When most people think of cooking a whole chicken, they often think of methods such as rotisserie, baking, and slow cooking. But did you know that you can also boil a chicken whole? Although you may need to do some extra work to get a crackly chicken skin afterward, boiling a whole chicken has the advantage of producing a great chicken broth in addition to tender meat. Wondering how to boil chicken? Here’s your guide!
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This recipe calls for a thawed chicken, so if you buy your chicken frozen, make sure you take time to thaw it either in the fridge or in a bath of warm water before you boil it. Thawing on the counter can be risky since it has the potential to leave the chicken meat at an unsafe temperature for long enough that bacteria can start to spread. Food safety is especially important with chicken in order to avoid the risk of salmonella.
Boiling chicken with the bone in makes for a flavourful broth that’s great to save for soups and other recipes. The water will develop an oily surface after the chicken cooks, but this fat can either be skimmed off, left in to flavour the broth, or brushed back onto the chicken so as to crisp the skin. It’s up to you! Boiling chicken can also be an excellent way to make use of the whole bird at once instead of cooking it and then using the bones for soup at another time. This way, the additional step of making broth is already done, and you can discard the bones knowing that you haven’t wasted them.
Contents
How to Boil Chicken (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Step 1
You’ll need a large saucepan that’s able to hold at least 6L of liquid, and that is wide enough to fit the chicken plus the other ingredients. Start by pouring 3L of water into the pot, and make sure it has a lid that fits. Bring the water to a boil.
Step 2
Add the whole chicken to the pot, along with a whole onion.
Step 3
Add one carrot to the pot – it’s easier to fit in if you cut it in half, but it’s just there to flavour the meat so there’s no need to cut it into bite-sized pieces unless you want to make soup afterward!
Step 4
Add half a teaspoon of black peppercorns. You can also use white peppercorns or chili pepper flakes, depending on which spice you prefer.
Step 5
Add two bay leaves – if you don’t like bay leaves, you can also add rosemary or thyme leaves, or both!
Step 6
Bring the ingredients to a boil, then take the pot off the heat again.
Step 7
Using a small, fine sieve, fish out any pieces of cartilage which have detached and floated to the surface.
Step 8
Add one tablespoon of salt – it may seem like a lot, but remember that you’re salting the whole chicken as well as the water! The salted water will seep into the meat as it cooks, salting it evenly.
Step 9
Put the lid back on the pot, and boil the chicken, vegetables, and spices for about 1 hour.
Step 10
When it’s done, take the pot off the heat, but leave the chicken in the broth for about 10 minutes.
Step 11
Afterward, remove the chicken from the pot with a wide, slotted spoon.
Step 12
Your boiled chicken is done! To be sure, it’s best to check it with a meat thermometer – it should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thigh. From here, you can eat it as is, shred it for sandwiches or tacos, or put it under the broiler with some of the fat from the water brushed over it to make the skin crispy.
How Long to Boil Chicken
Cooking times for a whole chicken may vary greatly since larger chickens will need a longer time to cook. Whole chickens can be vastly different sizes; organic chickens, for example, tend to be much smaller than their non-organic counterparts. In general, an hour to an hour and a half is a good length of time to boil chicken for. However, you may want to check with a meat thermometer to make sure it’s done.
Recipe: How to Boil Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 L Water
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Start by pouring 3L of water into the pot
- Add the whole chicken to the pot, along with a whole onion
- Add one carrot to the pot
- Add half a teaspoon of black peppercorns
- Add two bay leaves
- Bring the ingredients to a boil, then take the pot off the heat again
- Fish out any pieces of cartilage which have detached and floated to the surface
- Add one tablespoon of salt
- Put the lid back on the pot, and boil the chicken, vegetables, and spices for about 1 hour
- Take the pot off the heat, but leave the chicken in the broth for about 10 minutes
- Remove the chicken from the pot with a wide, slotted spoon
- Your boiled chicken is done
Notes
- Remember that you can always swap out the vegetables in this recipe for different ones if you prefer different flavours or would like a specific flavour of broth
- Fully cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer - if you’re unsure whether or not it’s cooked thoroughly, it’s worthwhile to have a meat thermometer to be sure
- Chicken which has been boiled will shred easily, making it perfect for salads and tacos - but it’s also good for other applications too. For best results, it’s good to have a meal plan in advance before you boil your chicken so that you can flavour it accordingly
- You can make a gravy for the chicken by skimming off the fat and some of the water and putting it into a small saucepan, adding flour to thicken it. You can also add butter for extra flavour. For peppercorn sauce, use the same method, but add peppercorns and cream.
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