gravy mix dry and mix into the soups?
Natasha says
That's right. See the step-by-step photos in the post that shows this exact step. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Cora!
Julie says
Very easy comfort food. I used 3 breasts weighing about 1.5 lbs, and they cooked through in about 25 minutes. I recommend using a thermometer so they don’t overcook.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Julie!