How to Boil Chicken Breast and Cook Delicious Recipes?

There is hardly anyone who does not like to eat chicken. It is quite nutritious and can replenish all the beneficial nutrients in your body with ease. But cooking chicken can be tricky in certain instances. When you boil chicken, at times, it might turn hard and dry. So, to help you keep the chicken juicy and soft, we have come up with the best guide. Here we tell you how to boil chicken breast and thighs to retain its juices intact. Also, we have covered a few recipes that you might try out using juicy boiled chicken and much more. Read on and know how to cook chicken in the best way!

Table of Contents

How to boil chicken breast and thighs?

Cooking chicken in the best way to keep all its natural juices intact can be difficult. But when you read our blog below, you can do it with extreme ease. Check out the tips to boil chicken thighs and breast at ease:

Prepare the chicken

Take a big stockpot. Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the stockpot. Then fill the pot with water.

Start seasoning the chicken

You can season the chicken using thyme and salt. Use your best judgment to add the seasonings in the proper proportions.

Turn on the heat and start boiling

Turn on the heat and start boiling the chicken. If you are using fresh chicken breasts, then boil them for around 15 minutes. But if you are using the frozen ones, try to cook them for about 20 minutes. However, keep checking the tenderness using a meat thermometer.

How to boil chicken thighs that are frozen? Well, for that, you would have to boil it for around 40 to 50 minutes. But if you use the fresh chicken thighs, then boil them for 30 minutes.

Broil chicken if the recipe demands

With the help of tongs, you can remove the chicken pieces and place them on a baking sheet. Broil it for around three to five minutes. Otherwise, you can keep broiling it until the skin becomes crispy and brown. However, this tip is applicable only if your recipe demands the chicken to be broiled.

Quick tips to note while boiling chicken

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind while boiling chicken breasts or thighs:

First place the chicken in the pot

Some people take the chicken and place it in the pot after adding the water. But that isn’t the right way to do it. It would be best if you first placed the chicken pieces in the pot and then fill it up with the required amount of water.

Try to purchase chicken with skin and bone-in thighs

If you are using fresh or frozen chicken, always try to choose the ones that have their skin on them. Also, if you use chicken thighs, try to use the ones that have bones in them. It will bring more flavor to your dishes.

Select stockpot size according to chicken’s quantity

Always select the pot considering the quantity of the chicken. It is always best to have a single layer of chicken breasts or thighs placed at the stockpot bottom. Overcrowding the pot might not cook the chicken pieces well. So, always use a bigger pot if you have a large amount of chicken.

Boiled chicken recipes for dinner

Now that you know how to boil chicken breast let us check out the best boiled chicken recipes for dinner. Here are the following:

1) Chicken Panzanella Salad

You can make this chicken salad using chicken roast or plain boiled chicken. Also, you can store this salad for around two days.

Total cooking time

You will need a maximum of 30 minutes to prepare this salad.

Ingredients

Bread pieces – five cups (torn)

Chicken stock or drippings - 1/4 cup

Shredded chicken - four cups

Tomatoes – two medium-sized (finely chopped)

Cucumber – one medium-sized (finely sliced)

Red onion – half thinly sliced

Basil - 1/4 (torn)

Olive oil – two tablespoons (extra virgin)

White wine vinegar – one tablespoon

Coarse salt

How to make it?

Follow the steps below to make chicken Panzanella salad:

First of all, you need to toast the bread. Then, simply use your fingers to tear it into pieces. However, if you are using crunchy and stale bread, then you do not need to toast it.
After you finish toasting, tear the bread slices, then place them on a plate. Put the chicken stock or drippings over the bread.
Start assembling the salad now. Take a large platter and add the shredded chicken pieces to the platter. Add the basil, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes. Start drizzling the white vinegar and olive oil. Then sprinkle the salt according to your taste.
Use two spatulas to mix the salad well. And it’s done!

2) Chicken pies

Chicken is everyone’s favorite. Be it, kids or adults. Here is a simple recipe to try using boiled chicken breasts you can try out at home.

Total cooking time

It will take around 15 minutes to cook chicken pies.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour – 150 grams

Baking soda – one and a half teaspoon

Water to make the dough

Canola/Olive oil – two tablespoons

Carrot – 100 grams (grated)

Boiled chicken breast – 150 grams (shredded)

Spring onion (whites only) – 100 grams (finely chopped)

Sweet corn kernels – 100 grams (boiled)

Black pepper – one tablespoon (crushed)

Oregano – one tablespoon

Garlic cloves – 4 to five (finely chopped)

Spinach leaves – 100 grams (chopped)

Black olives – 50 grams (sliced)

Mozzarella cheese – 150 grams (shredded)

Salt according to your taste

How to make it?

Follow the steps below to make chicken pies:

First, mix the dry ingredients to make the dough. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use your best judgment to add water and knead the dough. But remember to make the dough a little stiff.
Allow the dough to rest for precisely 15 minutes. But remember to use a lid to cover it.
In the meantime, you can take a pan and add two tablespoons of your preferred oil. Then, start sauteing the garlic, carrots, and spring onions. Keep the heat low or medium.
After a minute or two, add the chicken and sweet corn kernels. Keep sauteing it for five more minutes.
Add the seasonings like oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix it well.
Then add the spinach until you find the leaves wilting.
Add around 4 to 5 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. And keep the rest to use later. Also, add the olives. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Now take the dough and knead it a little. Then, take small-sized pieces of the dough and roll them out in a disc shape. See that the size is perfect to fit a small muffin cup tray.
Use oil or melted butter to grease the muffin cups. Then, place the rolled-out dough disk on it and gently press it.
Then take a little bit of the filling and put it in the cup. But make sure you leave a half-inch gap.
Top the filling with some mozzarella cheese you had kept aside.
Once the entire tray fills up, bake it at 220 degrees Celsius for around 15 to 20 minutes. Voila! Your chicken pies are ready!
Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Then, serve warm with some ketchup or hot sauce.

Quick tips to season chicken while it’s boiling

Now that we are approaching the end of our article, we thought of giving you some quick tips you can use while boiling the chicken. Check them out below:

Try to stick to basic and let the seasoning be simple. When you boil chicken breast or thighs, try to use basic ingredients. Avoid using too many seasonings.
Always try to avoid using ingredients that have a robust flavor in large amounts. It will destroy the natural taste of the chicken.
Some of the ingredients to enhance the flavor of the chicken are bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic.
You can add carrots, celery, onions to boil chicken thighs and breast and make its stock for later use. It is an intelligent way to get rid of your leftover veggies.
Use a different spice mix for each of your recipes. Don’t use the same ingredients every time you are boiling chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

Here are some FAQs that people ask about how to boil chicken:

1. How long to boil frozen chicken breast?

Since our use of frozen chicken has increased massively, it is vital to know how to boil frozen chicken breast! Well, unlike fresh chicken, frozen ones take a little longer to cook. You can follow the same steps, but it will take approximately 20 minutes to cook completely. And the temperature inside the chicken will be around 165. Always try to keep a food thermometer handy when you are cooking meat. It clears your doubts about whether the meat is cooked well or not.

2. When to know chicken is boiled?

When you take off the chicken and cut it from the middle, it must not have any pinkish tint. Once you are sure of that, then you can be sure your chicken is absolutely cooked. You can always keep a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the meat is 165. However, if you do not have one, you can always cut the chicken in the pot itself to make sure it isn’t pink inside.

3. How to ensure the boiled chicken does not dry out?

If you happen to boil chicken breast until the internal temperature reaches 165, you can be sure the chicken will not dry up. When the water is boiling at 212, try not to leave the chicken in the water for too long. That will overcook the chicken and eventually make it dry. So, to avoid such a situation, start checking after 10 to 15 minutes of boiling to be sure the chicken does not overcook itself.

Additionally, you must rest the chicken for a while before you start adding it to your recipes. That will allow the moisture to remain in the chicken. It is a similar process that you try out while roasting chicken pieces. When you allow the chicken to rest for a while, the natural juices in the chicken start to distribute.

4. What is the white residue in the water?

Do you worry when you see the white residue floating while the chicken is boiling? Well, there is nothing you need to worry about! It is simply proteins that come out of the chicken when the present fibers start to shrink. Even fatty fishes such as salmon have a similar way of shedding out some of their protein. Since it is normal, just use a spatula to scrape the residue out.

5. What is the best way to freeze the boiled chicken?

If you want to boil chicken breast and freeze it, then we’ll give you the best way to do it. After you finish boiling the chicken, allow it to cool down. Then, cut the cooked chicken into cubes or shred it. Toss it into an airtight container or transfer it into a zip-lock bag. After you finish, please keep it in the freezer, and you’re good to go for six months.

6. What is the best way to boil chicken?

You can try to boil the chicken on the cooktop at low or medium heat. It will allow the chicken to boil well and reduce the chances of it becoming hard or rubbery.

Final Thoughts

So, this brings us to the end of our blog today. Now you not only know how to boil chicken breast and thighs in the best way but also many more things. We have given you some FAQs, two boiled chicken dinner recipes, and quick seasoning tips. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself some chicken and start cooking them! Make yourself a lovely recipe, and do send us the picture of the food in the comment section below!