- 1). Rinse the chicken or chicken pieces under cold running water. Place them in the pot, and add enough chicken broth to cover. The pot should be large enough that there is room for the broth to circulate around the chicken.
- 2). Add any herbs, spices, or additional flavoring ingredients called for in your recipe. Place the pot on a burner, and bring it slowly up to temperature. Stop just short of boiling, when the broth is simmering enough to ripple on the surface but not actually bubbling.
- 3). Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees F. Boneless chicken breasts may require as little as 15 minutes, while bone-in legs can take up to 25 minutes.
- 4). Remove the chicken from the broth, and serve. If the meat is being prepared for another recipe, remove the meat from the bones and package it in the cooled broth.
- 5). Simmer stewing hens and older birds until the meat is tender enough to flake from the bones, which can take as long as 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the meat from the bones and use as desired.
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