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This classic Ohio shredded chicken sandwich recipe is the perfect party food! It’s easy to make in your slow cooker or Instant Pot. Trust me, you’ll love these creamy chicken sandwiches piled high on a soft bun.
As many of you know, I grew up in northwest Ohio, and the food from that region still makes my heart sing. It might not be the fanciest, but it sure is tasty!
This Ohio shredded chicken sandwich is the quintessential Midwest meal. It’s served at every event, from birthday parties to weddings to funerals to graduation parties. There is no party to be had without the deliciousness of a shredded chicken sandwich.
You can easily make this recipe in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot, but don’t worry – I’ll give directions for both. And if you live around Fremont, Ohio, you can stop by Root’s Shredded Chicken and pick up some of their shredded chicken! Some say Root’s invented this sandwich!
Trust me, if you’re new to the coziness of Midwest cooking, you’ll love this dish.
Easy to make, great for parties, freezes beautifully, and is packed with flavor.
What’s not to love?
You might also know this sandwich by the name: sloppy bird, Root’s shredded chicken sandwich, soup can chicken sandwich, or creamy hot chicken sandwiches!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for shredded chicken sandwiches
- Slow cooker shredded chicken sandwich
- Ohio shredded chicken sandwiches in the Instant Pot
- Sides for shredded chicken sandwiches
- How to serve
- Recipe changes and variations
- Storage, Leftovers, and Freezing
- More sandwich recipes
- Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients for shredded chicken sandwiches
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – I’m using 3 pounds of chicken to make this dish.
- Chicken stock – The amount you use will depend on preparation; you can use water in a pinch.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup – You can also use cream of mushroom or celery. Our family likes cream of chicken best.
- Ritz (butter) crackers – These will be crushed and used to help thicken the sandwich mixture.
- Spices – Add a little dried parsley, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Soft buns – I love to pile my shredded chicken on a soft bakery bun.
Slow cooker shredded chicken sandwich
The slow cooker method is the method used by most shredded chicken enthusiasts.
- Add your uncooked chicken breast to a slow cooker.
- Top with condensed cream of chicken soup.
- Cover and let the cook on low for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken once fully cooked.
- Add crushed crackers and spices to the mix and let heat for another 20-30 minutes to warm and thicken. You can thin the mixture out with the chicken stock if it is too thick.
Ohio shredded chicken sandwiches in the Instant Pot
While this is not the traditional way my grandmother made this sandwich filling, it is the easiest way! That is how I made it for this post. It was ready in no time!
- Add your uncooked chicken breast to the Instant Pot.
- Top with condensed cream of chicken soup and chicken stock.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Quick release your IP and remove the chicken from the pot. Leave the juice in the pot.
- Shred your chicken and add it back to the pot.
- Add in your cracker crumbs and spices and stir to combine.
- Place on the “keep warm” setting and let the mixture slowly cook for 20 minutes to help thicken the chicken filling.
Sides for shredded chicken sandwiches
I’m happy to eat this sandwich and nothing else, but let’s get serious – sides are delicious!
Typically, if you’re from northwest Ohio, you would serve this sandwich with Ballreich Potato Chips, but if you’re not in the area, you can replace them with wavy potato chips.
Other delicious side options:
How to serve
Shredded chicken is traditionally served on a soft bun and eaten like a sandwich.
If you’re out of buns, sliced bread can be used instead.
Another great option is spooning the shredded chicken over mashed potatoes or a slice of bread for an open-face sandwich.
Recipe changes and variations
- You can use crushed potato chips or dried stuffing mix to thicken your sandwich mixture instead of crushed Ritz butter crackers. If you use stuffing mix, it tastes like Thanksgiving dinner on a roll.
- Use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving in place of chicken. No one will notice the delicious switch! Follow the stovetop directions!
- You can cook drained canned chicken on the stovetop instead of fresh chicken for a quick weekday meal. You can also use rotisserie chicken!
- Top your sandwich with a slice of cheese for an extra gooey sandwich. This is how we had them in high school when we got them from the Old Fort Country Market.
- Add minced onion, garlic, or even celery for a tasty vegetable addition.
- You can use cream of mushroom or celery instead of both or one can of the cream of chicken. My mom likes using one can of chicken and one can of celery!
Storage, Leftovers, and Freezing
Any leftover shredded chicken filling can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place it in a microwave-safe dish and cook until hot. Alternatively, you can reheat it on the stove in a pot or skillet set over medium heat.
To freeze your shredded chicken, add it to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the mixture completely thaw before you reheat.
More sandwich recipes
- Instant Pot Italian Beef Sandwich
- Cobb Salad Sandwich
- Summertime Tomato Sandwich
- Pesto Tuna Baguette Sandwich
Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 sleeve crushed Ritz butter crackers, about 1-1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
For Instant Pot
- Add chicken breast, chicken stock, and condensed soup to the pot of an Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close to lock, and make sure the vent is one the "sealed" position.
- Place on "manual" for 10 minutes of high pressure.
- When fully cooked, manual release the Instant Pot to release the steam and unlock the lid. Leave the Instant Pot on the "warm" setting.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot (leave the juice in the pot) and shred. Add the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot.
- Stir in your crushed Ritz butter crackers, dried parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper. Taste, and add kosher salt if needed.
- Let the mixture set up for 20 minutes. If it's still thinner than desired you can add more crushed crackers to help thicken the mixture. If it's too thick thin out with chicken stock.
- Scoop onto a bun and enjoy hot and juicy!
For Slow Cooker
- Add chicken breast, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and condensed soup to the slow cooker.
- Cover, place on "low" and let cook for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, remove the chicken, shred, and add back to the slow cooker.
- Stir in your crushed Ritz butter crackers, dried parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper. Taste, and add kosher salt if needed.
- Cover, and let the mixture cook for another 30 minutes. If it's still thinner than desired you can add more crushed crackers to help thicken the mixture. If it's too thick thin out with chicken stock.
For Stovetop
- In a large high-sided 12-inch skillet or 5 quart pot, set over medium-high heat, add condensed soup, 1 cup chicken stock, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Once warmed, add in 2.5-3 pounds of shredded leftover chicken, or rotissorie chicken and stir to combine.
- When the meat is warmed, add in the crushed crackers to help thicken the mixture. If it's too thick, thin out with chicken stock, or if it's too thin, you can thicken it with more crushed crackers.
Notes
- You can use crushed potato chips or dried stuffing mix to thicken your sandwich mixture instead of crushed Ritz butter crackers. If you use stuffing mix, it tastes like Thanksgiving dinner on a roll.
- Use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving in place of chicken. No one will notice the delicious switch!
- You can cook drained canned chicken on the stovetop instead of fresh chicken for a quick weekday meal. You can also use rotisserie chicken!
- Top your sandwich with a slice of cheese for an extra gooey sandwich.
- Add minced onion, garlic, or even celery for a tasty vegetable addition.
- You can use cream of mushroom or cream of celery in place of both or one can of the cream of chicken. My mom likes using one can of chicken and one can of celery!
- Any leftover shredded chicken filling can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place it in a microwave-safe dish and cook until hot. Alternatively, you can reheat it on the stove in a pot or skillet set over medium heat.
- To freeze your shredded chicken, add it to a freezer-safe, air-tight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let the mixture completely thaw before you reheat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I grew up eating this and this recipe is similar to the sandwiches I remember having as a kid. So comforting and delicious!
So incredibly easy and delicious! I love crockpot recipes and this will be put into heavy rotation for the summer.
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Hi Kerri – yes this freezes beautifully!
I live in NW Ohio.Lol. I must try this!
Hi Jen – Yes, you must! It’s so dang good!
I grew up in northwest Ohio too–Van Wert. This looks creamy and moist like I remember. Unfortunately, when visiting home recently I ordered one at a place that shall remain nameless and it was way too dry. Yours looks like what I remember. I’m going to use your recipe when I’m back home soon. Mom and Sis will love it.
I’m so glad you’re going to give the recipe a try! It’s a true NW Ohio staple!
Can this be made in the oven
Hi Becky – you could roast the chicken in the oven, shred, add the rest of the ingredients, and then warm in the oven if needed. You may not need as much chicken stock so add half, stir, and add more if it gets too dry in the oven.
Brandy, I was born and raised in NE Ohio, just outside of Akron. My mother-in-law first gave me a recipe for Shredded Chicken. It was in one of her church/community cookbooks. That recipe called for using Stove Top Stuffing instead of crackers. Just to tell you how old that recipe is, when Stove Top first came out, the seasonings were in a separate packet. The shredded chicken recipe instructions tell you to make sure you don’t forget to add the seasoning packet to the slow cooker. Now of course, the bread cubes in Stove Top are pre-seasoned. Our daughter moved to SC and talked about bringing this dish to a potluck. Her friends thought she was crazy. One try and they were hooked. It’s one of her most requested dishes to bring. Thanks for a great recipe. There’s just something about this sandwich.
Awesome recipe!! Used cream of celery with cream of chicken. Turn out tastier!! Used almost 1 Tbsp salt to taste! (Whitch this recipe is missing) Enjoy everyone!!
Making recipe for 15 in my slow cooker – QUESTION: recipe card calls for 1.5 cup chicken stock, but slow cooker directions only calls for adding 1/4 cup stock? I’m not a seasoned cook and hope this isn’t a dumb question, like I should ‘know’ why there’s a difference. So my question is, for 15 people in a slow cooker, do I add 1.5 cups or 1/4 cup to the chicken when I’m also adding the soup. Thanks!
Hi Jean – I’m sorry I’m late getting back to you but I wanted to explain the “why” portion of your question. You add less stock to the slow cooker version because very little of the moisture will get cooked down in a slow cooker. So you need just enough liquid to keep it moist but not so much that when it cooks down it’s swimming in liquid. An Instant Pot needs a bit more liquid because if not it will get a burn notice and needs the liquid to build steam to help cook quickly.
I went looking for chicken sandwhich recipes either the ones I had as a kid in Tiffin, Ohio from Jollys drive in. Imagine my happiness when I found this recipe!! I’m so excited to make!! I loved them as a kid on Friday nights at the drive in!
I love that you’re from Tiffin! I hope you enjoyed the sandwich.