Boil Chicken

Chicken is a tasty and versatile meat. One of the easiest ways to cook it is by boiling it. This article will teach you various ways in which to boil chicken.

10 Second Summary

1. Place the chicken in a stockpot.
2. Cover the chicken with water.
3. Season it with salt.
4. Cook the chicken until the meat is white and juices run clear.

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Chicken Options

• 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 lb (900 g) bone-in chicken breasts
• 1 lb (450 g) skinless chicken tenderloins
• 2 lb (900 g) bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 lb (900 g) chicken drumsticks
• 4 lb (1800 g) whole chicken

Water Method

• 4 quarts (4 liters) water
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt

Stock Method

• 4 quarts (4 liters) chicken broth or stock
• 2 to 3 onions
• 2 to 3 carrots
• 1 to 2 stalks celery

Apple Juice Method

• 2 quarts (2 liters) apple juice or apple cider
• 2 quarts (2 liters) water
• 1 medium onion
• 1 to 2 carrots
• 2 tsp (10 ml) minced garlic
• 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped thyme
• 1 apple

Wine Method

• 4 cups (1 liter) dry white wine
• 4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth
• 2 quarts (2 liters) water
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) pearl onions
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) black pepper
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh chopped oregano
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh chopped thyme

Steps

Cooking Times

1. Boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes. Thick chicken breasts will need about 20 minutes, while thinner, flatter pieces and smaller chicken breast halves will only need about 15 minutes.
2. Boil bone-in chicken breasts for 30 minutes. The skin and bone adds thickness to the chicken breasts, essentially doubling the amount of time they need to cook.
3. Cook skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins for 10 minutes or less. These strips of chicken are very thin, so they usually finish cooking in 10 minutes or less. This amount of time also applies to boneless chicken breast cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.
4. Let bone-in chicken thighs boil for 40 minutes. The addition of a bone adds more cooking time to this cut. Moreover, as dark meat, thighs need to cook for a little longer than breasts.
5. Boil chicken drumsticks for 30 to 40 minutes. Since drumsticks have less meat on them than thighs, they do not usually need to cook for quite as long.
6. Give a whole chicken about 1 hour to cook. A standard 4-lb (1800-g) chicken will need a full hour to cook when boiled. Add another 10 to 20 minutes onto the cooking time for each additional 1 lb (450 g).

Boiling Chicken in Water

1. Place the chicken in a stockpot. The exact size stockpot you need may vary depending on how large your chicken pieces are and how much room they take up inside the pot. As a general rule, the chicken should take up roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of the space in your stockpot.
   • An 8-quart (8-liter) stockpot is fairly standard and will usually be enough to hold a whole chicken. A larger stockpot may be needed for birds bigger than 4 lb (1800 g), though.
   • You can use an 8-quart (8-liter) stockpot for boneless chicken breasts, but you could also opt for a smaller stockpot so that the water will boil faster.
2. Cover with water. Pour enough cold water into the stockpot to cover the chicken completely.
   • Cold water is preferable to warm water.
3. Sprinkle salt into the water. You can sprinkle anywhere from 1 tsp (5 ml) to 1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt into the water. A smaller amount is better for boneless chicken breasts and chicken tenders, but a larger amount may be better for whole chickens.
   • Note that the salt is only optional. You could boil the chicken without salt, but it will be much blander as a result.
4. Cook until done. Cover the stockpot and boil the chicken on medium heat. Follow the recommended cooking time listed in this article for your cut of chicken.

Boiling Chicken in Chicken Stock

1. Fill your stockpot halfway with chicken broth. Place enough chicken broth into your stockpot to fill the stockpot halfway.
   • Chicken broth intensifies the flavor of the chicken, so it becomes less bland than chicken boiled in water.
   • You can use pre-made broth, but if you do not have pre-made broth, you can combine chicken broth granules with water. You usually need 1 tsp (5 ml) or one cube of chicken bouillon per 1 cup (250 ml) of water.
   • Use chicken stock instead of broth for an even richer, deeper flavor.
2. Cut up your vegetables. Cutting the vegetables up allows more of the flavor to seep into the cooking liquid.
   • Peel the onions and cut them into halves or quarters.
   • Wash the carrots with water and slice them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) coins.
   • Rinse the celery and cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) slices.
3. Add the vegetables to the broth. Transfer the chopped vegetables to the stockpot. The vegetables add dimension to the flavor of the broth.
   • Strictly speaking, the vegetables are not needed. Chicken can be boiled in plain broth.
4. Add the chicken to the broth. Transfer the chicken to the stockpot. If necessary, add more broth or water to the stockpot so that the chicken is completely covered.
5. Cook the chicken as needed. Bring the broth the a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so that the chicken simmers slowly.
   • Cook according to the recommended cooking times listed in this article.
   • Remove the chicken with tongs or a slotted spoon when done.
   • If desired, strain the cooking liquid and save the broth as stock for future recipes. You can store stock in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
   • You will likely end up discarding the vegetables used in this recipe, since the texture will turn mushy. The primary purpose of the vegetables in this recipe is to add flavor, not to serve as a side dish.

Boiling Chicken in Apple Juice

1. Place the chicken in a stockpot and cover with liquid. Pile the chicken into your stockpot and cover with enough water and apple juice to completely cover the chicken.
   • For a stronger apple flavor, pour 2 quarts (2 liters) of apple juice into the stockpot before filling the rest of the stockpot up with enough water to cover the chicken.
   • For a more subtle apple flavor, pour equal parts apple juice and water into the stockpot simultaneously.
   • You could also use apple cider instead of apple juice. Apple cider tends to have a sharper taste, which some find preferable to the milder taste of apple juice.
   • Make sure that the combination of chicken, water, and apple juice fills between 1/2 and 3/4 of the stockpot.
2. Chop the vegetables and herbs. The savory taste of the vegetables in this recipe balances out the natural sweetness of the apple juice.
   • Peel the onion and cut it into halves or quarters.
   • Rinse the carrots under running water and cut them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) coins.
   • If using cloves of garlic, mince 4 cloves of garlic. If using garlic powder, use 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of the seasoning.
   • You can use anywhere between 1 tsp (5 ml) and 1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme. If using dried thyme, cut this down to 1/3 the amount.
3. Add the vegetables. Disperse the onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme in the apple juice mixture.
4. Boil the chicken until nearly done. Bring the liquid up to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so that the liquid only simmers, then cover and let cook according to the amount of time indicated in the "cooking times" section.
5. Prepare the apple. About 10 minutes before the chicken finishes cooking, begin preparing the apple. Peel the apple, core it, and cut it into small slices.
   • The addition of the apple near the end of the cooking time will infuse an even stronger apple flavor into the chicken.
6. Add the apples to the broth during the final 5 minutes. Strain out the chicken when done and serve without any of the vegetables, fruit, seasonings, or cooking liquid.
   • The other ingredients serve to infuse the chicken with flavor as it cooks. The ingredients themselves, however, will be too soft and mushy to be very appetizing at this point.

Boiling Chicken in Wine

1. Fill the stockpot halfway with liquid. Add the dry white wine and chicken broth first. Then, fill the pot with enough water to reach the halfway point.
   • Wine can infuse chicken meat with a tremendous amount of flavor, but using too much could be overpowering.
   • Only use chicken broth in equal parts with the wine. Otherwise, the flavor of the chicken broth could end up competing with the flavor of the wine.
   • Dilute with water only as necessary.
2. Add the onions and seasonings to the liquid. Toss the pearl onions, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano, and thyme into the cooking liquid.
   • Pearl onions do not need to be cut beforehand.
   • If you do not have pre-minced garlic on hand, you could mince or crush 6 cloves of garlic instead.
   • If using fresh herbs, add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of each herb. For dried herbs, cut this amount down to 1 tsp (5 ml) each.
3. Boil for several minutes. Bring the cooking liquid up to a boil over medium-high heat. Let sit at this temperature for 2 to 5 minutes before reducing to a simmer.
   • Doing this allows some of the flavor of the seasoning to be released and some of the bitterness of the wine to cook off.
4. Carefully add the chicken to the stockpot. Add the chicken to the cooking liquid using tongs. Bring the liquid back up to a boil before reducing the heat again.
5. Cook until done. Cover the stockpot and boil the chicken at a steady simmer for the recommended cooking time indicated.
   • Serve the chicken only. The liquid and other ingredients are meant to add flavor, not to be served alongside the chicken.
6. Finished.

Tips

• Boiled chicken can be served immediately, or you can store it inside a sealed food-grade storage container. Store chicken for no more than 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
• You can serve boiled chicken whole or shredded.

Warnings

• Chicken breasts and other pieces should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius). Whole chickens should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius). Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer.
• Never boil frozen chicken. You should always make sure that the chicken is fully thawed before attempting to cook it with this method.

Things You'll Need

• 8-quart (8-liter) stockpot with lid
• Kitchen knife
• Tongs
• Strainer

Related Articles

• Cook Chicken Tenders
• Boil Chicken Breasts
• Cook Rice with Chicken Broth
• Prepare Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Chicken Tikka (Indian Barbecued Chicken)
• Make Grilled Lemon Chicken
• Make Chicken Kolambhu
• Make Almond Chicken
• Make Chicken Puffs
• Cook a Chicken With Beer
• Make Barbecued Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Make Italian Seasoned Chicken
• Make Pan Sauce for Chicken
• Make Gluten‐Free Chicken Nuggets

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