If you ask your favorite AI informant “how to boil a chicken” and come away with an overcooked dumpling of chicken, shame on the programmers – but they’re not entirely to blame. The better question is: How should I do it? barking Cock? Poaching refers to something cooked slowly in a boiling liquid. Boiling, on the other hand, is rough and tumble, with large bubbles rapidly rising to the surface and spilling things around when they burst. For such delicate meat and to cook it evenly, the gentle method is far more accurate.
Although you can poach any part of the chicken, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are one of the more popular cuts for this preparation. Baked chicken breasts are moist, tender and easily seasoned with spices and herbs. becomes smaller by holding things in hand weekend Prep time, allowing you to add satisfying protein to meals without cooking.
Plus, they’re infinitely versatile: Feed your growing baby bite-sized pieces of boiled chicken, cut them thinly and mix them with green vegetables. Buttermilk Vinaigrette For a quick dinner, cut into pieces and mix them into your favorite simmer the sauce To mix with pasta or pile on your favorite bun Store Bought BBQ SauceIn fact, cooked chicken breasts are a blank canvas of cooking – you just have to know how to boil them – sorry, cook them right. This step-by-step guide delivers delicious, juicy chicken every time.
1. Start with cold water
Never dip the chicken directly into boiling water, which will result in the poultry being raw in the middle and having a dry surface. Instead, fill a large pot with 1½” of cold water. Choose a pot that will fit the amount of chicken you want to cook in a single layer. (Note: If you use frozen chicken breasts, thaw them. It is best to refrigerate overnight before cooking if you are short on time, but it may not cook evenly. If you are cooking bone-in chicken, you may need more water. As long as liquid may be required Add water until almost reached ½” above the surface of the meat.
2. Season generously
Next, generously add salt and other aromatics to the cooking liquid. Try crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, pieces of fresh ginger, black pepper, dried chilies, half a lemon, fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, etc. Alternatively, you can marinate the meat in chicken stock or another flavorful liquid – think refreshing apple cider. , deglaze with white wine, or water shaoxing cooking wine (a particularly tasty, flavored wine made from rice) and soy sauce, such as in this recipe From AP contributor Grace Young – For deeper flavors.
3. Do not boil; boil
Place your chicken in an even layer on the bottom of the pot. Place the pot over medium heat and keep an eye on it until the liquid starts to boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breasts registers an internal temperature of 150° to 155°, about 15 minutes after the water comes to a boil, depending on the thickness of the breasts. . Total cooking time for bone-in chicken is 20 to 25 minutes.
