If you’ve cooked chicken thighs before, you’ll know that they can become dry very easily – but boiling them before using other cooking methods can add more flavor, before grilling them. Are you wondering how you can boil chicken thighs? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Below you will find our definitive guide on how to boil chicken thighs; but first, a few important things.
You can also read – How to Boil Chicken
Although we’ve included a detailed recipe for you to follow below, it is a recipe that you can experiment with! All of the vegetables and spices are included to infuse the water with flavor while the chicken is boiling, so feel free to play around with different combinations of spices to get the taste perfect for you. If it seems like a waste of an onion and a carrot, you can also use the remaining water, the carrot, and the onion to make a stew the next day – so don’t throw them out right away! Since some of the fat will render out of the chicken, the remaining water will be a broth that’s great for stewing vegetables. You can also skim off the fat and use it to make a gravy for your chicken – just cook it with a little flour in a saucepan on the side, add some salt and pepper, and voila! Gravy. You can also make a rich peppercorn sauce by adding cream and peppercorns to the mixture.
As you probably know, it’s extremely important to cook chicken thoroughly, as raw chicken carries salmonella and other foodborne illnesses. It’s a good idea to have a meat thermometer if you cook meat regularly, so you are sure that your meat has reached a safe internal temperature, but this is especially important for chicken. Additionally, make sure you clean all of the cutting boards and utensils that have had contact with the raw chicken thoroughly – and be sure to also wash your hands after handling the raw chicken! If you’re still worried about handling raw chicken, buy an organic chicken, as some evidence suggests they are much less likely to carry foodborne bacterias.
Contents
How to Boil Chicken Thighs (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Step 1: Put 2.5 L water into a large pot.
Ideally, use filtered water, since unsavory flavors from water may be absorbed by the meat – and you don’t want your chicken to taste like chlorine if you live in a city that treats their water with a lot of chemicals!
Step 2: Make sure the pot has a lid – put it on top so that the water doesn’t splash.
This will also help the water boil faster as it keeps the steam inside.
Step 3: Once it boils, take it off the heat.
When you take off the lid, make sure to stand back, so you don’t get burned by the steam!
Step 4: Add 1 kg chicken thighs, or about 4 thighs.
They don’t need any pre-seasoning since the water they’re boiling in will season them perfectly!
Step 5: Add 1 onion.
If you prefer a more subtle onion flavor, you can try shallots or 1/2 an onion as well. There’s no need to cut it up since it’s just for the flavor and may be disposed of later on.
Step 6: Add 1 carrot.
Again, you can add it whole since it’s only to flavor the water. If you’re not a fan of carrots, you can also try celery.
Step 7: Add two bay leaves for more flavor.
Again, you can also try parsley or rosemary instead if you’re not a fan of bay leaves – the idea is to add aromatics to flavor the water, but you can customize these flavors however you wish.
Step 8: Add 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns.
This will provide spice to the chicken and give it a bit of a kick. You can also try red pepper flakes instead if you’d like a spicier option.
Step 9: Add 1 tbsp salt.
This may seem like a lot of salt, but keep in mind that it’s for the flavoring all four pieces of chicken, and the water – so ideally you want the water to be salty, similar to soup. In fact, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try adding chicken bullion cubes instead of salt if you prefer!
Step 10: Put it back on the burner and boil for 25 to 30 minutes.
And then let it sit in the broth, covered, for an additional 15 minutes or until it’s fully cooked.
Step 11: When it’s done, remove the chicken – which should be pale in color, and can be easily shaved with a fork.
If you want to be 100% sure it’s done, you can also test it with a meat thermometer – the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius.
Step 12: Take out the chicken using a slotted spoon.
From here you can serve it just as it is, or shave the chicken thighs to be used in tacos or salads. You can also toss it on the barbecue with some barbecue sauce for some extra flavor!
Ingredient Swapping Ideas
| Ingredient | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peppercorns | Red Pepper Flakes | Tabasco Sauce | Worcestershire |
| Bay Leaves | Oregano and Thyme | Rosemary | Allspice |
| Carrot | Celery | Tomatoes | Apple Slices |
| Onions | Shallots | Green Onions | Garlic |
How to Boil Chicken Thighs (Short Summary)
Ingredients
- 2.5 L filtered water
- 1 kg chicken thighs
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Put 2.5 L water into a large pot
- Make sure the pot has a lid
- Once it boils, take it off the heat.
- Add 1 kg chicken thighs, or about 4 thighs
- Add 1 onion
- Add 1 carrot
- Add two bay leaves for more flavor
- Add 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- Add 1 tbsp salt
- Put it back on the burner and boil for 25 to 30 minutes
- Remove the chicken - which should be pale in color, and can be easily shaved with a fork
- Take out the chicken using a slotted spoon
Notes
- Make sure the chicken thighs are relatively uniformed in size before you start cooking. This shouldn’t be an issue if you’re cooking the chicken from the same package, but different chickens from various farmers or stores tend to vary greatly in size. In particular, organic chickens are often quite a bit smaller than the chicken that are given hormones.
- This recipe is for thawed chicken - if your chicken is frozen, gently thaw it in the refrigerator if you have time, or in a bath of warm water if you need to thaw it quickly. You can also thaw chicken in the microwave using a low setting.
- Don’t give cooked chicken bones to pets! Even if you have cooked it very carefully, cooked bones are more brittle than raw bones and can pose a danger to dogs and cats - their systems are designed for raw animal bones.
- If you have a meat thermometer and want to check the internal temperature, make sure the end of the thermometer is resting against the meat and not the bone to get a more accurate reading.
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