| | | | | | | | |

Chicken For Babies, Ways To Serve & Cook (BLW)

Introducing chicken to babies can be a great option as first baby food starting at around 6 months of age, when they are ready for solid foods. Whether you choose purées or the baby-led weaning method as finger foods, there are plenty of chicken baby food recipe ideas to choose from.

The tips below (with pictures) can help you determine how to cook and serve chicken to babies at different stages, plus a few ideas of baby food recipes with chicken and possible combinations. You can start with chicken soup and purees, meatballs, crepe rolls or salads.

How to prepare cook cut and serve chicken for babies starting from purees and smooth soups to finger foods made with cooked chicken and ground chicken. Baby chicken recipes for babies 6 months and up suitable for baby led weaning as well. #babychickenrecipes #chickenforbaby #chickenbabyfood #babyledweaning

Is Chicken Good For Baby?

Poultry meat is a valuable food for a healthy infant development, it provides energy, digestible protein, B-group vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, and copper. As a matter of fact, the introduction of meat as an early complementary food for exclusively breastfed infants was associated with improved zinc intake.

Additionally, for infants the protein intake from meats has an important role in regulating growth.

Raw chicken breast cut into chunks.

Of course all these benefits are dependent on protein quality, so make sure you feed your baby with organically grown animals.

Ways To Cook / Prepare Chicken For Babies Including Baby Led Weaning

When introducing chicken to baby, many parents choose to cook the meat in a stock. And this is probably the easiest, fastest method and it renders a juicer cooked meat when compared to roasting. Whether you use the chicken breast or the other parts (legs and thighs) with darker meat it makes an ideal choice when introducing the first meat into baby’s diet.

Poached Chicken

Heat some broth/stock, bring to a boil, and add the chopped chicken meat and cover with a lid. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes until is cooked through inside. The smaller the meat pieces the faster they will cook. You can also use water instead of stock, but you might need to add aromatic herbs and vegetables like, onion, garlic, celery, parsley and black pepper in order to flavor the chicken meat.

Poached chicken.

What’s the difference between boiled and poached chicken? Poached chicken is very gently simmered in liquid, just until cooked through. This cooking method yields moist and tender chicken meat. When aggressively boiled, the proteins from chicken contract and tighten squeezing out the moisture and you end up with hard rubbery meat.

Roasted Chicken

Preheat oven to 425°F | 220°C. Line a baking pan with parchment/baking paper, or use glass / ceramic baking pans. Place the chicken breasts (or other chicken parts, equal sizes) in the pan and toss with the desired seasonings and drizzle with olive or avocado oil (high heat resistant). Rub the seasonings all over to evenly coat. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F (75°C) using a meat thermometer. To avoid crust forming, cover with foil while baking or keep the skin as a shield.

Roasted chicken breast and sliced for babies baby led weaning finger food.
Serve the chicken breast to your baby as finger food

Crockpot Chicken

Here you can use larger pieces (and even the whole chicken). Add the chicken to the crockpot, cover with stock and set to low. You can also add some lemon juice and seasonings. Simmer for 4-6 hours. If using whole chicken cook for about 8 hours.

How To Introduce / Serve Chicken To A Baby

Chicken may be introduced to baby’s diet as soon as your baby is ready to start solids and served along with other foods. Meats are generally great for 6-7 month old babies, as they support the micronutrient levels necessary for adequate child development. And it’s a far more superior source of nutrients than any artificially fortified infant food.

Ways To Serve Chicken To Your Baby:

  • Chicken Puree: It’s great as stage 1 baby food and easy to make. You can use the poached chicken method described above and then use the meat and a little bit of pre-made chicken stock (in which the chicken was cooked) and blend in a blender or food processor until you reach the desired consistency, slowly adding more stock if needed. Serve the chicken puree as it is or added into another puree. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer periods.
Chicken puree for baby.
  • Make Soft Chicken Meatballs with ground chicken – suitable for babies 6 months+, toddlers and baby led weaning method (BLW).
Chicken meatballs with ground chicken.
  • Chicken Soup – serve as it is or puree it to a smoother consistency. This recipe is suitable for babies 6 months+, toddlers and older kids.
Chicken soup for babies chucky and smooth version.
  • Shredded/ cut/ cubed chicken meat – cook the chicken with a slow cooker, poached or roasted. Breast and thigh meat both work well and you can use either or a combination of both. Shred the chicken using two forks (or your hands) while it’s still warm. You can also slice or cube the meat according to baby’s age. 
Shredded chicken for babies.
  • Chicken Salad – shredded cooked chicken, avocado, soft boiled egg and diced onion – suitable for babies 10-12 months and older.
  • Chicken Cutlets – thinly slices chicken breast with a crisp, breaded exterior or egg covered exterior. These are suitable for older babies (as it requires frying) as finger food.
Mini Chicken Cutlets
  • Chicken crepe rolls – crepes filled with chicken and mushroom paste, baked or pan seared. This is a great lunch box option for kids and toddlers, as well as finger food for kids 9 months old and up.
Chicken filled crepes for kids baby 9 months and up, great for lunch box.
Crepe Rolls – soft chicken and mushroom filled crepes.

Chicken Puree Combinations

How Much Chicken Puree To Serve To a Baby

  • 6 months old babies: 2 tablespoons, 2 times a day. Serve along other foods and breastmilk.
  • 7-8 months old babies: 2-3 tablespoons, 2-3 times a day. Along with other vegetables, fruits and breastmilk.
  • 9-12 months old babies: 3-4 tablespoons, 2-3 times a day. Along other foods and breastmilk. Gradually increase according to age.

How To Cut / Prepare Chicken For Baby Led Weaning

Each baby develops at his own pace and it’s impossible to tell exactly when a child will learn a certain skill. There are many ways to cook and serve chicken as baby led weaning finger foods, here is approximate timeline that you can use as a guide:

  • 6-8 months: serve larger size meat, 2-3 inch strips (your finger length size, 1-2” wide). A drumstick will also work, the bone works as a handle that your baby can hold onto and takes bites out of. Just make sure to remove the loose cartilage and skin. You can also serve ground chicken meatballs or patties at this age. They should be soft and easy to chew with gums.
How to prepare cook cut and serve chicken for babies starting from purees and smooth soups to finger foods made with cooked chicken and ground chicken. Baby chicken recipes for babies 6 months and up suitable for baby led weaning as well. . Whether you choose purées or the baby-led weaning method as finger foods, there are plenty of chicken baby food recipe ideas to choose from. #babychickenrecipes #chickenforbaby #chickenbabyfood #babyledweaning #babychickenfood
Ways to serve chicken baby led weaning from 6 months and up.
  • 8-10 months: at this age babies should be able to bite and tear food and also develop their pincer grasp (pick things up and feed themselves). So you can serve thinner slices (about the size of your pinky finger), shredded chicken and then progress to smaller cuts as cubes.
  • 10-12 months and older: You can incorporate finely shred or ground chicken into meals (like chicken soup or chicken salad or mixed with other veggies in casseroles).

Chicken For Babies FAQ

Can babies eat pureed chicken?

Yes. First you need to cook the chicken meat then puree with some added liquid like water, chicken stock or breastmilk.

Can a baby eat chicken everyday?

Yes. But keep in mind that a baby should eat a variety of foods. A diet high in protein might cause constipation because low fiber content. Plus when it comes to nutrition value of meat, there are meats that have a few nutritious advantages over chicken (turkey or beef for example), so it’s best to consume them in rotation. Make sure to offer your baby a variety of meats to expose them to different flavors and textures.

Can babies eat ground chicken?

Yes, you can easily make recipes with ground chicken for you baby: cook in a skillet with vegetables or make chicken meatballs / patties.

How do I make ground chicken for my baby?

Besides purchasing ground chicken from store, you can make it yourself: just place the chunks of chicken meat in a food processor along with the desired seasonings and pulse a few times to get the desired consistency/ size.

At what age chicken can be given to babies?

You can start giving chicken to your baby at around 6-7 months along with other foods and breastmilk. But keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace so don’t force it if your baby is not ready for meat yet.

More Meat & Chicken Recipes For Your Baby

ways to serve chicken to baby.

Ways To Cook & Serve Chicken To Babies, Toddlers (BLW) By Age

ThrivingNest
Introducing chicken to babies can be a great option as first baby food starting at around 6 months of age, when they are ready for solid foods. Whether you choose purées or the baby-led weaning method as finger foods, there are plenty of chicken baby food ideas to choose from. The tips below (with pictures) can help you determine how to cook and serve chicken to babies at different stages.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Baby Food
Servings 2 or multiple
Calories 578 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chicken meat (breast, thighs or other parts)
  • 2 cups liquid (stock or water)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (for older babies and toddlers)

Optional (For Flavor)

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • seasonings for roasting (oregano, sage, coriander, paprika etc.)

Instructions
 

Poach The Chicken

  • Heat the broth/stock or other liquid and bring to a boil. Add the chopped chicken meat (it should be fully submerged) and cover with a lid. Simmer on low constant heat ( between 170° and 180°F) for about 15 minutes until is cooked through inside. The smaller the meat pieces the faster they will cook.
  • You can also use water instead of stock, but you might need to add aromatic herbs and vegetables like, onion, garlic, celery, parsley and black pepper in order to flavor the chicken meat.
  • This method of cooking yields the most tender and moist chicken meat.
    Once cooked through inside, remove from liquid and use in recipes like: chicken puree, chicken soup, chicken salad or serve as finger food cut into sizes appropriate to the age (see details in the post above.)

Roasting Chicken

  • Preheat oven to 425°F | 220°C. Line a baking pan with parchment/baking paper, or use glass / ceramic baking pans. Place the chicken breasts (or other chicken parts, equal sizes) in the pan and toss with the desired seasonings and drizzle with olive or avocado oil (high heat resistant).
  • Rub the seasonings all over to evenly coat. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F (75°C) using a meat thermometer. To avoid crust forming, cover with foil while baking or keep the skin as a shield.
    Use in recipes like: chicken puree, chicken soup, chicken salad or serve as finger food cut into sizes appropriate to the age (see details in the post above.)

Crockpot Chicken

  • Here you can use larger pieces (and even the whole chicken). Add the chicken to the crockpot, cover with stock and set to low. You can also add some lemon juice aromatics and seasonings. Simmer for 4-6 hours.
    If using whole chicken cook for about 8 hours. Use in recipes like: chicken puree, chicken soup, chicken salad or serve as finger food cut into sizes appropriate to the age (see details in the post above.)

Notes

Ways To Serve Chicken To Babies

 
  1. Chicken Puree: It’s great as stage 1 baby food (for 5-6 months old babies). You can use the poached chicken method described above and then use the meat and a little bit of pre-made chicken stock (in which the chicken was cooked) and blend in a blender or food processor until you reach the desired consistency. Or mix with other purees.
  2. Make Soft Chicken Meatballs with ground chicken – suitable for babies 6 months+, toddlers and baby led weaning method (BLW) as finger food.
  3. Chicken Soup – serve as it is or puree it to a smoother consistency. This recipe is suitable for babies 6 months+, toddlers and older kids.
  4. Shredded/ cut/ cubed chicken meat – shred the cooked chicken using two forks (or your hands) while it’s still warm. You can also slice or cube the meat according to baby’s age (see post above for details and pictures).
  5. Chicken Salad – shredded cooked chicken, avocado, soft boiled egg and diced onion – suitable for babies 10-12 months and older.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 578kcalProtein: 58.24gCalcium: 71mgIron: 4.18mg
Have you tried any of these recipes? Your feedback is really helpful, please rate and leave a comment below recipe card!!

Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not intended for medical advice. Please refer to my full disclaimer for more info.

©ThrivingNest. Content and photographs are copyright protected and need prior permission to use. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to other websites and any social media is strictly prohibited. Sharing and using the link of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating