Homestyle Cooking: How Long To Boil Drumsticks Chicken

Boiled drumsticks are a basic home cooking method. But do you know the optimal cooking time?

What is the boiling time needed for chicken drumsticks?

It is safest to boil chicken drumsticks for 15 - 25 minutes.

First, put the drumsticks into cold water and start timing after bringing it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Regular - sized bone - in chicken drumsticks will be just right for bone - removal after boiling for 18 minutes. If you are making cold shredded chicken, turn off the heat after boiling for 15 minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes for a more tender texture.

Adding seasonings can prevent fishiness and enhance flavor

Put two slices of ginger, half a scallion, and a spoonful of cooking wine in the water. The boiled chicken drumsticks will have no fishy smell. If you want the meat to be more firm, turn to low heat after the water boils to keep the water surface bubbling gently and avoid the big rolling boil that could break the meat.

Should you rinse chicken drumsticks before boiling?

You don't need to rinse chicken drumsticks before boiling. Instead, rinsing may increase the risk of bacterial spread. Try a safer handling method:

Use kitchen paper to absorb instead of rinsing

After opening the package, directly use kitchen paper to blot the surface moisture of the chicken drumsticks, especially pay attention to wiping off the blood and water in the bone joints. Immediately seal and discard the used kitchen paper and the packaging bag after handling. Scald the cutting board and knives with hot water.

Blanching to remove impurities is more effective

If you mind the floating foam, put the chicken drumsticks in cold water, turn off the heat immediately when the water is about to boil, pour out the water, and then add fresh cold water for the actual boiling process. Adding a spoonful of cooking wine or two bay leaves during blanching can remove fishy smell better than rinsing.

How much water should I use to boil drumsticks?

It is most appropriate to use water that covers the chicken drumsticks by about 3 centimeters. You can handle it like this in actual operation:

Basic water level

Place the drumsticks flat on the bottom of the pot and then add water to ensure that the water surface is two finger - widths (about 3 centimeters) higher than the meat surface. For example, when boiling 4 regular - sized chicken drumsticks, 1.5 liters of water is sufficient. The amount of water evaporated during the process is just enough for reducing the liquid.

Slight adjustments are needed for different purposes

If you plan to drink the chicken broth, increase the water level to three times the height of the ingredients, so that the water won't run out when skimming off the floating foam. If you are simply blanching the chicken to remove the fishy smell, the water level only needs to just cover the chicken drumsticks. After boiling, remove the chicken after 2 minutes.

A small tip for choosing cookware

Using a deep - mouth soup pot is more water - saving than a frying pan. When boiling, cover the pot with the lid ajar. This can prevent the water from boiling over and also control the evaporation speed. If you find that the water level is dropping too quickly, add hot water in a timely manner instead of cold water to avoid the meat contracting and becoming tough.

Is it better to boil drumsticks fast or slow?

Bone - in chicken drumsticks are more suitable to be cooked slowly over low heat throughout the process.

After the water boils, I would adjust the heat to a level where only sporadic bubbles rise to the water surface. This can prevent the skin and flesh from separating and allow the heat to slowly penetrate into the bone joints. The best effect can be achieved by keeping the pot covered with a gap as thick as a chopstick.

If you're short on time, you can first bring the water to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes, but then you must immediately turn to low heat and start timing.

Fast boiling over high heat will cause the skin to contract first and lock in the meat juices. However, you need to observe closely. When the floating foam on the water surface starts to turn white instead of dark red, that's a sign to reduce the heat.

How do you know when boiled drumsticks are done?

Turn off the heat when the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F). During the operation, insert the probe obliquely at the junction of the meat and the bone, avoiding the cartilage and tendons to get the most accurate reading.

If you are using an instant - read thermometer, it is recommended to start checking in the last 5 minutes of boiling. When the temperature rises to 71°C (160°F), immediately remove it from the heat. The residual heat will continue to raise the temperature by 3 - 4 degrees.

If they are frozen chicken drumsticks, you can measure the temperature at multiple points to ensure that the temperature in different areas exceeds 70°C (158°F).

Points to note:

First, do not let the tip of the thermometer touch the bone, otherwise the reading will be falsely high.

Second, wait for 3 minutes after boiling and then measure the temperature again. At this time, the temperature will stabilize at a safe value.

If you find that the temperature in a certain area is lower than 70°C (158°F), you can put that part back into the hot soup and let it sit for 3 minutes as a remedy, avoiding overcooking the whole pot of meat.

Do you need to thaw frozen drumsticks before boiling?

You can boil frozen chicken drumsticks directly, but you need to extend the cooking time by at least 8 minutes.

I usually add half a spoonful more of salt when putting them into cold water. After the water boils, keep it boiling over medium heat to accelerate the internal thawing. Gently press on the joint with the back of a spoon. Start timing when the cartilage begins to loosen. Usually, it takes about 28 - 30 minutes.

However, it is more recommended to do a quick thaw in advance: Immerse the frozen chicken drumsticks in their packaging in brine (15 grams of salt in 1 liter of water). Make sure the water completely covers the chicken and let it sit at room temperature for 40 minutes. This way, the cooked meat texture will be closer to that of fresh chicken, and you can also shorten the cooking time by 5 minutes.

During the cooking process, turn the chicken drumsticks over twice and use a fork to cut through the surface fat layer to help the heat penetrate. After it is cooked, don't rush to turn off the heat. First, take out one chicken drumstick and cut vertically through the thickest part. Make sure the meat around the bone is completely white and has no ice crystals.

If you find that the center still looks transparent, covering the pot and letting it sit for 5 minutes will keep the meat more tender than continuing to boil.