Wondering how long to boil chicken legs? You’ve come to the right place!
Boiled chicken legs can be a wonderfully tasty thing. The final result is almost always a brightly flavored, juicy offering that can be served alone, or with a range of different great side dishes. On top of that, they can come together in as little as thirty minutes!
How long to boil chicken legs?
Depending on the size of the chicken legs, the cooking time can vary:
- If you’re boiling fresh chicken drumsticks: around 15 to 20 minutes
- If you’re boiling frozen chicken drumsticks: around 25 to 30 minutes
- For fresh chicken leg quarters: around 25 minutes
- For frozen chicken leg quarters: around 30 to 35 minutes
Make sure the chicken is safe to eat by using an instant thermometer to check its temperature. Anything slightly above 75C or 165F should be good.
Why you’ll love boiled chicken legs
The main thing that I adore about this recipe is how easy and simple it is. There are so many recipes out there, particularly chicken ones, which involve a few steps that could easily be misconstrued or done incorrectly.
Thankfully, this recipe is delightfully straightforward – you really can’t go wrong with it!
I really love the fact that this recipe allows you to easily, and with a really low chance of mistakes, create a delightfully tasty and juicy chicken option for your family. We all know how difficult it is to chew dry, overcooked chicken! With this recipe, trust and believe that the chicken will be soft and juicy!!
Also, this recipe makes a great jumping-off point for adventurous cooks. You could change the ingredients in the broth you’re making depending on what you feel like each time you make these drumsticks.
Boiled chicken legs recipe – Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken legs
- I would recommend using 6 drumsticks or an equivalent amount of leg quarters for this recipe, though you could use nearly any part of the chicken.
- 1 onion
- Any white onion will work brilliantly.
- 1 tsp Pepper
- Black pepper is typical and easy to use, although cayenne, chipotle, or other options would work.
- Dried spices – 1 tbsp Thyme, 1 tbsp Parsley, 1 Bay leaf
- These spices all give the chicken an unmistakable herbiness that’s sure to tickle your tastebuds. There’s nothing wrong with the wonderfully straightforward and tasty options!
- 2 tsp Salt
- Everything should have a little salt for seasoning, but it can raise the temperature of the water you’re boiling in this recipe. This will allow your food to cook more quickly, which is super handy.
How to boil chicken legs (drumsticks)
- First of all, clean the chicken legs totally, and pat them dry with paper towels. Then, add them to a pot.
- Peel and chop the onion before adding it to the pot. And follow it with the thyme, pepper, bay leaf, parsley, and salt.
- Add water to cover the chicken with an inch of headroom above the tallest piece. The water should taste salty to ensure that the chicken isn’t at all bland. Give the water a small taste, and add salt as needed.
- Cover the pot with the chicken inside, and place it on the stove. Then, boil the drumsticks at a steady boil for around twenty minutes.
- Check if the chicken is safe to eat. Slice through the chicken and look at the evenness of the color. If it still looks raw, place it back in the pot to boil for a few more minutes. Otherwise, remove it from the pot, and serve.
Tips and Tricks
There are a few things that spring to mind when considering this recipe, though there are two big tips we’d like to suggest.
Firstly, you could boil the chicken in stock or bouillon to ensure that the chicken itself draws some of the flavors from it, making the whole meal tastier. You could use chicken stock or almost any stock. This isn’t unheard of – traditional French casserole involves cooking chicken in beef stock.
Ensure that the pot you’re using is large enough to prevent the chicken from overcrowding in the pot. If the chicken crowds, then it won’t cook evenly, and flavors won’t be distributed evenly.
What to serve with boiled chicken legs
There is a range of things you could serve these chicken legs with, but we’d recommend some form of starchy carbohydrates.
If you’re a true potato lover, you could opt for mashed potatoes or fries. Alternatively, for something a little fancier, dauphinoise potatoes would be a creamy, rich side dish utterly different from the bright, herby flavors of the chicken.
If you’d rather go for rice, the world is your oyster! You could go for standard steamed white rice or egg-fried rice for something a little more flavorsome. Alternatively, jollof rice is always a great option for a side dish. Hot, rich, and well-spiced, it makes a bright addition to any plate.
How to store leftover chicken legs
When the chicken has completely cooled after cooking, place into an airtight container to be stored for up to three days. If you’re looking to store for longer, keeping the chicken in an airtight container in the freezer can allow it to stay tasty up to four months.
When reheating, make sure that the chicken is steaming hot all the way through to make sure that it’s safe to eat.
FAQ
How do you tell if boiled drumsticks are done?
The simplest way to tell if the chicken is totally cooked through is to take a look at the inside of the chicken. Slice through the meat of the chicken, and look at the color – it must be white throughout the inside for it to be totally cooked. If it is at all pink, it must be cooked for longer.
Can you overcook chicken drumsticks?
Yes, you certainly can. You can overcook any meat, since the proteins in the meat will denature too much, leading to a dish that’s principally made up of rubbery, disappointing meat.
If you’re ever unsure, use a meat thermometer at the thickest point of the meat to measure it’s temperature – chicken must be at least 75˚C to be cooked through, any more and it will start to overcook, and less and it will not be cooked safely.
Can drumsticks be a little pink?
No, no chicken dish can be pink at all. This is because chicken is only cooked through and is sterile when the meat is white. Before that point, the chicken will not be totally cooked and can be unsafe to eat.
How To Boil Chicken Legs (Boiled Chicken Drumsticks Recipe)
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- onion
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- First of all, clean the chicken legs totally, and pat them dry with paper towels. Then, add them to a pot.
- Peel and chop the onion before adding it to the pot. And follow it with the thyme, pepper, bay leaf, parsley, and salt.
- Add water to cover the chicken with an inch of headroom above the tallest piece. The water should taste salty to ensure that the chicken isn’t at all bland. Give the water a small taste, and add salt as needed.
- Cover the pot with the chicken inside, and place it on the stove. Then, boil the drumsticks at a steady boil for around twenty minutes.
- Check if the chicken is safe to eat. Slice through the chicken and look at the evenness of the color. If it still looks raw, place it back in the pot to boil for a few more minutes. Otherwise, remove it from the pot, and serve!
Notes
I hope this post has answered your question of ‘how long to boil chicken legs!’ Happy cooking!