How to Boil Chicken Breasts (2024)

Boiled chicken breast is an easy way to make chicken for meal prep, batch cooking, or to add to a casserole.

Shredded chicken breasts are the ultimate protein for everything from salads to soups or even to add to a buffalo chicken dip! This chicken is super easy to make and comes out juicy and tender.

Best Chicken Breast

• This is an easy way to prepare chicken for casseroles, soups, or salads.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are low in calories and high in nutrition.
• They come out moist and juicy every time!
• The broth or cooking liquid is perfect for soups or cooking rice or pasta.
• Boiled chicken freezes beautifully, so stock up for quick and easy future meals.

Ingredients

CHICKEN I most often used boneless chicken breast but if you have bone-in (aka split chicken breasts) use those! The skin and bones will add extra flavor to the meat and the broth. (You can boil a whole chicken too).

FLAVORING To flavor the chicken (and the broth) add a rib of celery (cut in half) and a few slices of onion. If you have fresh herbs, add a couple of sprigs of those in too.

BROTH/WATER Boiling chicken in broth adds flavor to the chicken and the chicken adds flavor to the broth, it’s a win-win! It’s fine to boil chicken in water too. Add a little salt and pepper for flavor, if desired.

How to Boil Chicken Breast

Boiled chicken breast has to be one of the easiest ways to prepare chicken ever!

1. Add just enough broth or water to cover fresh or frozen chicken breasts in a saucepan.
2. Season with salt, pepper, & fresh herbs if using. Add a rib of celery and a few slices of onion.
3. Cook breasts just until the meat is cooked (per recipe below).

More Ways to Cook Chicken Breasts

• Crockpot Shredded Chicken
• Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
• Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
• Instant Pot Chicken
• Easy Grilled Chicken Breast

How to Shred Chicken

Shredding boiled chicken is super easy, and you don’t have to wait until it’s completely cooled. DO let it rest and cool for at least 10 minutes so it stays tender and juicy.

1. With a fork in each hand, start at one end of the boiled chicken breast and gently pierce the meat.
2. Pull away from the meat until it starts to shred away. Continue to shred the meat until the pieces are at the desired size. Easy peasy!

Chicken can also be shredded in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Simply place the chicken in a bowl and let the mixer do the work.

Saving Boiled Chicken

Keep shredded chicken in individual zippered bags for last-minute portioning in the fridge, up to 5 days or the freezer up to 8 weeks. Definitely save the broth the chicken was boiled in to make rice or to use as a base for a soup or stew. Or, freeze broth in ice cube trays and pop one out to season a gravy or sauce!

Shredded Chicken Recipes

• Classic Chicken Noodle Soup – made from scratch
• Chicken Street Tacos – so easy to make
• Asian Chicken Salad – colorful & crunchy
• Crock Pot BBQ Chicken – just 5 ingredients
• Buffalo Chicken Dip – a crowd favorite

Did you make these Boiled Chicken Breasts? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!