The Secret to Moist & Tender Boiled Chicken Every Single Time (2024)

FAQs

How to keep boiled chicken moist? ›

After removing your chicken from the pot, let it rest for about 10 minutes. This will cool them down enough to shred, and will help keep some of the moisture in so that they don't dry out.

The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable.

Brining helps the chicken retain moisture. Marinate the Chicken:Marinate the chicken in a flavorful mixture of herbs, spices, and acidic ingredients like yogurt, buttermilk, or citrus juice. Marinades not only add flavor but can also help tenderize the meat.

Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is appropriate when cooking fibrous things like vegetables or pasta. This temperature is too aggressive for the protein structure of poultry and will result in dry, chewy chicken – no thanks.

Chicken stock or broth is the best liquid to impart flavor and moisture back into dry chicken. Warm your broth over a medium heat until it is hot but not boiling. Place your shredded chicken in the pan until it is barely covered with enough broth to coat the chicken.

So, how long do you boil chicken for optimal tenderness? That depends on the size of the breasts and whether they have bones. Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook for about 30 minutes (That would mean boiling frozen chicken for about 45 minutes), or until 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic. Included with each meal is a set of instructions to help you cook the meals.

You might have wondered why most chefs or cooks prefer to soak their chicken in buttermilk or yogurt overnight. Well, the answer is simple: they are tenderizing the chicken for cooking later, and that's the secret behind their super delicious, juicy chicken.

What makes a chicken tender a chicken tender? ›

Chicken tenders or chicken tenderloins are the little strips of meat that are tenuously attached to the underside of each breast (and thus sometimes called “hanging tenders”), so every chicken has two tenders.

Brining is especially great for frying chicken. It gives you crispier skin while keeping the meat juicy on the inside. Make your brine by dissolving salt and sugar in water before adding the chicken.

Make the chicken thinner

Thinner breasts or cutlets are less likely to dry out, as they won't spend as much time in the pan. A simple option is to pound the chicken until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a meat mallet/pounder, heavy skillet or even a hammer. This is best done between parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Braise it. Low and slow braising will help make almost any meat fall apart tender (though dark meat is best, thighs/legs).

Lastly, let the meat rest before serving! Cover the chicken breast in foil to hold in moisture and let it rest for at least five minutes. The resting time allows the juices to distribute themselves throughout the meat, making it easier to slice later. What you get is perfectly cooked cuts with no dry pieces in sight.

When you cook chicken at a high temperature, the muscle fibers of the chicken contract rapidly, causing moisture loss. However, if you cook your chicken too low and slow, the fibers will break down, resulting in a mushy, dry texture.

Cooked chicken should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, labeled and dated with the day it was prepared. You also must get leftover chicken into the refrigerator quickly for it to last; within two hours of it sitting at room temperature in order to slow bacterial growth and keep it safe to eat.

At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven (approximately 200 °F, in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.