Wondering if you need to boil chicken before cooking? Why is this step necessary and what will happen if you omit the boiling part? Will you notice a difference? Let’s find out!
Why You Should Boil Chicken Before Cooking It?
Boiling the chicken meat before you start cooking it will help you to reduce the cooking time, getting a more flavorful and moist chicken in the end.
Also, it will help you to not dry meat during the cooking, you will not need to worry if it was baked enough in the oven as it is already cooked, you will need just to get a nice and crispy crust.
Pro Tip: As the meat is already cooked, and you don’t need a lot of time to roast the chicken, you can set the temperature at a higher level and you will get a nice crispy skin without burning the chicken meat.
Quick Note: During the boiling, you can add different spices into the boiling water that will give your meat a more special taste.
For How Long Should You Boil the Chicken?
It all depends on the size of the chicken you plan to boil. As a general rule, for a whole chicken, you will need around 60-90 minutes to boil. For the chicken breasts, you will need around 10-15 minutes. If you plan to boil chicken drumsticks, you will need around 10 minutes. For the chicken wings, it will be enough to boil them for 15 minutes.
Quick Note: As the boiling time may differ from one piece of meat to another, I will recommend using a meat thermometer to check the inner temperature of the chicken. It should reach 165°F.
Does Chicken Get More Tender if You Boil It Longer?
Yes, the chicken will become more tender if you boil it for longer. Just pay attention that the inner temperature of the chicken shouldn’t pass the 165°F, otherwise you risk getting a rubbery piece of chicken meat.
Can You Boil Chicken for Too Long?
Yes, if you cook the chicken for a longer time, the chicken meat may become rubbery. Also, if you boil the chicken for too long, the meat will start to fall off the bones and will crumble.
Can You Boil Chicken Directly From Frozen?
You can boil the chicken directly from frozen but it will take longer and you may risk getting overdone meat on the edges and raw on the interior.
Because of that, it is recommended to start to boil the chicken at a lower temperature. After the chicken meat will defrost, you can increase the heat and boil the chicken as usual.
In that way, the chicken meat will start to slowly defrost and you will get evenly cooked meat.
Quick Note: When you boil the chicken directly from the frozen, the cooking time will be about 20-25 minutes, instead of the regular 15 minutes.
How to Tell When Chicken Is Boiled?
Usually, it will take you 15-20 minutes to boil the chicken breast. If we are referring to a whole chicken, it should take you about 1 1/2 hours to boil a whole chicken.
The safest way to make sure when the chicken is boiled is to use a meat thermometer. The chicken meat will be boiled when the inner temperature of the chicken will reach 165°F.
Pro tip: If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can cut the chicken in the thickest part and look at the meat color. If it is still pink, you will need a few more minutes until it will boil completely.
Can You Boil Chicken in the Microwave?
If you want to prepare some quick and delicious chicken breast, you may consider boiling them in the microwave. It will take you around 5-10 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breast.
Use a meat thermometer to check the inner temperature of the chicken breast. It should reach 165F.
How to Pick the Best Chicken Meat?
Before buying a chicken, you need to pay attention to the following factors:
- Appearance. The appearance of a chicken is the main indicator of its freshness and quality. A good product will be free of surface defects, well plucked and gutted. In addition, fresh chicken meat will keep its shape and restore its initial form after you press on the meat. The color of fresh chicken meat is pale pink, and the skin is white and thin;
- Smell. Even if everything may look, as usual, you may notice a difference in smell. The raw chicken should smell neutral: no sour, raw, or rotten smell should be present.
- Be careful when purchasing chicken in a package (even if it is transparent): if you see ice crystals inside the package, most likely this product has been re-frozen (in this case, it is better to avoid buying this chicken meat).
Why Is Chicken Meat So Popular?
Despite the relatively cheap cost of the chicken meat, it has a neutral taste that the majority of the people prefer to eat (if we are referring to the kids, is one of their favorite meat) and it has a lot of important vitamins and other useful nutrients such are:
- Vitamins A, B1, B2, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E;
- potassium;
- sulfur;
- sodium;
- magnesium;
- amino acids (tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, purine, etc.).
Other Useful Properties of Chicken Meat
First of all, it is an antidepressant. Yes. You read it right. And all thanks to the amino acid tryptophan, which produces the hormones of “happiness”: melatonin and serotonin.
Meat also contains selenium, the presence of which allows you to optimize the balance of iodine in the body, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland.
This meat contains a large amount of vitamin B12, which helps in the formation of red blood cells. According to scientists, 50 g of chicken meat is the daily dose of these beneficial substances for humans.
One of the most well-known beneficial properties is the presence of high-quality animal protein, which is required by the body, bones, and tissues, and also helps to fight extra pounds.
Contraindications
Despite all its beneficial properties, chicken meat can be harmful to the body. Especially if we talk about dishes that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment, as this threatens to become infected with helminths.
The second negative point is the purchase of chicken, in the meat of which there are antibiotics, and growth stimulants (they are often used when growing poultry). This can cause an allergic reaction or departure.
If you will buy the chicken meat only from trusted places, you should have any problems with the chicken meat.
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