How to Boil Chicken

Determine the Flavor

Are you boiling the chicken to put in a specific recipe or to freeze and use at a later time? If you are using it for a specific recipe, you can boil the chicken along with some other ingredients to give it a little extra flavor, whereas if you are going to be freezing it for later, you might just want to use water or chicken broth. Some things you can use to flavor the chicken include slices of oinion, carrorts, celery, garlic, bouillon cubes, herbs, salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

 Cook the Chicken

• Place the chicken in a pan; add enough liquid to cover the chicken completely.
• If you are adding any other ingredients for flavor, put them in the pan.
• Heat the liquid to boiling over medium-high heat.
• Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink.
• Drain the liquid from the chicken and discard any vegetables or seasoning used.
• The chicken is now ready to use or freeze for later.

 Notes

• We use chicken quite a bit, and I usually boil it in water with 1 tablespoon salt. After I drain the chicken, I let it cool slightly before slicing, dicing, or chopping it up, depending on what the recipe calls for.
• Estimated Cooking Times
  • Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook about 30 minutes
  • Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves: cook 15 to 20 minutes
  • Skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces: cook about 10 minutes