# Boiling chicken, need help!



## ekornmeyer (Feb 7, 2006)

Hey guys, I am 20, and I have never really cooked anything before, so I am looking for a little help. I am trying to make chicken enchiladas, but I don't know how to go about making them.

I have 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts that I took out of the freezer today. I assume I need to boil them.. how long should I do that for?

After I boil the chicken, I just shred it up, put it in the shells with the fillings, etc, then bake it?

Thanks for any help you guys/girls can give me!


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## Alix (Feb 7, 2006)

YIKES! Do NOT boil them! That will give you lovely rubber chicken. 

Instead, when they are thawed (I immerse mine in cold water to thaw them quickly), sprinkle them with some seasonings like pepper, seasoned salt, and maybe some hot sauce like Franks and fry them in a frying pan. It won't take boneless breasts long. 

Then you should dice them up rather than shredding them and mix them with your other enchilada sauce ingredients. Do you have a recipe or would you like one?


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## abjcooking (Feb 7, 2006)

Bring a pot of water (enough to cover chicken) up to a boil. Put in whatever seasonings you want. Bring the water back down to a simmer and put chicken in. Depending on how large you chicken breasts are depends on how long you simmer it for. I would guess about 40-50 minutes or so for a larger breast. Less for a skinless boneless breast.

Alix is right don't have the water boiling while the chicken is in. You just want it at a slow simmer if you are going to cook them this way.


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## ekornmeyer (Feb 7, 2006)

Lol, well, I'm glad that I waited! Who wants to eat rubber chicken. 

I just have your basic can of old el paso enchilada sauce, the directions on it seem pretty straight forward.

After the chicken is done, lightly coat the shells in enchilada sauce, fill them up / wrap them up, and put them in a pan.. and cover with more sauce / cheese. That's what the can says anyway.

The main thing I was worried about was salmonella. I thought you would have to boil the chicken first.


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## Alix (Feb 7, 2006)

Well, in case you want to get fancy here's what I do. 

Brown some diced onions in some oil, toss in the diced chicken. Add a generous dollop of salsa (about 2/3 cup) and some diced up cream cheese (about 1/2 a brick so...1/2 a cup?), and some shredded cheddar. Turn your element to low and wait til everything is melted together. Spoon this filling into your tortilla shells and roll them up. Top with more grated cheddar and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and more salsa. 

Good luck!


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## ekornmeyer (Feb 7, 2006)

Actually, I have another question. You say to fry them on a frying pan.. do I need to clean them up before I do this? (Cut off the fat, etc.) Or do I do that after?


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## Alix (Feb 7, 2006)

I do mine before I fry them.


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## ekornmeyer (Feb 7, 2006)

Thank you! You've been a great help. <3


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## Alix (Feb 7, 2006)

My pleasure. Welcome to the site. I hope you find all the help you need around here, there's a great bunch of folks who come here.


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## amber (Feb 7, 2006)

I'm with Alix on this one, dont boil it!  It does get rubbery and very bland as well.


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## ekornmeyer (Feb 7, 2006)

Just updating you. I finished eating them, and they turned out great! Thanks again for the help.


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## Alix (Feb 7, 2006)

Cool! I am so glad they worked out well. Thanks for posting to let us know, we always like to see how things worked out.


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## Constance (Feb 7, 2006)

Just an amusing note about cooking chicken. 
My dad was raised on a farm, and in the summer, they had no refrigeration, so they ate a lot of chicken.
I'm talkin' go out and catch the chicken, wring it's neck, and clean. It was Daddy's job to clean the chickens and remove the feathers. He always hated what he called "grasshopper chickens" (I think they call them free range now, and charge a whole lot more for them), 
Anytime he came in my door and I had a chicken in the pot, he would just turn around and leave. He couldn't stand the smell.
He eventually got to the point where he'd eat one of my fried chicken breasts with chicken gravy and mashed potatoes. It was really the gravy he loved.

By the way, the method of cooking chicken you all are talking about is called poaching. The chicken will have more flavor if you season the poaching liquid.


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