How to Boil Frozen Chicken

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Learn how to boil chicken from frozen, perfect for shredding, slicing, for making salads or sandwiches. This a fast and easy recipe.

sliced boiled chicken breast on a wooden board with cucumbers

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Can you boil frozen chicken?
Recipe ingredients
How to boil chicken from frozen?
How long to boil frozen chicken breast?
Checking for doneness
Recipe FAQs
How to use boiled chicken?
Recipe
How to Boil Frozen Chicken

Can you boil frozen chicken?

Definitely!!!

Boiling frozen chicken breast is fast, easy, and healthy. And there are so many things you can do with it. Rotisserie chicken is great when you want to make red sauce chicken enchiladas, a grilled peach chicken salad, or a sandwich, but you will have to go out and buy it, and there will be more money and calories involved.

But boil or poach some breast that you probably have in your freezer, and you will have a much healthier yet just as delicious alternative. By the way, boiling or poaching is pretty much the same thing; the terms can be used interchangeably.

And if you have an air fryer, why not use it for making air fried frozen chicken breast? Or learn How to Boil Chicken Wings; it's really useful!

wooden board with poached chicken breast, dark bread and vegetables

Recipe ingredients

Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone-in, skin-on breasts. An average boneless skinless piece weighs between 6 oz - 8 oz/ 170 - 230 g. You will have to adjust the cooking accordingly slightly.

Poaching liquid: You can use just water, salt, and pepper, with an emphasis on salt - very important! If you wish, you can also use chicken stock. A bouillon cube is fine.

Extras (nice but not mandatory): Adding a couple of vegetables and spices to the poaching liquid enhances the flavor of the meat and the broth. You can add one small onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper or allspice berries, carrots, celery stalks, parsley stalks, dried herbs, and so on.

Another bonus of using some extras is a tastier broth, which you can use for making soup like Chicken and Potato Soup or fricassee, for instance.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to boil chicken from frozen?

two pieces of raw chicken breast in a small black pot

Step #1: Place the meat into a saucepan large enough to hold it in a single layer. Add the liquid, about 2 cups, or enough to submerge the meat.
Step #2: Add a bouillon cube, dried herbs or spices, and any of the extras you wish.
Step #3: Slowly bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the internal temperature measured with a meat thermometer is 165°F/ 75°C.
Step #4: Remove from the stock and let rest for about 5 minutes before shredding or slicing.

How long to boil frozen chicken breast?

Frozen boneless skinless breasts of about 170 g – 220 g/ 6 oz - 8 oz/ 170 g- 230 g will need about 20 minutes.
Fresh boneless, skinless pieces of the same size will need 12 to 15 minutes. If you cut the boneless fresh pieces in half or even quarters, the cooking time will reduce even more; check after 7-8 minutes already to see if they are cooked through.
Fresh bone-in, skin-on parts will need about 30 minutes or longer, depending on size.

Learn How to Boil a Whole Chicken or make Boiled Chicken and Rice.

Checking for doneness

This is a very important step when cooking a bird in any way.
The best way of making sure it is thoroughly cooked, without cooking it for too long and having to chew on dry meat afterward, is by using a meat thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
The internal temperature measured in the thickest part should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit/ 75 degrees Celsius.
I feel it is especially important to use a thermometer when cooking bone-in or frozen meat. If you don't have a thermometer, check by cutting a piece in the middle; the meat should be white and juicy, and no pink is allowed.

Recipe FAQs

What's the white stuff floating on top of the poaching liquid?

Don't worry about it; that is perfectly normal. It is the protein that is forced out of the meat as the meat cooks and the fibers shrink.

What to do with the leftover broth from boiling frozen chicken?

Strain the broth after removing the meat, and discard this white stuff and all the other ingredients. If using carrots, keep those; they are still tasty.
Use the broth to make soup or sauces or to add to stews, goulash, or whatever.
The broth keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days. To keep it for longer, freeze it.

How to store the boiled chicken?

Allow it to cool completely.
Leave it whole, cut it into pieces or slices, or shred it.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.

How to use boiled chicken?

Make sandwiches using either shredded or sliced pieces or add to salads, soups, tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.
Make this fricassee using chicken meat instead of turkey.
Or try a chicken and leek pie.

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