Basic Stewed Chicken

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Visit your local meat market and buy a whole chicken.
  2. Before purchasing a chicken, check the expiration date to make sure it is fresh.
  3. Get out an 8 quart Dutch oven and set aside.
  4. Remove chicken from packaging.
  5. Sniff the chicken. It should NOT SMELL like anything. That is the sign of a fresh chicken. If it smells rancid return it to the place where you bought it and ask for a refund.
  6. If the chicken contains giblets, remove from the cavity, rinse, and place in Dutch oven.
  7. Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven.
  8. Rinse the chicken well with cold water.
  9. Place the chicken in the Dutch oven.
  10. Add enough water to the Dutch oven to cover the chicken; cover with a lid.
  11. Bring the water in the Dutch oven to a boil on high heat.
  12. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
  13. Simmer the chicken for 1 hour or until a fork can easily be inserted in the breast meat.
  14. Using two large serving spoons or forks, remove the whole chicken to a platter.
  15. Cover loosely with a piece of foil and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
  16. If you would like to save the broth, strain it into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  17. Once the broth has cooled, refrigerate overnight.
  18. Skim the fat off of the refrigerated broth.
  19. Use the broth for a soup pot, or freeze in containers to be used for any recipe that requires chicken broth.
  20. Once the refrigerated chicken has cooled enough to handle remove the meat from the bones.
  21. Cut the meat into small pieces and use for any recipe that calls for cooked and deboned chicken meat.
  22. Refrigerate or freeze any unused portions of chicken.

Comments

One whole chicken will weigh somewhere between 3 to 7 pounds.

One whole chicken will yield 4 to 8 cups of cooked and deboned chicken meat.

Make sure to carefully check the expiration date on the chicken you are buying. Try to buy the freshest chicken available.

Plan to cook your chicken immediately. If you store it in the refrigerator before cooking, only store for 1 to 2 days.

Cooked chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Chicken broth can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

This is a very economical way to cook up enough chicken for several meals. Buying a whole chicken is much less expensive than cooking up individually sold chicken parts.

Do you have an Instant Pot? For a faster and more flavorful stewed chicken try my Instant Pot Stewed Chicken.

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