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This Shredded Chicken Sandwich is one of the most classic sandwiches in Ohio. This hot and creamy chicken sandwich is so easy to make, only requires a handful of ingredients, and is budget friendly. Once you make this sloppy chicken sandwich, you will understand why it's so popular.
Having had grown up in NW Ohio, it seemed that at every event; whether it be a graduation, a church potluck, a carry in dinner, family reunion, baseball game, school events, concession stands, auction food stands, or even the fair, you would find this creamy and delicious sandwich.
It definitely seemed though that this was more of a regional sandwich that you would find in either NW Ohio or Central Ohio. You would rarely find it anywhere else. So, if you are planning a road trip in Ohio this year and are wanting to try this famous sandwich for yourself, check out Chicken Sandwich info for all of the current known restaurants where you can dine for lunch and dinner.
I think one of the reasons why this recipe became such a mainstay in Ohio kitchens is because it's very budget friendly AND it's ready to go in 10 - 15 minutes if you use chicken that has already been cooked.
If you love easy classic recipes, I have a few more of my family's favorites that you might enjoy. Such as my Stuffed Chicken Breast with Stuffing, our easy Creamed Chicken on Biscuits, my Chipped Beef on Toast, and my Salmon Patties. And another old-fashioned recipe you might remember and enjoy is this recipe for Classic Spoon Burgers.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I think you should definitely make this recipe because it's:
Easy - You only need 5 to 6 ingredients.
Budget-friendly - You probably have most of these ingredients already in your pantry.
Hearty - this is one of those rib-sticking and hearty dishes that warms the soul.
🥘Ingredients
Chicken breast - you can either use up leftover roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or make it fresh.
Soup - most cooks will use Cream of Chicken, however, some will use Cream of Mushroom. It's totally up to your preference. For my family, we prefer using the chicken soup.
Crackers - if you'd prefer you can use day old bread crumbs, saltine crackers, or croutons. Any of these will work fine. It's to help bind everything together. Add this ingredient also helps to thicken it up.
🔪Instructions
You will find complete instructions, including how to make this in the slow cooker, in the recipe card below.
🧾Substitutions
The great thing about this recipe is that you can switch out a lot of the ingredients, but still get the same delicious sandwich.
- Crackers - use potato chips or Italian breadcrumbs. If you are using crackers, Ritz crackers are the best.
- Stuffing - you can omit this.
- Turkey - if you have leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, this is a fantastic way to use it up.
📖Variations
- Rotisserie chicken - you can use this instead of canned chicken.
- Chicken thighs - this is a great substitute and will bring added flavor.
- Chicken breast - you can also make your own and shred it.
- Onion - by adding either diced or minced onion, you will add more unique flavor.
- Low sodium soup - this recipe as is high in sodium. If that's a concern, use low sodium soup instead.
- Omit the bun - to make this dinner recipe more versatile, instead of using buns, whip up some creamy mashed potatoes and top them with this creamy shredded chicken. Also bake up some biscuits and top them with this to make another hearty meal. You can also cook up some noodles and use this to top them.
- Poultry seasoning - if after you make this and you think it's a little bland, add a teaspoon at a time of poultry seasoning to get it seasoned just right.
- Chips - instead of crackers, you can use chips. Ballreich are perfect if you can find them. If not, Lays regular chips are a great choice.
- Bread - if you have bread that needs used up, serve it up as an open-faced sandwich or in between two slices of bread.
- Root's Shredded Chicken - Fremont Ohio seems to be where this recipe started.
- Minced garlic - to really add extra flavor, add in some minced garlic.
- Frank's Red Hot Sauce - if you are wanting a spicy kick, add a little bit of this.
- Sweet or hot pickle chips - add a few of these flavorful pickles on top to really add another dimension of spice.
- Cream of celery - some of our readers have messaged to say add a can of cream of celery soup as well.
- Bread and Butter chips - these pickles added on top also add a nice crunch.
- Kings Hawaiian Rolls - use these instead of normal buns to add a sweet flavor.
- Cream cheese - add 8 ounces of this to make it extra creamy.
🍽 Equipment
- Dutch oven
- 2 Forks or hand mixer or stand mixer
🥫Storage
This will keep for up to four days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
If you want to freeze any leftovers, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months. Past that, you start to lose the flavor and are at risk for normal freezer burn.
To thaw, place the container in the fridge and let it thaw overnight. Reheat and serve the next day.
💭 Top tips
- If you can find them, pick up some Ballreich chips, that are made in Ohio, to go along with this Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich.
- To see more comments and variations that people use, check out our post on Foodtalk.
- The easiest way to shred chicken is to use your stand mixer. Just add the cooked chicken breasts into a large mixing bowl, use your paddle attachment, and turn the mixer on medium low. It's quick, efficient, and makes it a lot easier than using two forks.
- Put a glass mug in the freezer and then when you are ready to serve, fill the mugs up with root beer. That my friends, is what brings this recipe full circle.
- If you are looking for more classic Ohio recipes, then pick up a copy of Gooseberry Patch's Ohio cookbook.
❔FAQ
Yes, it sure seems to be. The one thing that I've always found interesting is that it's more of a Northwest Ohio and Central Ohio thing. I really haven't found them in other parts of the state.
This can be done by adding a thicken agent such as Ritz crackers, saltine crackers, bread crumbs, or stuffing mix.
Yes, it can be. Just take 3 or 4 chicken breasts, add them into the slow cooker with the cream of chicken soup, and let it cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
Before you are ready to serve, add in the remaining ingredients and let everything cook together for 10 - 15 minutes.
If you feel that it's a little too dry, add in a ¼ cup of chicken broth or water. If you still feel it's too thick and dry, slowly add in more liquid.
If you are in Ohio, the best side is a handful of Ballreich Chips. These chips are like a mainstay in Ohio. In addition to these sandwiches, you would also find a bag or box of Ballreich.
Other side ideas are baked beans, coleslaw, homemade potato salad, homemade macaroni salad, or mac and cheese.
📖 Recipe
🥪Hot Shredded Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- 2 Forks or hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 12 oz Canned Chicken Breast or 3 or 4 uncooked chicken breasts if cooking in the slow cooker
- ¼ c stuffing mix chicken flavor
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 regular sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 10 ¾ oz Cream of Chicken soup
- Chicken broth or water this will vary on how thick you want the chicken
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan, add in the canned chicken. Using a fork or your fingers, shred the chicken. Then add in the remaining ingredients.
- Turn the heat on medium and cook until all of the ingredients are thoroughly heated through.
- If you are wanting to use your crock pot, the full instructions are in the article.
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Just take 3 or 4 chicken breasts, add them into the slow cooker with the cream of chicken soup, and let it cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
- Before you are ready to serve, add in the remaining ingredients and let everything cook together for 10 – 15 minutes.
- If you feel that it’s a little too dry, add in a ¼ cup of chicken broth or water. If you still feel it’s too thick and dry, slowly add in more liquid.
Making This Recipe Using Chicken Tenderloins
- If you are buying a pack of chicken tenderloins at the store (they normally come in a pack of 7), you will get 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken.
- Place the tenderloins in a Dutch oven and cover them with either water or chicken broth and turn the heat to medium high.
- Let the ingredients come to boil, reduce the heat to medium and let everything cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is done (registers 165 on a meat thermometer).
- Shred the chicken with two forks or your mixer. Add in the remaining ingredients. Finish cooking as directed above.
Ann K says
Great sandwich. Grew up in Tiffin. Jolly’s Rootbeer stand served this sandwich for 60+ years.
Linda Melsher says
I'm from Bucyrus down in Crawfor County. We had a family-owned stand that sold A&W and this sandwich when they were open in the summer, long before fast food chains and pizza joints.
I make mine using white sauce (butter, flour, milk) in a skillet. (Not cast iron.) Since I pick chicken off the bones, it's already cooked. I dump the chicken into the skilllet, warm the mixture up if it needs it, and that's that. You can add a little water or chicken broth to stretch it a little, but not too much.
Becca G says
Excellent recipe! On the dot with all the ingredients! We have a bunch of mom and pop summer stands all over Findlay, Ohio. A shredded chicken sandwich at all of them plus our famous Hancock County Jr. Fair. And yes, a frosty good mug of rootbeer, ahhhh!
Julie says
Always loved shredded chicken sandwiches! This is very close to what I remember, but really salty. Any ideas on how to cut the saltiness now that I’ve already made it? Made a double batch😞
My guess would be the doubling up of the cans of soup. Did you use chicken broth or water?
Linda says
Don't use canned soup. Use white sauce instead.
Shelbi K says
I added all the breaded ingredients to my chicken and soup before cooking! I should have read the recipe before adding everything. Do you know if it will still turn out ok! I just couldn't throw it away!
Kevin B says
These were everywhere up on the lake, Port Clinton, Sandusky, Huron. This is what I'm making for Father's Day, have it available in the Crock Pot for self-serve. I don't want to be on the grill all day while family is gathered. Now to find Ballreich's in SC
Sounds like a perfect plan for Father's Day! Oh I hope you find some Ballreich's! That would be the icing on the cake!
Jen Mittra says
Hi, I am, like so many others, a born-and-raised Ohioan (from Mansfield) who now lives in the sunshine state. And, yes, I've missed these sandwiches, the street fairs with the church tents and my go-to meals there...these amazing sandwiches with homemade soup and pies of all kinds that were baked and donated to the effort by ladies of the church. Yum!
I'll add one more idea... during my life journey, I spent several years in Pennsylvania, and there, I was introduced to chicken and waffles made a special way by Mennonite cooks in a one-of-a-kind "reservation only" house in Central PA. Nowadays, you may see chicken-and-waffles on some restaurant menus, and they are made with fried chicken on a waffle, with gravy. INN THE PINES made theirs with baked chicken and gravy, mashed potatoes on the side, and freshly-made hot waffles with homemade ice cream for dessert (ever had a waffle ice-cream sandwich??) I'm pretty sure Ohio's shredded chicken would be a great substitute for this amazing meal, which, unfortunately, is no longer available, as the restaurant closed decades ago...
Hello, fellow Transplanted Buckeye, and thanks for stopping by! I have never had a waffle ice cream sandwich, but I am intrigued! And I'm really intrigued with the baked chicken and gravy. I'm making a note to research that idea! That sounds delicious! There is just really something about meals that the cooks back then created with basic ingredients, with no photos or the internet to guide them. They really do stand the test of time.
Jerrie Girand says
As a Fremont, OH native, grad of Ross Hi '57, I grew up on the Hot Creamed Chicken Sandwiches. When I make them, I don't use all the crackers and stuffing mix. I cook my own chickens, save the broth, shred them and put in crockpot. Add cup or so of broth, salt and pepper and simmer until chicken is really tender. Add Cream of Chicken or Mushroom soup (I have used both) and thicken more with little cornstarch\broth mixture to thicken to your own taste. Very good and much cheaper to make. More chicken and less fillers.I My Mom and sister also made it this way. I also cook chickens at least one day in advance, refrigerate, then skim hardened fat off top. Balance of broth makes some good chicken rice soup. I use everything except bones and skin.
Thank you for sharing those tips and suggestions! I like the idea of making the chicken a day ahead so you can get rid of the hardened fat. I bet that Chicken Rice Soup is divine!
CJ says
Hi Rhonda
This recipe sounds delicious....is it possible to make it with chicken thighs?
Honestly, I don't know. I've never used them to make it. I would imagine you could though. You would definitely get a delicious flavor profile since you are using the thigh meat. Maybe another reader can chime in on their experience. I will definitely update my comment though if I find out.
MiMi says
Thanks for the new treat for me to serve. My family loves Chicken wings with Blue Cheese dressing to dip them in! When I served them, I spread Blue Cheese dressing on the buns and they were a real hit!
That sounds like a great idea to add to the buns!! Thanks for sharing!
Janice says
I'm a native Virginian, been in Virginia all my life. (I'm 66.) Recently discovered this recipe and don't know how I've lived without it! SO DEE-LISH! I added a little cream cheese in my mixture, because isn't everything better with a little (or a lot of) cream cheese! Thanks for sharing! I'm making this tonight!
Thank you for stopping by! I love the idea of adding cream cheese! I'm definitely going to try that the next time I make it! That addition sounds amazing!! I hope you enjoyed it!
Sara says
I am a buckeye and remember this sandwich at the concession stand at every football game. I am making it tonight for dinner. Thanks for posting this recipe.
You are very welcome! This sandwich always seemed like it was a part of everyday life growing up. I hope you enjoyed it.
Jessica says
Living in Florida after 10 years 1 hour away from Fremont. So excited to try this recipe!!! Quick question, do I add the canned soup AND the broth to make the shredded chicken, or just the can of condensed soup no mixer? Thank you!
Hello fellow transplanted buckeye! That will depend on how thick you want your chicken. Some people don't, some do. I do because that's how my family likes it. My suggestion is trying it first with just the soup. Then if you want it a little thinner, add in the broth and/or water. Especially if you are going to add in the other ingredients. You may find that the mixture is way too thick for your liking.
Rachel says
Thank you for posting this recipe!! I grew up in Northwest Ohio on Roots shredded chicken sandwiches and have missed them greatly since moving down south. Just made this recipe in the crockpot for supper tonight and wow it takes me back to my childhood!!
You are very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! Unless you grew up in Ohio, you can't understand how much a part of your life these sandwiches really were.
Renee says
Agree. I live in Alabama for 27 years. Every trip home, I get a shredded chicken sandwich and Rootbeer at Stewart’s. Nothing better
Isn't there just something about that combination that makes life just a little sweeter? And unless you've tried it, you really can't understand it.
marilyn hoy says
Findlay, ohio native here. and I can't remember a time when this wasn't served at pot lucks, parties, fairs and small restaurants. Love them. When my son moved his family to Wi. they fixed a large crockpot full and no one even wanted to try a taste of that "wierd" receipt. Thats when we discovered shredded chicken sandwiches are regional!