How Long to Boil Chicken Breast (Fresh, Frozen, Shredded)

So, how long to boil chicken breast? An average boneless, skinless breast of 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 225 g) takes 12 to 15 minutes at a gentle simmer, counted from the moment the water starts bubbling. Big 10- to 12-ounce breasts need 18 to 22 minutes, bone-in breasts need 25 to 35 minutes, and frozen breasts take about half as long again. Whatever the size, the chicken is done when the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).

This guide gives you a full time chart for fresh, frozen and bone-in breasts, plus tenders, thighs and a whole chicken. You’ll also learn why a gentle simmer beats a hard rolling boil, how to flavor the water so the meat tastes like something, the fastest ways to shred it, and how long boiled chicken breast keeps in the fridge and freezer.

Quick Answer: How Long to Boil Chicken Breast

Here are the times most people need. Start the clock when the water returns to a simmer after the chicken goes in, and keep the heat low enough that you see small, lazy bubbles rather than a churning boil.

• Thin or small boneless breasts (4 to 5 oz / 115 to 140 g): 8 to 10 minutes.
• Average boneless breasts (6 to 8 oz / 170 to 225 g): 12 to 15 minutes.
• Large boneless breasts (10 to 12 oz / 280 to 340 g): 18 to 22 minutes.
• Bone-in, skin-on breasts (12 to 16 oz / 340 to 450 g): 25 to 35 minutes.
• Frozen boneless breasts: about 50% longer, so roughly 18 to 30 minutes depending on size.
• Done temperature: 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, checked with an instant-read thermometer.

The answer to how long to boil chicken breast is a guide, not a promise. The thickness of the breast matters more than its weight, and a crowded pot or very cold chicken adds a few minutes. Check early and trust the thermometer over the clock.

Boiled Chicken Breast: The Simple Time Chart

Use this chart for every common cut you might simmer. All times assume the chicken is covered by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and held at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.

Breasts, tenders and cubes are done at 165°F (74°C). Thighs and drumsticks are safe at 165°F too, but they turn more tender if you let them reach 175°F to 185°F (79°C to 85°C), because the extra connective tissue in dark meat needs more heat to soften. For a whole bird, check the thickest part of the thigh and the breast, and don’t touch the bone with the probe.

If you’d rather not boil at all, the same breasts take about 20 minutes in a hot oven. Our oven baked chicken breast walks through those times.

How Long to Boil Chicken Breast From Frozen

You don’t have to thaw chicken breasts before you simmer them. The USDA says it’s safe to cook poultry straight from the freezer as long as you allow about 50% more time than you would for thawed meat. Simmering is one of the best ways to do it, because the water surrounds every side of the meat and thaws it evenly.

1. Separate the pieces. Run the frozen block under cold water for a minute so each chicken breast comes apart. A frozen lump cooks unevenly, with a raw middle and rubbery edges.
2. Start them in cold water. Put the chicken breast pieces in the pot, cover with cold water or broth by 1 inch, and add your seasonings.
3. Bring it up slowly. Heat over medium until the water simmers, which takes 8 to 12 minutes. Then lower the heat to keep a gentle simmer.
4. Add the extra time. An average 6- to 8-ounce frozen chicken breast needs 18 to 22 minutes of simmering; large ones need closer to 30.
5. Check two spots. A frozen chicken breast can thaw unevenly, so take the temperature in the thickest part and near the middle of each piece.

One rule: never cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker, because it spends too long in the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C). A pot of simmering water on the stove is fine.

Poaching vs. a Rolling Boil: Why Gentle Heat Wins

Most people search for how long to boil chicken, but what you really want is to poach it. A hard, rolling boil at 212°F (100°C) tightens the muscle fibers fast and squeezes out moisture, which is why boiled chicken gets its reputation for being dry, stringy and bland. A gentle simmer, around 180°F to 190°F (82°C to 88°C), cooks the meat more evenly and keeps it juicy.

When you work out how long to boil chicken, remember that a rolling boil saves only 2 or 3 minutes, and the meat pays for it. Bring the water up to a boil to get things moving, then turn the heat down right away.

The hands-off “off-heat” method

For the most tender boiled chicken breast, try this. Bring the chicken and water to a boil, cover the pot, turn off the heat and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. The hot water finishes the cooking gently. It works best for average breasts in a heavy pot. Always confirm 165°F before you take them out; if they’re short, simmer a few minutes more.

How to Flavor the Water

Plain water gives you plain chicken. A few minutes of prep turns the cooking liquid into a light broth that seasons the meat all the way through, and you can save it for soup or rice afterward.

• Salt: 1½ to 2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart (1 liter) of water. This is the one addition you shouldn’t skip.
• Aromatics: half an onion, 2 smashed garlic cloves, a celery rib and a carrot cut in chunks.
• Herbs and spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, and a few sprigs of thyme or parsley stems.
• Broth instead of water: use low-sodium chicken broth, or half broth and half water, and cut the salt to ½ teaspoon per quart.
• Mexican style (for tacos and enchiladas): onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and a halved jalapeño.

Add everything at the start, with the cold water, so the flavors have time to come out while the pot heats up. For more ideas on what to season it with afterward, see our chicken seasoning blend.

Step-by-Step Method

This is the basic method for 2 pounds (900 g) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which is usually 4 average breasts. It makes about 6 cups of shredded chicken.

1. Trim and even out the breasts

Cut off any loose fat or tough white tendon. If one end of a breast is much thicker than the other, cut the breast in half crosswise so the pieces finish at the same time, or press it gently to an even thickness.

2. Put the chicken in the pot first

• Use a pot wide enough to hold the breasts in a single layer, about 4 to 5 quarts (4 to 5 liters).
• Add cold water or broth to cover the chicken by 1 inch (2.5 cm). For 2 pounds, that’s usually 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters).
• Add the salt and any aromatics.

3. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down

Heat over medium-high until the water just reaches a boil, 8 to 10 minutes. Skim off any gray foam with a spoon. Lower the heat until you see only small bubbles, then partly cover the pot.

4. Simmer and check

Simmer 12 to 15 minutes for average breasts; the chart above shows how long to boil chicken breast of other sizes. Start checking 2 minutes before the low end of the range. Lift a breast out with tongs, push an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part from the side, and look for 165°F (74°C). The juices should run clear and the center should be white, with no pink.

5. Rest before cutting

Move the breasts to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat. For extra-moist chicken, let the breasts cool in the cooking liquid for 10 minutes instead.

6. Save the liquid

Strain the cooking liquid and keep it. It’s a light chicken broth for soup, rice or cooking pasta, and it keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

How to Shred Boiled Chicken Breast

Warm chicken shreds much more easily than cold chicken, so shred it within 10 to 15 minutes of resting. Pick the method that fits how much you have.

As a rule, 1 pound (450 g) of raw boneless breast gives you about 3 cups (roughly 340 g) of cooked shredded chicken, because the meat loses about a quarter of its weight as it cooks. Toss the shreds with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid so they stay moist.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Boiling hard the whole time. A rolling boil makes tough, dry meat. Bring it up, then turn it down to a gentle simmer.
• Dropping chicken into boiling water. The outside overcooks before the center is done. Start in cold water so it heats evenly, unless you’re cooking small cubes.
• Not salting the water. Unsalted water pulls flavor out of the meat. Season the water like a mild soup.
• Crowding the pot. Stacked chicken breast pieces cook unevenly. Use a wider pot or cook in two batches.
• Cooking by time alone. How long to boil chicken breast depends on thickness: a thick 12-ounce breast and a thin 5-ounce breast are very different. Check with a thermometer.
• Going far past 165°F. Boiled chicken breast gets chalky above 170°F (77°C). Pull it as soon as it’s done.
• Throwing out the liquid. You’ve just made broth. Strain it and use it.

Food Safety Tips (USDA Guidelines)

Boiled chicken is simple, but raw poultry still needs careful handling. These points follow the FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperature chart.

• Cook to 165°F (74°C). That’s the safe minimum for all poultry, whole or in pieces, including ground chicken.
• Don’t rinse raw chicken. Washing it spreads bacteria around your sink and counter. The simmering water kills them anyway.
• Keep raw and cooked apart. Use a clean board and clean tongs for the cooked chicken, and wash your hands after touching raw meat.
• Thaw safely. Thaw chicken in the fridge, in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or cook it from frozen. Never thaw it on the counter.
• Cool it within 2 hours. Refrigerate cooked chicken within 2 hours, or within 1 hour on a day above 90°F (32°C).
• Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). That goes for chicken stirred into soups and casseroles too.

Pink tinges near the bone of fully cooked bone-in chicken are usually harmless and come from bone marrow pigment. The thermometer, not the color, tells you whether chicken is safe.

How Long Boiled Chicken Breast Keeps (Fridge and Freezer)

Boiled chicken is one of the best meal-prep foods there is, because it reheats well and goes into almost anything. Here’s how long it lasts, based on the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart.

How to freeze shredded chicken

1. Cool the chicken in the fridge until cold, no more than 2 hours after cooking.
2. Portion it into 1- or 2-cup amounts, which match most recipes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to each bag so it doesn’t dry out.
4. Press out the air, lay the bags flat and label them with the date.
5. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or drop the frozen chicken straight into a simmering soup or sauce.

Easy Recipes to Try Next With Shredded Chicken

Once you know how long to boil chicken breast, you’ve got the head start for dozens of quick dinners. Here’s where your shredded chicken can go this week.

• Creamy pasta bake: our chicken tetrazzini uses about 3 cups of cooked chicken in a mushroom and Parmesan sauce.
• Soup night: stir it into a cozy chicken gnocchi soup or a spicy chicken enchilada soup in the last 5 minutes.
• Weeknight ideas: tacos, casseroles and sandwiches in our roundup of shredded chicken recipes.
• More breast recipes: skillet, oven and air fryer options in our list of boneless skinless chicken breast recipes.
• Chicken salad: 2 cups shredded chicken, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, a chopped celery rib, a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper.

If you’re cooking for the freezer this week, the same simple-timing approach works for beef: see how long to cook meatballs in the oven. Or browse all our chicken recipes.

For a full meal with chopped chicken, try our halal cart style chicken over rice with white sauce.

Boiled chicken is perfect for a creamy chicken salad with grapes and pecans.

Boiled Chicken FAQs

How long to boil chicken breast?

Simmer an average 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). Small breasts take 8 to 10 minutes and large ones 18 to 22 minutes.

How long to boil frozen chicken breast?

Plan on about 50% longer than for thawed chicken: 18 to 22 minutes for average frozen boneless breasts and up to 30 minutes for large ones. Separate the pieces first and check for 165°F.

How do you know when boiled chicken is done?

The most reliable sign is 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part. Done chicken is white all the way through, firm to the touch, and the juices run clear.

Can you overboil chicken?

Yes. Chicken left boiling too long, or cooked at a hard rolling boil, turns dry, rubbery and stringy. Simmer gently and take it out as soon as it reaches 165°F.

Should you boil chicken in water or broth?

Either works. Salted water with onion, garlic and a bay leaf gives good flavor and makes its own light broth. Cooking in low-sodium broth gives slightly richer meat, so cut back on the added salt.

How long is boiled chicken good for in the fridge?

Cooked chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking, or freeze it for 2 to 6 months.