How to boil chicken for tender meat that can be used in a variety of meals

• You can make boiled chicken with whole chicken or boneless pieces like breasts and thighs.
• Lock in moisture by cooking the chicken at a full boil for a short time, then let it slowly simmer.
• Boiled chicken is typically shredded, making it an easy ingredient to add to recipes.

A ready supply of cooked chicken to add to salads, soups, sandwiches, and any number of other dishes is a useful item to have in your kitchen arsenal. One of the easiest ways to make tender and flavorful chicken that fits seamlessly into countless recipes involves boiling pieces of chicken (or a whole bird) and shredding the meat once it's cooked.

To find out how to boil your chicken to perfection without drying out the meat, follow the advice of Jessica Randhawa, the writer and recipe developer behind The Forked Spoon.

Is there a difference between boiling and poaching chicken?

Because both cooking methods require you to cook the chicken in liquid, it's easy to confuse boiled chicken for poached chicken.

The central difference between these styles lies in the temperature of the cooking liquid — poaching is a gentle process in which a food item cooks in liquid that's between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas boiling liquid needs to be at a much higher boiling temperature (212 degrees Fahrenheit).

Poaching works well for delicate foods like eggs, fruit, and fish, but it can also be used for chicken if you want to easily shred and slice the meat. Some chefs believe that the end result is moister and more flavorful than boiled chicken.

Which part of the chicken is best for boiling?

If you have a large stockpot, then boiling an entire chicken is "possible and straightforward," according to Randhawa. However, if you're pressed for time, she mentions that "smaller, bone-in pieces" like breasts and thighs cook quicker. If speed is truly of the essence, she recommends boiling "boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs."

While the texture of the boiled chicken will stay fairly consistent whether you use pieces or a whole bird, bone-in pieces and whole chickens will yield more flavorful meat, and will also result in chicken broth, which can be saved and used for many recipes in the future.

How long should you boil your chicken?

When boiling chicken, Randhawa emphasizes that it's crucial to "cook [the chicken] until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit." The amount of time that it takes to achieve that temperature will vary depending on the size of the chicken (or chicken pieces). The cook times that Randhawa recommends for different sizes and types of chicken can be found below:

Quick tip: Raw frozen chicken can be cooked without thawing it. However, it will take approximately one and a half times as long to cook, according to the USDA. To be sure, always cook poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to boil a whole chicken

1. Gather ingredients. Randhawa starts with a three to four-pound chicken, two quartered onions, three stalks of celery (quartered), three carrots (quartered), an assortment of fresh herbs (she uses sage, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaves, but you can feel free to play around with your favorite blends), salt and pepper, and "enough water to cover the chicken in the pot."
2. Stuff the chicken. In order to infuse the chicken with flavor throughout the cooking process, Randhawa puts one quartered onion in the chicken cavity before placing the bird in a large stockpot.
3. Fill the pot and begin boiling. Randhawa puts all of the remaining vegetables and herbs in the pot surrounding the chicken, and fills the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and the veggies. Then bring the water to a boil over high heat.
4. Lower the temperature. Let the chicken boil for up to a minute, then knock the heat down until the water reaches a simmer. The secret to Randhawa's moist boiled chicken is to keep the actual boiling very quick. The purpose of the high heat is to bring the internal temperature of the chicken up before letting the chicken settle in for a gentler cooking process.
5. Partially cover the pot and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours. The larger the bird, the longer the cook time, so plan accordingly. A meat thermometer will take the guesswork out of the process; use it to check the temperature after 1 ½ hours, and if it's at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, you're good to go. If not, leave it in until it reaches the appropriate temperature.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred or cut the meat. The easiest way to shred the meat is to use one fork to hold the chicken in place and another to pull the meat away from the bones. As an alternative, use a knife to separate the meat from the bones and a hand mixer or stand mixer to get a shredded consistency.

Boiling pieces of chicken

When boiling bone-in or boneless chicken breasts or thighs rather than a whole bird, many of the same processes can be used as if you're boiling a full chicken. However, you don't need to stuff chicken pieces, and the boil time will vary. That said, you'll still want to use a large pot, cover the chicken with water, and cook over high heat followed by low heat.

What can be made from boiled chicken?

• Strain the broth. After boiling and simmering the whole chicken, vegetables, and herbs in water for well over an hour, you'll end up with more than just meat for shredding. You'll also have a rich and flavorful chicken broth, which can serve as a foundation for soups, sauces, and much more. Pour the broth through a strainer to catch the bits of veggies and herbs, then store it in an airtight container for up to four days in the fridge or six months in the freezer.
• Use the boiled chicken right away. Once the boiled chicken is shredded, use it in countless dishes, such as enchiladas, nachos, noodles, tacos, salads, chili, and soups.
• Save some for later. There's no need to use all of your boiled chicken right away. Randhawa says that you can also "store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days."

Insider's takeaway

Boiled chicken is an easy food item to prepare, and its versatility makes it a useful ingredient in a vast array of recipes. The trick to keeping boiled chicken from drying out is to keep it at a full rolling boil very briefly, then lowering the temperature and letting it simmer to lock in the moisture and flavor.