How to Boil Chicken Breast

5 comments

Chicken is a versatile protein that is staple for various meals in a lot of homes, for that reason it’s important to know how to boil chicken. The meat is used to make chicken soups, top salads, tacos among many other delicacies. Various chicken recipes turn out finger-licking because your meat was boiled. Boiling this meat is quick as well as easy to make. Most individuals usually wonder how long it takes to boil this type of meat. A boneless chicken should be boiled for thirty minutes and then shred. The boiling process usually enhances an all-round excellent result when compared to baking or even pan-frying. Here is more information on how long to boil chicken.

The advantage of boiling this type of meat is that there are so many recipes that fancy this type of preparation. When you bake or pan-fry your meat correctly, the dish will turn out to be dry. You will also have to think about the area where you will put the extra grease. Boiling, on the other hand, is foolproof, you have various options of meat to use, for starters, one can use skinless meat, boneless, skin-on or bone-in chicken fillets. For example, when you boil a bone-in chicken with skin, it produces an amazing broth, which is a plus for you. Boiling this kind of meat without bones is quick and does not require a lot of time to prepare.

chicken breast

First, you place your meat in a pot with water and then add spices, vegetables together with herbs. Boil them over medium or low heat. The time frame for boiling the breasts usually depends on the size of your meat. You then, add the spices, herbs together with vegetables so that they can infuse fragrant flavors to this meat. The vegetables you can employ may include, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, as well as, lemon zest. The herbs to use, on the other hand, include thyme, parsley, basil, and also a bay leaf.

The result of this process is always aromatic. You will have tasty as well as tender meat that fall apart easily. This is the best recipe for weekly dish preparation. Chicken breasts that have been boiled can stay fresh in the fridge for 4 days.

How to Boil Chicken Breast Recipe 🥘

4 from 10 votes
Recipe by Laura Ritterman Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

18

minutes
Calories

136

kcal

In this recipe, we explore how to boil chicken breast in an easy and quick way while ensuring the flavors persist. Boiling chicken breast can be tasty and we’re changing the misconception that it isn’t.

Ingredients

  • 4x Bone-in, skinless, skin-on or boneless chicken-breast, your choice

  • Organic meat broth

  • Spices, of your choice/preference

  • Vegetables, such as tomatoes and green beans

  • Herbs, of your taste as well as preference

Directions

  • You can either choose to boil your chicken in water, broth or even a mixture of both. The good thing about boiling the meat in broth is that it will increase fragrant flavor to the entire cuisine. Increasing the tantalizing aroma and taste of the cuisine.
  • Place the chicken in a pot with your liquid of choice. The liquid should be enough to submerge the meat; you then have to add salt and also pepper to season the liquid. Additionally, you can add herbs and other vegetables so that the dish can have a finger-licking flavor. The good thing about this is that you will have the freedom to play around with your desired herbs as well as vegetables to achieve the desired flavor.
  • After adding all the desired vegetables together with herbs, you can then go ahead and allow it to boil. It is prudent to cover your pot and heat it at a medium to low heat so that the meat can stay at a constant rapid simmer. You should allow it to simmer for 10 minutes; this, however, would depend on the size of meat you are boiling. After the meat has simmered for 10 minutes, you can remove one and check if it is well cooked, if you not, you can check on them at an interval of 5 minutes. The internal temperature should be about 165 degrees. Do not overcook the meat because they would become rubbery.
  • After you have removed the chicken from the pot, leave it for at least 8 minutes. This is important as it allows your meat to cool down so that they can shred properly. It also ensures that it keeps some moisture in the cuisine thereby evading the problem of dry meat. You should use forks to shred them or you can also slice them up.
  • If you want to have plain chicken then you can serve up now otherwise garnish the boiled chicken to apply a seasoned presentation.

Recipe Video

Notes

Like this recipe?

Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest

Nutrition Facts

4-6 servings per container


  • Amount Per ServingCalories136
  • % Daily Value *
  • Total Fat 3g 5%
    • Cholesterol 82mg 28%
    • Sodium 51mg 3%
    • Protein 25g 50%

      * The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

      FAQs

      How long does it take to boil one chicken breast?

      Answer
      So if you are wondering how long it takes to just boil one chicken-breast, considering that it has both bones and skin on, then the answer is about 30 minutes. This kind of meat is the one that takes up most of the time. Boiling meat that is both boneless as well as skinless will take a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes. One can also decide to cut a skinless boneless meat to 2 inches sizes, this will cut up the cooking time to up to 10 minutes.

      How long does it take to boil a bone-free chicken-breast?

      Answer
      A boneless meat as stated above, will not take a lot of time to boil. When you simmer meat that is boneless but has skin on, it will roughly take 25 minutes to be ready. It is important to note that you must simmer a boneless skinless meat over medium to high heat, after which you will reduce it and let it –continue to cook the meat for 20 minutes.

      How long should you boil chicken breast for salads?

      Answer
      When you want to prepare this type of meat for your salad delicacies, it is recommended that you use a bone-in chicken-breast. Simmer it in broth to add flavor to the meat, this means that you should let it simmer for 30 minutes. You have to season the liquid with herbs as well as vegetables to add fragrant flavors to this meat. This will ensure that you acquire that perfect meat for your salad.

      Can I boil frozen chicken?

      Answer

      Yes you can boil chicken from frozen. There is a common misconception that it needs to be fully defrosted first, however this is not true. With that, it must be noted that you will be required to cook the chicken for longer than normal. USDA have stated it is fine to cook chicken on the stove (and oven) under their Safe Defrosting guidelines, therefore you can safely simmer to your hearts content on the boil.

      My recommendation to our readers is to thaw the chicken first to ensure the guidelines and instructions are adhered to and to ensure optimal results.

      How to know when boiled chicken is cooked?

      There are a number of ways to figure this out and mitigate against the risk of eating undone chicken and checking the color from the outside definitely isn’t one of them. The methods we recommend to allow you to figure this out are as follows.

      Answer
      1. By using a cooking thermometer (specifically for meat) – having spoken to many chefs this is their preferred method. Our recommendation is 75 degrees and up.
      2. Checking to ensure the juice is clear – There’s a good chance that the meat is sufficiently cooked once the juices run clear.
      3. Cut into the meat – Ensure the color on the inside is white and doesn’t contain any pink.
      4. Follow directions and guidelines from professionals – Although this is only a guide, it’s a good reference point and ensuring you’re doing prior research before cooking will allow you to cook chicken at the right temperature and length of time.

      Related

      5 Comments

      1. not sure about boiling chicken

      2. Dana Andrakowicz

        I use an instant pot to cook my chicken…

      3. Donna L Holder

        i love chicken in every way you can cook it

      4. Meg Tucker

        So versatile and yes it’s great for freezing. That way I have plenty handy fior quick meals and salads.

      5. Tony Plarz

        We make chicken a lot I will try it .

      Leave a Comment

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      *