How To Cook Chicken With Chicken Broth

How to cook chicken with chicken broth? If you’ve never thought of this question, then first know that you’re not alone.

Everyone loves a chicken recipe. And a good chicken recipe has a bonus ingredient, too — chicken broth. You can buy some, or you can make your own. Either way, this is a great guide on how to cook chicken with chicken broth, just in time for dinner (or lunch).

Homemade Chicken Broth

Yield: Yields about 3 quarts

Making your own chicken broth if an easy proposition. All is requires is throwing a chicken and some vegetables into a pot and them letting them simmer. This version is made from a whole chicken, which means you get the bonus of lots of tender meat to add to soup. 

Ingredients

•  1 3-lb. chicken
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Using a small sharp knife and your fingers, remove the skin from the chicken and discard it.
• Rinse the chicken well and put it in a large (at least 8-quart), heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to submerge the chicken (about 5 quarts). Cover the pot, with the lid slightly ajar. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, occasionally skimming off any foam that accumulates on the surface, until foam no longer rises, about 30 minutes.
• Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1-1/2 Tbs. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper and simmer until the vegetables start to soften and the chicken is completely cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Using tongs and a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet. Let cool for 10 minutes; meanwhile, continue simmering the broth, partially covered. Using your fingers, pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-size pieces; discard any gristle or fat. Set aside the shredded chicken.
• Return the carcass to the broth and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are completely soft and the flavor has intensified, about 30 minutes more. If at any time the water level drops below the solids, add water to cover and return to a simmer.
• Remove the carcass from the broth and discard. Strain the broth through a fine sieve set over another pot or a bowl large enough to hold the broth. Gently press on the solids with a large spoon to squeeze out any remaining broth.

Make Ahead Tips

The broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

How To Boil Chicken

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If you’ve ever caught yourself in need of a rotisserie chicken but didn’t have one, then knowing how to boil chicken will be your saving grace. With no time (or energy) to run to the store, boiling chicken is the perfect way to get to tender, juicy chicken that’s easy to shred. Perfect for pulled chicken sandwiches or chicken salad sandwiches (my fav), you can dress it up any way you like. It doesn’t have to be bland or boring as the name suggests. Plus, boiling is faster and less work than cooking in a skillet. It’s as easy as bringing a pot of water to a boil and — when done correctly — boiling can provide a perfectly tender piece of chicken. 

1. Pick your liquid. 

Sure, you could boil your chicken in water but that seems kind of boring, right? Boil your chicken in chicken broth is how to instantly up the flavor. 

2. Season it. 

Place your chicken breasts in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and add enough liquid to cover the chicken. Season your liquid well with salt and pepper — this is very crucial. It’s really no different than boiling a pot of pasta. If you have some carrots, onions, or fresh herbs you can add them to the pot as well. All of your flavor is going to come from what you put in the pot so the more the merrier. 

3. Bring it to a boil. 

Once you have all of your flavors added, bring your water to a boil. Cover the pot and lower the heat slightly so it stays at a pretty rapid simmer. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, they should simmer for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove one piece from the pot and check. The internal temperature should be 165°. If they need more time check every 5 minutes. Don’t let them overcook or they will become rubbery. 

4. Shred it up. 

After removing your chicken from the pot let it rest about 10 minutes. This will make them cool enough to shred and help keep some of the moisture in so that they don’t dry out. Use two forks to shred your chicken or slice it up.

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Yields: 6 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 5 mins

Total Time: 0 hours 20 mins

Ingredients

4

boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 c.

low-sodium chicken broth (or water)

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add chicken. Pour broth over chicken to cover and season generously with salt and pepper. 
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through, 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let rest 10 minutes. 
3. Shred chicken with two forks and use as desired. 

How to Make Chicken Broth

For the best, most delicious homemade chicken broth, start with a whole raw chicken or chicken pieces and simple vegetables and herbs. At the end of it, you’ll have 4 cups of delicious cooked chicken and 2 quarts of the best chicken broth you’ve ever tasted. Freeze it for your future soups, stews, and casseroles.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.

Ingredient notes

• Chicken: This recipe uses a whole raw chicken or the equivalent of cut-up pieces (you can do 4 to 5 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, thighs, drumsticks, necks, whatever!).
• Organ meats: The heart and gizzard can be added to the broth if desired, but the liver should be discarded or reserved for another purpose.
• Cold water: Always start with cold water. This helps keep the broth clear, not cloudy. The amount of water used and the length of simmering time will determine the intensity of the broth.
• Vegetables: Some cooks save old vegetable trimmings to add to their broth. I prefer to start with new, fresh vegetables because I think the broth will taste better. So yes, we peel the carrots, and save your vegetable scraps for composting!
• Herbs and spices: A sachet is a fancy term for parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and optionally, garlic or cloves, tied up in a piece of cheesecloth with twine. You could also use a tea ball or loose leaf tea bag to hold them. It makes it easier to pull these small ingredients out of the broth later. Or, you can just add everything straight to the pot since you strain the broth at the end.

Step-by-step instructions

1. To a Dutch oven or large stock pot, add chicken and cold water to cover (see note 3). Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and skim the foam off the top.

2. To the pot add onion, carrot, celery, and salt. If desired, tie parsley stems, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns to make a sachet or add loosely to the pot.

3. Simmer gently (bubbles should barely break the surface at irregular intervals) until the chicken is cooked through, at least 1 hour or up to 5 hours. The longer the broth simmers, the more flavor it will have. (NOTE: After 1 hour, you should remove the chicken breasts from the pot to prevent them from drying out).

4. Remove chicken from pot to a rimmed baking sheet or large bowl. Separate chicken, discarding skin and bones (you should have about 4 cups chicken).

5. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Place in a large bowl and chill covered overnight in the refrigerator.

6. The next day, scrape off the accumulated fat from the top of the stock and discard. Divide the broth into freezer-safe containers (leaving at least 1/2-inch for expansion), label, and freeze. Or, refrigerate and use within 4 days.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups (2 quarts) homemade chicken broth. You’ll also get 2 cups cooked chicken in the process.
• Refrigerate: Store chicken broth in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.
• Freezer: Divide the broth into freezer-safe containers (I like to use 16-ounce glass jars) and leave 1/2-inch head space for expansion. Label and date, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Leftover roasted chicken carcass: To make chicken broth from a roasted chicken, I recommend adding the leftover roast chicken carcass to a pot with raw chicken. If you boil just a leftover roasted chicken carcass on its own, the broth will be thin and lack body and flavor.
• Chicken stock vs. broth: Technically, stock is made with just bones, while broth is made with the bones and meat.