Still shredding chicken with two forks and a burnt thumb? This deli worker’s got a better way
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There’s nothing quite like a good old roast chook from the deli—especially when it’s already been shredded for your convenience.
But have you ever wondered exactly how supermarket staff manage to pull apart hot chickens so quickly and neatly, all without any fancy tools?
One young worker has revealed the behind-the-scenes method, and it’s turning heads for more reasons than one.
There was no fancy equipment, no high-tech kitchen gadgets, and yet, one supermarket worker had social media hooked with her rapid-fire method for shredding roast chicken.
Ellie, a 22-year-old deli worker from Coles, shared the technique in a now-viral video intended for fellow staff—but it ended up drawing in thousands of curious Aussies.
Seen working behind the scenes at the supermarket chain, Ellie explained how deli staff dealt with leftover roast chooks that didn’t sell by the end of the day.
According to her, unsold hot chickens were removed from the warmer, stripped down, and chilled to be sold the next day at the deli as shredded cold meat.
‘And why is that? You want to release some of the heat (from the chicken)…and we don’t want the skin in our shredded chicken,’ she explained, after demonstrating how she peeled away the skin and tossed it.
Wearing two layers of gloves to cope with the heat, Ellie broke the process down step-by-step—starting with separating the breast meat and carefully setting it aside. The clip, which was shared on social media, walked viewers through her movements in real-time, showing just how quick and clean the method could be.
Next, she grabbed a drumstick and flipped the chicken to reach the underside. In what looked like one smooth motion, Ellie lifted both thighs with her hands.
‘It comes off really quickly,’ she said while placing the meat on a tray.
She also pointed out a key rule followed behind the deli counter: ‘You don’t want any of the dark meat (for shredded chicken) though, so make sure you’re not getting any of that.’
Once the main meat was collected, Ellie moved on to an important—but often overlooked—step: checking for bones. She pressed and flattened the chicken across the tray, making sure nothing sharp was left behind.
She said Coles staff aimed to get around 450 grams of meat from each roast chicken, with most of it coming from the breast and thigh.
Then came the actual shredding, which involved what Ellie called ‘squishing’ and ‘kneading’ the meat by hand until it was completely pulled apart. Within moments, she was holding up a full tray of neatly shredded chicken.
‘There you go, quick and easy,’ she said, smiling at the camera. She added that it had become her favourite task on shift.
Source: TikTok/itsellieinthedeli
While she’d initially posted the clip to help fellow Coles workers, it quickly exploded on social media. More than 330,000 people had watched it, with comments flooding in from both retail workers and home cooks alike.
‘Do I work at Coles? No. Did I watch the whole thing? Yeah,’ one person wrote.
‘Honestly the best thing I’ve ever learnt from working at Coles,’ another commented. ‘Comes in handy so much at home.’
A third added: ‘I feel very prepared for chicken shredding.’
Some viewers expressed surprise that the deli’s shredded chicken came from leftover rotisserie birds—especially considering the price tag. But Ellie cleared that up, writing: ‘$12.50 roast chicken = approx. 450g shredded, which is approximately $27.8/kg. We sell the shredded chicken for $27/kg, but have to sell it within the day, so often discount it by about 7:00 pm. But you do get the rest of the chicken with the rotisserie!’
It wasn’t the first time chicken-shredding hacks had made waves online. Back in February, a $5 shredder from Kmart caused a stir for its ability to break down meat with just a few twists of a handle.
Meal preppers, gym-goers, and time-strapped parents were quick to label it a ‘must-have’. With a non-slip base and mess-free design, it was the kind of device made for lunchbox duty or bulk cooking sessions.
But Ellie’s no-frills approach proved you didn’t need any tools—just heat-proof gloves, a bit of know-how, and a system that even had professionals impressed.
Have you ever picked up shredded chicken from the deli without realising where it came from? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we uncovered another clever chicken-related tip to help Aussies get more bang for their buck at the checkout.
For seniors looking to stretch their grocery budget without sacrificing quality or flavour, it’s a handy trick worth knowing.
If you’re keen to save a little more on your next shop, that one’s worth a look too.
Read more: Slash your grocery bills with this simple chicken supermarket secret
But have you ever wondered exactly how supermarket staff manage to pull apart hot chickens so quickly and neatly, all without any fancy tools?
One young worker has revealed the behind-the-scenes method, and it’s turning heads for more reasons than one.
There was no fancy equipment, no high-tech kitchen gadgets, and yet, one supermarket worker had social media hooked with her rapid-fire method for shredding roast chicken.
Ellie, a 22-year-old deli worker from Coles, shared the technique in a now-viral video intended for fellow staff—but it ended up drawing in thousands of curious Aussies.
Seen working behind the scenes at the supermarket chain, Ellie explained how deli staff dealt with leftover roast chooks that didn’t sell by the end of the day.
Coles worker’s chicken hack goes viral. Image source: TikTok/itsellieinthedeli
According to her, unsold hot chickens were removed from the warmer, stripped down, and chilled to be sold the next day at the deli as shredded cold meat.
‘And why is that? You want to release some of the heat (from the chicken)…and we don’t want the skin in our shredded chicken,’ she explained, after demonstrating how she peeled away the skin and tossed it.
Wearing two layers of gloves to cope with the heat, Ellie broke the process down step-by-step—starting with separating the breast meat and carefully setting it aside. The clip, which was shared on social media, walked viewers through her movements in real-time, showing just how quick and clean the method could be.
Next, she grabbed a drumstick and flipped the chicken to reach the underside. In what looked like one smooth motion, Ellie lifted both thighs with her hands.
‘It comes off really quickly,’ she said while placing the meat on a tray.
She also pointed out a key rule followed behind the deli counter: ‘You don’t want any of the dark meat (for shredded chicken) though, so make sure you’re not getting any of that.’
Once the main meat was collected, Ellie moved on to an important—but often overlooked—step: checking for bones. She pressed and flattened the chicken across the tray, making sure nothing sharp was left behind.
She said Coles staff aimed to get around 450 grams of meat from each roast chicken, with most of it coming from the breast and thigh.
Then came the actual shredding, which involved what Ellie called ‘squishing’ and ‘kneading’ the meat by hand until it was completely pulled apart. Within moments, she was holding up a full tray of neatly shredded chicken.
‘There you go, quick and easy,’ she said, smiling at the camera. She added that it had become her favourite task on shift.
Source: TikTok/itsellieinthedeli
While she’d initially posted the clip to help fellow Coles workers, it quickly exploded on social media. More than 330,000 people had watched it, with comments flooding in from both retail workers and home cooks alike.
‘Do I work at Coles? No. Did I watch the whole thing? Yeah,’ one person wrote.
‘Honestly the best thing I’ve ever learnt from working at Coles,’ another commented. ‘Comes in handy so much at home.’
A third added: ‘I feel very prepared for chicken shredding.’
Some viewers expressed surprise that the deli’s shredded chicken came from leftover rotisserie birds—especially considering the price tag. But Ellie cleared that up, writing: ‘$12.50 roast chicken = approx. 450g shredded, which is approximately $27.8/kg. We sell the shredded chicken for $27/kg, but have to sell it within the day, so often discount it by about 7:00 pm. But you do get the rest of the chicken with the rotisserie!’
It wasn’t the first time chicken-shredding hacks had made waves online. Back in February, a $5 shredder from Kmart caused a stir for its ability to break down meat with just a few twists of a handle.
Meal preppers, gym-goers, and time-strapped parents were quick to label it a ‘must-have’. With a non-slip base and mess-free design, it was the kind of device made for lunchbox duty or bulk cooking sessions.
But Ellie’s no-frills approach proved you didn’t need any tools—just heat-proof gloves, a bit of know-how, and a system that even had professionals impressed.
Have you ever picked up shredded chicken from the deli without realising where it came from? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we uncovered another clever chicken-related tip to help Aussies get more bang for their buck at the checkout.
For seniors looking to stretch their grocery budget without sacrificing quality or flavour, it’s a handy trick worth knowing.
If you’re keen to save a little more on your next shop, that one’s worth a look too.
Read more: Slash your grocery bills with this simple chicken supermarket secret
