Boiling chicken is a fantastic way to get juicy, healthy chicken cooked to perfection. Boiling chicken makes it tender and easy to shred. There are a few ways to boil chicken, and it all depends on how much chicken you are boiling. Some people choose to use a whole chicken. Others use chicken breast. Some will cut all of the meat off of a whole chicken. What you use is up to you, but cooking times will vary.
Required Ingredients
Required Equipment
When cooking chicken, you want to make sure to boil it from a thawed temperature. Do not attempt boiling a frozen chicken.
Thawing the Chicken
Many people choose to buy frozen meat or freeze meat once they return home. Freezing a piece of meat allows you to use it whenever you like, instead of having to pay attention to the expiration or “sell by” date. You must thaw the meat before cooking it. Once the chicken has been thawed, do not refreeze the meat. Use one of these two methods for proper thawing:
Refrigeration Thawing
Thaw a frozen chicken by placing it in the refrigerator. Put the chicken on a large platter. A small chicken will take four to five hours to thaw. A large chicken will take five to seven hours. This time will be significantly less if you are using just pieces of chicken or chicken breasts. Refrigeration thawing is the safest way to thaw a chicken.
Cold Water Thawing
Use cold water to thaw a frozen chicken. Fill your sink with cold water. Do not use hot or warm water. This may cause the meat to begin to cook. Place a frozen chicken in a sealable plastic bag. Allow little or no water to come in direct contact with the chicken. Immerse the bag with the frozen chicken in the water. Drain and refill the sink every thirty minutes to keep the water cold. A small chicken will thaw in about two hours. A large chicken will take up to four hours. This time will be significantly less if you are using just pieces of chicken or chicken breasts. Boil the chicken immediately after using this method.
Boiling the Chicken
Immerse the chicken in cold water in a large pot or crock pot. Cover and set to a medium-high heat. Once the water starts to form bubbles, lower the heat. You do not want to bring the water to a complete boil. Leave in the water until it is done. A whole chicken should take about one hour, depending on the size and amount of chicken meat. The internal temperature must be 170° Fahrenheit (77° Celsius). Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken.
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Awesome, thank you! Ok, now that it’s boiled, what do you recommend to give it flavor? I am looking for low fat, low carb ideas. Thank you in advance
the boiling method is wrong.. after puting the chicken in the pot of water to boil.. stand close and before it begins to boil start taking the top white scum off.. the water will progessively boil faster and you will notice alot of brown foam looking scum.. this is from the inside of the chicken that water alone will NOT clean.. after taking the dirt out… I add Salt and pepper and 4 chunks of onion I also add a little bit of Cinnimon to get ride of the smell of the chicken.. then I add a few bay leaves and cover half way and let boil on med high for about 1 hour and half.. it for a small chicken or 4 to 6 thighs.. the end result is amazing.. Seperate the chicken from the water and cooking ingredients ( bay leaf and onion) then cook the way you want.. you can put it in the oven or lightly fry the top.. good luck
Amirah, there is no right or wrong way when boiling chicken.
Boiling chicken until it reaches 180 degrees. Whatever you chose to add while you are cooking chicken (salt, bay leaves, cinammon) is entirely up to the individual cooking it. The key is to let the temperature reach to 180 degrees.
* Tip when taking the temp: Use a meat thermometer and stick it to the most thickest part of the chicken (do not touch the bone when doing this).
Mara,
of course there is a wrong way to boil chicken. Flavor may be up to the individual but that doesn’t mean that one can’t boil it incorrectly. Amirah is correct about the “scum”. This foam is from the fat and blood that is being cooked to the surface. You do not want this in your food. But the temperature is crucial. This temperature is necessary in order to kill any bacteria in the meat. As you may know chicken is a common carrier of Salmonella, which can be passed to whoever eats it if under cooked and can even kill.
What is the best way to get rid of the scum? and how long is required for cooking a few small strips of chicken?
The simplest way is to use a large flat spoon. As the water level drops with boiling it will stick to the side of your pot and you can wipe the inside of the pot with paper towel.
Thank you. But how do you know when the chicken is done while boiling?
Can you please give some approximate timing?
Thanks.
The chicken should boil for 10-15 minutes, until it’s internal temperature reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius).