Take the overwhelm out of making a whole chicken for the first time. Learn how to boil a whole chicken in a few simple steps. You'll not only get tender, juicy chicken to serve for dinner but also flavor-packed chicken broth you can use in a different recipe this week - or freeze it for future recipes.
1largeonion, cut in halfno need to remove the peel
4ribscelery, cut in halfmay include the stem and leaves
3largecarrots, cut in halfno need to peel unless you want to chop for soup
1handfulfresh herbssuch as sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley
1bulbgarlic, sliced in halfno need to remove the peel
1tablespoonwhole peppercorns
water
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients. Place whole chicken into a large stockpot. Sprinkle chicken with salt and poultry seasoning then add the onion, celery, carrots, fresh herbs, garlic, and peppercorns.
1 whole chicken, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, 1 large onion, cut in half, 4 ribs celery, cut in half, 3 large carrots, cut in half, 1 handful fresh herbs, 1 bulb garlic, sliced in half, 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
Cover the chicken with water. Cover the chicken and vegetables with water, filling the pot about 1 inch above the top of the chicken.
water
⭐️Cook. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from one bowl and the chicken to another. Once cooled slightly, remove the skin and chicken from the bones.
⭐️Strain the broth. Using a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl, strain the liquid. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for later.
Video
Notes
Quick Chicken Soup
Place 10 cups of strained chicken broth into the stockpot.
Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the broth.
Slice the carrots, celery, and onion into small pieces and add to the soup.
Add additional steamed vegetables and cooked noodles or rice if desired.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
CCK Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you're new to eating gluten-free we understand it's overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don't. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn't require a helper.