If you are looking for another simple method of cooking chicken, try boiling it. Decide if you want to cook it whole or in pieces. You can customize the taste of the meat by boiling it for example in broth or cider. Add some tasty greens, some herbs and spices to make the chicken tastier and let it boil until tender.
Ingrediants
- Chicken whole or in pieces
- Liquid (e.g. water, broth, or apple cider)
- Vegetables (such as onions, celery, and carrots)
- Fresh herbs (such as thyme, dill, oregano, or parsley)
- Spices (such as cumin, ginger, and paprika)
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Flavor the Meat
Step 1. Place the chicken in a large pot
If you prefer to cook whole chicken, place it in the center of a large pot of at least 8 liters. If you intend to boil the chicken in pieces, use a large saucepan and fill it to the maximum ¾ of its capacity.
- Calculate a couple of pieces of chicken for each diner. For example, each portion could consist of a thigh and an upper thigh.
- Generally, 4-6 servings can be obtained from a whole chicken.
- If you want to save time, you can buy chicken thighs or breasts already cut and boned. However, keep in mind that bones and skin make meat and broth more flavorful.
Step 2. Submerge the chicken with cold water
Use enough liquid to completely cover the chicken. The quantity may vary according to the size of the pot and the chicken. If you want to make meat more flavorful, use broth (chicken or vegetable) instead of water.
Another excellent option for making meat slightly tastier is to use apple juice or cider
Suggestion:
you can also use white or red wine as a cooking liquid, but in this case it is better for the chicken to simmer. If you boil it, you risk making it stringy and destroying the delicate aromas of the wine.
Step 3. Add a handful of fresh herbs
Think about how you intend to serve the chicken and flavor the liquid to taste. Wash the herbs and put the whole twigs in the pot without chopping them. For example, you can use parsley, oregano, thyme or bay leaf. The required dose is about a handful of herbs per kilo and a half of meat.
- For example, if you intend to use boiled chicken in a salad, you can use tarragon.
- Use a combination of aromatic herbs so that the meat takes on a greater complexity of flavors.
Step 4. Add the vegetables to enrich the taste of the dish
You can use a couple for every pound of meat. If necessary, peel them and cut them into wedges before putting them in the pot. The options include:
- Garlic;
- Onion;
- Celery.
Variant:
you can also add an apple or the zest of a lemon, depending on the type of liquid and the final dish. The apple will give a slightly sweet taste to the meat, while the lemon zest will give it a slightly sour note.
Step 5. Customize the recipe with spices
Salt the liquid abundantly so that the meat becomes tender during cooking. If you only intend to boil a few pieces of chicken, a teaspoon (5g) of salt should suffice. Instead, for a pot full of liquid, it is better to use about a tablespoon (15 g) of salt. In addition to the salt, you can also add a blend of spices to make the chicken even tastier. The quantities indicated are suitable for flavoring about one and a half kilograms of meat:
- 1-2 dried chillies;
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) of peppercorns;
- A piece of fresh ginger (2-3 cm);
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of cumin;
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of paprika.
Part 2 of 3: Boil the Chicken
Step 1. Let a whole chicken boil for 80-90 minutes
Put the lid on the pot and heat the liquid over high heat. When it boils and the steam begins to come out from under the lid, reduce the heat and uncover the pot. Adjust the heat so that the liquid boils gently. Cook the chicken until the meat has reached a temperature of 74 ° C in the center. Use a meat thermometer to measure it.
Insert the tip of the thermometer into the place on the thighs where the meat is thickest to get an accurate temperature reading. Make sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bones, otherwise you will get a false reading
Step 2. Cook the chicken breast for 15-30 minutes
Put the lid on the pot and heat the liquid over high heat. When the steam begins to escape from under the lid, uncover the pot and adjust the heat to medium-high. If the chicken breast is boneless and skinless, cook it for 15-20 minutes. If both bones and skin are present, let it boil for about 30 minutes.
The meat must reach a temperature of 74 ° C; measure it with an instant-read cooking thermometer
Suggestion:
you can speed up the cooking of the chicken breast by cutting it into pieces about 5 cm large after having boned it and deprived of the skin. Then put it in the pot and submerge it with the selected liquid. In this case, about 10 minutes of cooking should be enough.
Step 3. Boil the chicken legs for 30-40 minutes
Put the lid on the pot and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. When it boils, uncover the pot and reduce the heat. From this point on, the liquid should boil gently. Since the thighs contain bones and muscles, they need to boil for 30-40 minutes.
You can insert the tip of an instant-read thermometer into one of the places where the meat is thickest to check if it has reached the temperature of 74 ° C. Make sure the tip of the thermometer does not come into contact with the bones, otherwise you will get a false reading
Step 4. Cook the chicken thighs for 30-45 minutes
Put the lid on the pot and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. When the liquid is boiling, uncover the pot and adjust the heat to medium-high. If the thighs are whole, let them cook for 40-45 minutes. If they have been boned, 30 minutes of cooking should suffice.
You can check that the meat is cooked by making sure it begins to peel off the bones or that it has reached 74 ° C using an instant-read thermometer
Part 3 of 3: Serving and Storing the Chicken
Step 1. Remove the chicken from the pot once cooked and serve hot
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to carefully remove it from the boiling liquid. If you cooked it whole, lift the chicken with the help of a shovel and a meat fork. Transfer the bird whole or in pieces to the cutting board or into a serving dish and serve it immediately to eat it hot.
The herbs and vegetables are likely to have become too mushy to serve, so it's best to throw them away
Suggestion:
if you want to keep the cooking liquid, put a colander on a tureen and pour it slowly to filter it from the solid parts. You can use it in all recipes that include chicken broth as an ingredient. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use within 4-5 days.
Step 2. Use two forks if you want to shred the chicken
Shredded chicken is great for pies, sandwiches or tacos, for example. Take two forks and pull the meat in opposite directions to fray it.
To save time if the chicken is large and boneless, chop it up using the food processor. Assemble the accessory you need to knead (instead of a blade) and use the minimum speed. In this way the meat will be chopped rather than pureed
Step 3. Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces or slices
If you intend to use it to make Mexican fajita or if you want to cover it with a sauce, cut it into small pieces using a sharp knife. Alternatively, you can slice it or make it into cubes.
If you haven't boned the chicken, remove the bones before slicing or chopping it
Step 4. Store the chicken in the refrigerator and eat it within 3-4 days
Place it whole or in pieces in an airtight container and refrigerate it until you are ready to reheat or use cold. Chicken leftovers are perfect for adding to a salad and turning it into a complete meal.
