How to Boil Chicken

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 17, 2020 References Tested

If you're looking for another hands-off way to cook chicken, try boiling it. Decide if you want to cook an entire chicken or make pieces for a meal. You can customize the flavor of the juicy meat by boiling it in stock or cider, for instance. Add aromatic vegetables, herbs, or spices, to give the chicken even more flavor and then boil the meat until it's tender.

Ingredients

Whole chicken or chicken pieces
Liquid (such as water, stock, or apple cider)
Vegetables (like onions, carrots, and celery)
Fresh herbs (such as thyme, dill, parsley, or oregano)
Assorted spices of your choice (like ginger, cumin, and paprika)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Seasoning the Chicken

1
Place your choice of chicken into a large pot. If you'd like to boil a whole chicken, put it into a large stockpot that's at least 8 US quarts (7.6 L) in size. To boil pieces of chicken, put as many as you'd like to cook into a big pot so the pot is about 3/4 full.^{[1]
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- If you're making chicken for several people, plan on serving a couple of pieces for each person. For example, plan on boiling 1 thigh and 1 drumstick for each person you want to serve.
- 1 whole chicken will generally serve 4 to 6 people.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs to save time or boil bone-in chicken with the skin on for more flavor.
2
Pour in enough cold water or stock to cover the chicken. The amount of liquid you need will depend on how much chicken you're boiling and the size of your pot. Although you can use water to boil the chicken, using vegetable or chicken stock will give your chicken a lot of flavor.^{[2]
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- Boiling in apple juice or apple cider is another great way to add subtle flavor to the chicken.
Tip: Although you can cook chicken in red or white wine, you should poach the chicken at a lower temperature instead of boiling it. Boiling the chicken in wine can make the chicken tough and destroy the delicate flavors in the wine.

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3
Put a handful of fresh herbs into the pot. Think about how you're going to be serving and seasoning your final dish. Then, rinse a few sprigs of fresh herbs that will complement the meal and add them directly to the pot without chopping them. You can add a handful of parsley, oregano, thyme, or bay, for every 3 or 4 pounds (1.4 or 1.8 kg) of chicken.^{[3]
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- For example, if you're using the boiled chicken to make a cold chicken salad, add fresh tarragon to the pot.
- Use a combination of herbs to give the chicken a greater depth of flavor.
4
Add a variety of vegetables to create a rich flavor. You can put in 2 or 3 vegetables for every 3 or 4 pounds (1.4 or 1.8 kg) of chicken. If you're using aromatic vegetables with a peel, chop them into wedges and add them to the pot along with other aromatic vegetables. Try using:^{[4]
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- Garlic
- Onions
- Celery
Variation: For a slightly sweet or citrusy flavor, add an apple or the peel of 1 lemon.
5
Customize the flavor of the chicken by adding spices. You should season the liquid with plenty of salt to help the chicken become tender. If you're only boiling a few pieces of chicken, try using about 1 teaspoon (5 g) of salt. For a large stockpot full of liquid, use around 1 tablespoon (15 g) of salt. Play around with adding any of these unique spices for 3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg) of chicken:
- 1 to 2 dried chilies
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) of whole peppercorns
- A 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of cumin
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of paprika

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Boiling Tender Chicken

1
Boil a whole chicken for 80 to 90 minutes. Put the lid on the pot and turn the burner to high. When the liquid starts to boil and steam escapes from under the lid, remove the lid and turn the burner down to medium-high so the liquid boils gently. Cook the whole chicken until it reaches 165 °F (74 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer.^{[5]
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- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh in order to get an accurate reading. Ensure that you don't touch the thermometer to a bone or the reading might be off.
2
Cook the chicken breasts for 15 to 30 minutes. Turn the burner to high and place the lid on the pot. When steam escapes from under the lid, carefully remove it and turn the burner down to medium-high. Then, boil boneless skinless chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes. If you're using bone-in breasts with the skin on, boil them for around 30 minutes.^{[6]
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- The breasts are finished once they reach 165 °F (74 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer.
Tip: To boil the chicken breasts even faster, cut the boneless skinless breasts into 2 in (5.1 cm) pieces before you put them in the liquid. The pieces will boil in about 10 minutes.
3
Boil chicken legs for 30 to 40 minutes. Put the lid on the pot and heat the liquid over high heat until it begins to boil. Then, remove the lid and reduce the burner to medium-high so the liquid bubbles gently. Since drumsticks contain bones and lots of muscle, you'll need to boil them for 30 to 40 minutes.^{[7]
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- You can insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken leg to see if the temperature has reached 165 °F (74 °C). Don't accidentally touch the thermometer to the bone or the reading will be inaccurate.
4
Cook chicken thighs in the boiling liquid for 30 to 45 minutes. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat with the lid on the pot. Then, take off the lid and turn the burner down to medium-high. If you're using thighs with bones, boil them for up to 45 minutes or boil boneless thighs for about 30 minutes.^{[8]
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- The meat should either begin to fall away from the bone or it should reach 165 °F (74 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving and Storing the Chicken

1
Remove the boiled chicken and serve it while it's hot. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully lift the chicken out of the hot liquid. If you're trying to remove a whole boiled chicken, try lifting the bottom with a flat spatula and inserting a meat fork into the center of the chicken. Transfer the whole chicken or pieces to a serving platter or cutting board and enjoy the hot boiled chicken.^{[9]
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- If you boiled the chicken with herbs or vegetables, discard them since they're probably too mushy to serve.
Tip: If you'd like to keep the flavorful cooking liquid, place a strainer over a bowl. Slowly pour the liquid into the strainer and discard the solids. You can use this liquid in recipes that call for chicken stock. Refrigerate the stock in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days.
2
Use forks if you'd like to shred the chicken. Shredded chicken is great for tacos, casseroles, or pasta. Take 2 forks and pull against the boiled chicken in opposite directions to shred the meat.^{[10]
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- If you'd like to shred a lot of boneless chicken, put the meat into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the beater attachment and turn on the machine to low. The beaters will gently pull the meat apart.
3
Chop or slice the chicken to make even pieces. If you're serving chicken fajitas or want to cover the chicken in a rich sauce, use a sharp knife to carefully cut the pieces. You can make thin slices of chicken or chunk the meat into cubes.
- If you're working with bone-in chicken, start but cutting the meat off of the bone.
4
Store the boiled chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Place the whole boiled chicken or chicken pieces into an airtight container. Refrigerate the chicken until you're ready to reheat it or use it cold. For example, you could make chicken salad with leftover shredded chicken.^{[11]
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- You can reheat the chicken in the microwave or add it to a casserole that you're going to bake.

Community Q&A

Question

Which type of apple is best to use with chicken dishes?

Community Answer

Any type of apple would work fine, but I would recommend a sweeter one. Each one will provide a unique flavor to your dishes though.
Question

How long do I fry chicken?

Community Answer

This is the article you want: how to make friend chicken.
Question

Will chicken be really tender if it's boiled?

Community Answer

It will be tender, but it may not have much flavor.