How to Boil Chicken for Broth and Shreds

One pot of gently simmered chicken gives you tender shredded chicken for meal prep and about 6 cups of homemade broth.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings cups broth

Calories 165kcal

6-quart Dutch oven or large stock pot, fine-mesh strainer, instant-read thermometer

1 ½ pounds (680 g) skinless chicken breasts, boneless or bone-in (about 2 large)
8 cups (1.9 L) cold water
¼ white or yellow onion
1-2 carrots cut into big chunks
1 celery stalk
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
15 black peppercorns
A few fresh parsley leaves optional
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
A small handful of fresh parsley (optional)

Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and skim the foam off the top with a large spoon. Discard the foam.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, peppercorns, oregano, bay leaves and parsley.
Cover and simmer gently, with just a few small bubbles breaking the surface, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Boneless breasts take 25 to 30 minutes and bone-in breasts take 40 to 45 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest in the broth for 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks while it's still warm. Discard the bones for bone-in chicken.
Pour 1 cup of the broth over the shredded chicken and toss.
Strain the remaining broth through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Taste and add more salt as needed. Cool before storing.

Yields: About 3 cups shredded chicken and 6 cups broth

Instant Pot: Use 6 cups (1.4 L) of water. High pressure 10 minutes for boneless or 15 minutes for bone-in, then 10 minutes natural release.
Slow cooker: Use 6 cups (1.4 L) of water. Low 3 to 4 hours or high 2 to 3 hours.
Stand mixer shredding: Paddle attachment on low for about 20 seconds.

	Fridge	Freezer
Shredded chicken	3 to 4 days in an airtight container	Up to 4 months
Broth	3 to 4 days in an airtight container	Up to 3 months