How Long to Boil Chicken Legs?

You probably have asked yourself, “how long to boil chicken legs?”. There are several reasons to boil chicken legs, but none are particularly surprising. A basic method for boiling chicken legs involves placing them in a pot with a small amount of water. Then, place the pot over medium-low heat. You can also add seasonings to your chicken legs. Without these, your cooked chicken legs would be a bit bland. Try adding a few pieces of spicy onion to your boiled chicken. You can use whole onions or cut them into quarters. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, remove the onions from the water and set them aside.

How Long to Boil Chicken Legs

As chicken legs contain many muscles and bones, it takes thirty to forty minutes to cook them fully. To check if your chicken is cooked through, you can use a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a chicken leg. The meat should register 165 deg F (74 deg C), but smaller chicken legs may take as long as thirty minutes. The chicken leg is a good option for a simple dinner regardless of size.

What are Chicken Legs?

The drumstick and thigh are both parts of a chicken leg. When the two chicken pieces are left together, they are sometimes called a leg quarter or a hindquarter. However, some people use “leg” to talk about just the drumstick. Dark meat chicken legs are a versatile cut that soaks up marinades well and stays juicy and delicious when roasted, braised, or grilled. Chicken legs are a cheap way to make chicken any night of the week, and they are easy to cook and full of flavour.

From the claw to what would be the animal’s hip, a chicken leg goes. A chicken is cut into two quarters for the legs and two quarters for the breasts. Each leg quarter, or leg for short, is made up of the drumstick and the thigh. You can keep the two pieces together or sell them as two separate cuts.

Thighs can be bought with or without bones, but drumsticks and whole legs usually come with bones. These cuts are cheap, but whole chicken legs are usually the most affordable. Chickens always use their legs, and that exercise builds up red muscle fibres, making the meat on chicken legs darker than on chicken breasts and wings. Dark meat has more fat, making it taste and feel more juicy and flavorful.

How Long to Boil Chicken Legs?

The time it takes to boil chicken depends on what part of the chicken you are boiling and how big it is. Drumsticks, thighs, and quarters are all different sizes, so that the cooking time will differ for each. When the water starts to boil gently, it takes 15 and 30 minutes. But make sure to check every so often and add a few more minutes of cooking time if the parts are not cooked all the way through. This is especially important if you are cooking cuts that you think are bigger than average.

If you are unsure how long to boil chicken legs, the general rule is 20 minutes. This amount of time is more than adequate for the best results. This will ensure that the meat is cooked to the desired texture and consistency. The water will already be very hot, and this method also removes the tough skin and any blood present. The resulting broth will be rich and flavorful. So, when deciding how long to boil chicken legs, follow the directions for your particular recipe.

It only takes 20 minutes to boil fresh chicken legs and 30 minutes to boil frozen ones. The best way to make sure it’s cooked all the way through is to cook it until the temperature inside is 165°F. When checking the temperature with a meat thermometer, always put the probe in the thickest part of the chicken leg.

Tips For Boiling Chicken

  • No matter what part of the chicken you are boiling, be careful when adding it to the water so that it doesn’t splash or spill.
    Cook something until the temperature inside reaches 165 degrees.
    When you’re done handling raw chicken, wipe down every surface.
  • When the chicken is done, throw away any fresh herbs.
    For even cooking, don’t put too much chicken in the stockpot. Instead, boil the chicken in a single layer.
  • When the pot is boiling, put a lid on it.
  • Put in enough water to cover the chicken by at least an inch.
    The chicken will taste better if more fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables are added to the water in which it is boiled.

Equipment

  • large stockpot
  • measuring spoons
  • tongs
  • baking sheet with rack
  • pastry brush
  • small bowl

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pounds of chicken legs
  • One tablespoon peppercorns
  • Two teaspoons salt
  • fresh sprigs of thyme and sage optional
  • water
  • Two tablespoons of BBQ sauce

How to Reheat Cooked Chicken?

Reheat in the microwave, stovetop, air fryer, or oven.

Microwave: It’s easy, but the meat tends to become dry. Put the pieces in a bowl that can go in the microwave and sprinkle them with a little water and oil. Cover and heat for two minutes. Check! If the parts are not warm, keep heating them for 30 seconds and check each time to see if they are warm enough.

Stovetop: If you take the meat off the bone, it’s easier to heat it on the stove. Put the meat in a pot and add a small amount of water. Cover and heat, often stirring, until everything is hot.

To gently reheat whole pieces on the stove, add a little water and cover the pan. Turn the pieces every so often. It will take some more time.

Oven: Set the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Put the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and heat them for about 15 minutes, or until they are warm all the way through.

Air fryer:  One of my favourite ways is quick and makes the skin crispier. Get the air fryer hot. Place the tender chicken legs in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Heat at 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is hot all the way through.

How to Get Chicken Legs?

Fresh chicken legs are easy to find in supermarkets and grocery stores. They can be bought from the meat counter or in packages with other meats kept in the fridge. Most of the time, separate thighs and drumsticks are sold, but whole leg quarters are also sold quite often. Chicken can be bought by the pound or in small packages or big enough for a family. There are also frozen chicken legs available.

Look for fresh chicken legs with pink, juicy meat. Check the date on the package, and don’t buy chicken that is slimy, grey, or smells bad. Chicken with the bone and skin still on it is cheaper than boneless chicken because it needs less work to prepare. Even though organic and pasture-raised chicken from small farms costs more, it tastes better.

How to Store Chicken Legs?

If the chicken legs you bought at the store are not vacuum-sealed, take them out of the package and put them in an airtight container. Depending on when the chicken needs to be used, it can be kept in the fridge for three days. Chicken can be frozen for up to six months if you wrap each piece in plastic wrap or foil and put it in a freezer bag or vacuum seal it. Put frozen chicken in a bowl or on a plate and put it in the fridge overnight. If any water leaks out, the bowl or plate will catch it.

Conclusion

When cooking chicken legs, remember that the flavour comes from the water and broth created by the cooking process. As the bones and fat render, the meat becomes tender and delicious. After cooking, the liquid that remains is also very good for making soups or gravy. In addition, the water from boiling chicken legs can be used for other dishes, such as vegetables, to use the leftovers in different ways.

And remember to clean your chicken legs properly. You don’t want to let the blood seep out of the drumstick! Chicken legs are tasty and tender, and they can be baked, grilled, or fried after being boiled. If you have a freezer or a steaming pan, you can roast or grill the drumsticks. Once they are cooked, you can serve them with side dishes, such as steamed vegetables and rice. You can also use buffalo or bbq sauces to add some flavour to your boiled chicken.