Slicing, Dicing, and Shredding Chicken

When a recipe calls for smaller pieces of chicken -- whether sliced, diced, or shredded -- you'll want to turn to the following tips to help you do the job quickly and easily.

Slicing

Proper slicing produces the highest quality meat.
  1. Place uncooked boneless, skinless chicken on a cutting board.

  2. Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken crosswise across the grain into 1/4-inch strips.

    Slice across the grain for tender, consistent pieces.
    Slice across the grain for tender, consistent pieces.
Dicing

If a recipe calls for diced uncooked chicken, follow the slicing steps above and then line up the strips on the cutting board and cut them again into chunks.

Starting with strips makes it easier to get a uniform dice.
Starting with strips makes it easier to get a uniform dice.

Shredding Cooked Chicken

When chicken is cool enough to touch, remove and discard skin and bones. Pull the meat into long shreds with your hands.

Shredded chicken is perfect for using in sandwiches and salads.
Shredded chicken is perfect for using in sandwiches and salads.

There are many different ways to use chicken in recipes. Whether you're cutting chicken Chinese-style, or cutting, skinning, and deboning a chicken for use in other recipes, you now know exactly what to do.

Not what you're looking for? Try these:

  • Chicken Recipes: Chicken is a very versatile food that can take on a variety of different flavors and be used in all kinds of dishes. Find some suggestions on our Chicken Recipes page. 
  • Chicken Safety: Since raw chicken can harbor harmful bacteria, it's important to know how to properly handle chicken in the kitchen. Learn chicken safety tips in this article. 
  • Preparing Chicken: Learn some basic chicken preparation techniques in this article, including how to stuff a chicken, how to marinate chicken, and more.
  • Cooking: Learn the ins and outs of some basic cooking techniques in this helpful article.