Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken (2024)

Favorite Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes, Slow Cooker ·

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This copycat Cafe Rio recipe for crockpot shredded chicken is made with pantry ingredients. Zesty Italian dressing, cumin, chili powder, garlic, ranch dressing packet and chicken. Serve with tacos, burritos, salads and more.

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken (1)

Cafe Rio Recipe – Shredded Chicken

Every summer while visiting my sister in Utah, I can’t wait to eat at Cafe Rio. LOVE their shredded chicken salads. It’s not uncommon for me to eat there a couple of times a week. I gotta get my fix. So you can imagine how happy I was when I found a copycat Cafe Rio recipe for shredded chicken! It’s silly how excited I am! I have claimed to never make chicken any other way, I’m going to live on shredded chicken salad forever! I may not even share it with my family.

This Cafe Rio recipe is perfect for burritos, salad, burrito bowls, tacos, or soup…….or all alone! It’s juicy, flavorful, and just plain perfect………I really don’t know how I’ve lived without this recipe this long. Do you know what makes it even more perfect? I can make it in the CROCKPOT! I may as well die now…….

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe

This Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken recipe is a very simple recipe. All you need is:

  • Chicken Breasts – boneless
  • Ranch Dressing Packet
  • Zesty Italian Dressing
  • Cumin
  • Chili Powder
  • Garlic

This crockpot shredded chicken recipe is a dump-it-all-in type of slow cooker recipe, our favorite kind. You can cook on low or high. I like cooking on low since it seems to result in chicken that’s more tender.

What to Make With Cafe Rio Chicken

I always order the salad when visiting Cafe Rio, so that’s always my favorite thing to make. But they use their chicken for several different menu items.

Make it like Cafe Rio

Salad – Cafe Rio Salads start with a warm flour tortilla on the bottom of your bowl. Add rice, beans, chicken and lettuce. Top with ranch or my favorite Cilantro Avocado Dressing.

Burritos – Starting with a large warm flour tortilla, add shredded chicken, Cafe Rio pinto or black beans, and shredded Mexican blended cheeses.

Enchilada – Starting with a flour tortilla, add chicken and shredded Mexican blended cheese. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and add more cheese and pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Can you Make Cafe Rio Chicken in an Instant Pot?

Yes! The instant pot is a great option.

  1. Place the chicken into your Instant Pot.
  2. Mix together and place the Italian dressing, ranch dressing packet, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and water.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
  4. If you’re using thawed chicken, cook under high pressure for 12 minutes. Frozen chicken will need 17 minutes.
  5. When the 12 minutes are us, quick release the pressure.
  6. Remove only the chicken into a large bowl or casserole dish and then shred using 2 forks.
  7. Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to blend with the sauce.
  8. Enjoy

Can you Make Cafe Rio Chicken in the Oven?

I prefer using the slow cooker because crockpot shredded chicken is always so tender, but if you have run of time and you need to bake this simple chicken recipe, then you’re in luck.

  1. In a bowl, mix together Italian dressing, ranch dressing packet, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and water.
  2. Place chicken in a casserole dish.
  3. Pour sauce over the chicken.
  4. Bake at 450° F. for 15-18 minutes or under the internal temp reaches 165°F
  5. Remove the chicken and shred.
  6. Place the shredded chicken back in with the juices. Stir to blend and enjoy!

Can you Freeze Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken?

This recipe makes the best leftovers, but if you can’t finish it all or if you want to double up the recipe for later, you can freeze it for up to 4 months. Freeze in an airtight container.

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken (3)

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes

This copycat recipe for Cafe Rio Chicken is the best Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe for burritos, salads and more.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken - boneless & skinless
  • 1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I use more like a full tablespoon)
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 (1 oz) packet Ranch Dressing Mix (mix with 1/2 cup water)

Instructions

  1. Place all your ingredients except for the chicken into your crockpot. Stir.
  2. Add your chicken
  3. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours. I flipped the chicken half way through.
  4. Once your chicken is done, remove just the chicken and shred using 2 forks. Replace the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and mix well with the left over juice.
  5. Serve in salads, burritos, tacos, burrito bowls!
Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 398Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 142mgSodium 693mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 37g

We do our best to calculate, however, nutrition information may not be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken (4)

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Recipe- Shredded Chicken (2024)

FAQs

How many chicken breasts is 4 cups shredded? ›

Shredded Chicken Yield and Serving Sizes

Generally: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken will yield about 4 cups of shredded chicken. 1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield about 1 1/3 cups of shredded chicken. This is a medium breast.

How do you keep shredded chicken moist? ›

Avoid shredding the chicken too finely. The finer the shreds, the less succulent the chicken will be, and the more quickly it will dry out. Refrigerate shredded chicken in an airtight container with a half-cup of the poaching liquid (if available) to keep it moist and juicy for up to three days.

How long does it take to boil chicken breast to shred? ›

In as little as 20 minutes, you'll have moist shredded chicken to enjoy!
  1. Cover! In a large sauce pot, cover chicken breasts with cold water or stock. ...
  2. Cook! Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes! ...
  3. Shred! We wait until the chicken has cooled but is still warm before digging into it with two forks!
Oct 12, 2022

How much chicken do I need for 2 cups shredded? ›

Raw: 12 ounces of raw boneless, skinless chicken will give you about 2 cups of shredded chicken, weighing 8 ounces cooked. You can boil the chicken or make it in a pressure cooker.

How much chicken do I need for 2 cups shredded chicken? ›

How Much Chicken is 2 Cups Shredded. To yield 2 cups of shredded chicken, you'll need approximately 12 ounces of cooked chicken or 1 pound raw.

Why is my crockpot shredded chicken tough? ›

In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

Why is my shredded chicken rubbery? ›

It's easy to throw in an Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or shred it in Healthy Chicken Enchiladas. Rubbery chicken is usually an indicator of overcooked chicken. The longer the chicken cooks, the more moisture it loses, and without moisture, the protein fibers become elastic, AKA rubbery.

Should I store shredded chicken in broth? ›

If you are saving the chicken for later, place it in a ziplock with the excess broth from the pan. Enjoy in any recipe that calls for shredded chicken.

Is 30 minutes enough to boil chicken? ›

For boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it will take about 15 minutes. For bone-in, skin-on chicken, cook for about 30 minutes. Always test for doneness using a meat thermometer.

Do you cover chicken breast when boiling? ›

How I Boil Chicken. My method is very simple and straightforward: Just cover the chicken with about an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat until the water is simmering, cover the pot, and let the chicken cook. That's it!

Can you overcook chicken when boiling? ›

If they need more time, put them back in and check every 5 minutes. Don't let them overcook—they'll start to become rubbery. — Shred it up. After removing your chicken from the pot, let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Is it better to shred chicken breast hot or cold? ›

Is it better to shred chicken hot or cold? It's best to shred chicken when it's hot or warm and not when it's cold. It's much easier to pull the chicken apart with your hands or forks when it's warm. However, if you are cutting or slicing chicken, it's easier to do so with a knife when it's cold.

Should chicken be cooked before shredding? ›

You can use pre-cooked or fresh-baked, boneless chicken pieces, although if the meat is still warm the shredding process is easier. Here's how to do it: Remove any skin from the chicken pieces.

What temp does chicken shred best? ›

Cook on low heat until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155°F, about 2 1/2 to 4 hours. Place the whole cooked breasts in a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On low speed shred the chicken.

How much chicken is 4 cups of shredded chicken? ›

As a rough estimate, 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken typically weighs around 1 pound or 16 ounces.

How many chicken breast is 1 cup shredded? ›

One cup cubed or shredded chicken:

1 cup of cubed or shredded chicken is also about 1 boiled chicken breast.

What is 4 cups of chicken breast? ›

As a rough estimate, 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken typically weighs around 1 pound or 16 ounces. However, this can vary based on the specific preparation and cooking method, so it's best to weigh the chicken using a kitchen scale for accuracy.

How many cups is 4 oz of chicken breast? ›

A 3-ounce serving of cooked chicken is about 85 grams or just over half a cup of chicken. For 4 ounces, it would be 133 grams or about 3/4 cup. Note that measuring chicken in cups is not very precise.

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