How to avoid shredded chicken in gumbo.

Skip the breast meat.

I use two chicken breasts on the bone and let it simmer in the gumbo until breast meat is done. I remove from the pot and debone, reserving the breast meat for later. I add my four cut-up boneless skinless chicken thighs to the pot, and let that simmer till done (along with the sausage). I don't add the bite sized breast meat back until everything is almost done. I add it back to warm it up, thereby theoretically not having overcooked white meat.

Occasionally, on the reheat for leftovers, I absentmindedly let it go too hard and it is shredded anyway.

I think you're cooking your gumbo, particularly the chicken, for too long. I've never simmered gumbo for that long. It doesn't need to cook that long to marry the flavors.

I add the roux with trinity, simmer it for about 30 minutes. Add the meats, simmer another 30 or so and that's it. Now, my chicken is usually precooked whether I've fried it, boiled it, smoked it or whatever. If you're cooking it raw in your gumbo, that's fine, but when it's done, take it off the heat.

I really don't like shredded meat in gumbo. It hangs off the spoon and burns my chin!

I'll usually either roast a chicken or buy a rotisserie one. Debone it and set the meat aside then use the bones to make your stock. Add the cooked pulled meat during the last hour of cooking. It'll get soft but won't fall apart.

What benefit do you get from cooking a gumbo for 6-8 hours?? Seems excessive to me.

1. You can cook stock, roux, seasoning veggies that long if you feel like you need to, but not with your meat in there. The chicken only needs 1 - 2 hours.
2. You’re ruining your sausage. I understand you want that flavor in the liquid, but that’s extreme overkill. I actually add sausage after my chicken.
3. What I do: drop a whole chicken in a pot of seasoned water, with a couple stalks of celery, and a halved onion. Cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken to colander and let cool. Use the stock/broth you’ve just made as the liquid component of gumbo. Add to roux/trinity and boil/simmer for a couple of hours. Debone cooked chicken and add to pot w a few boneless skinless breasts diced up, along with sausage. Add okra if desired.

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6-8 hours on medium low heat.

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This is why your chicken is shredding

And FTR I much prefer shredded chicken texture in C&S gumbo

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How to avoid shredded chicken in gumbo.

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Make a seafood gumbo?

Why the hell are you cooking it so long?? Chicken and Sausage gumbo is a 2 hour ordeal...tops

Chunked chicken thighs cooked before your roux. Take out and start the rest of the pot. Add the cooked chicken chunks in the last hour, it won’t fall apart