How Long Does A Hen Take To Cook

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post explains how to cook a Stewing Hen!

What Is a Stewing Hen?

The first time I saw a stewing hen was in the frozen section of my local Asian market. I was intrigued because I had never seen one before.

A stewing hen is a hen that is unable to produce eggs much anymore, or an egg layer that has been retired. Due to this, farmers normally have to cull them to make way for new egg layers. Using a stewing hen in cooking is a way to honor the entire life cycle of the bird, which I absolutely love.

What Is The Best Way To Cook A Stewing Hen?

Stewing Hen with a white plate in the background

The stewing hen is very lean and has a lot of connective tissue. Therefore, they require a long and slow cooking process to make them tender. So, the best way to cook a stewing hen is in your crockpot or slow cooker!

Stewing hen in a crockpot with celery, carrots, onion, garlic and peppercorns

It really couldn't be simpler! Place the stewing hen in a crockpot and add some cut up celery, carrots, onion, garlic cloves and peppercorns. Cover with water, then cook on a low setting for 12 hours. Mostly hands off, and you will have an AMAZING broth and tender meat in the end!

Stewing Hen Broth

This resulting broth from cooking the stewing hen in the crockpot for so many hours is RICH and flavorful. Strain the solids from the liquid after cooking to obtain this amazing broth.

If you watch this video, I compare a broth from a stewing hen vs a broth from a chicken. Note the difference in color!

This broth can be used for the most delicious soups and stews!

Stewing Hen Meat

The meat from the stewing hen is lovely and tender after 12 hours of cooking in the crockpot. Trying to roast a stewing hen will result in tough as anything meat so you don't want to go there! Crockpot is definitely the way to go!

You can use this lovely and tender meat for any number of dishes. 🙂

Why Should You Bother With A Stewing Hen?

It's totally worth bringing a stewing hen home and working with it! Here are the reasons…

You honor this animal who has worked so hard to produce eggs for us to enjoy. I'm so happy that they are sold on the market for us to honor them by using them up completely and not letting anything go to waste. 🙂
They produce the most INCREDIBLE flavored broth that you can use for soups and stews…just like the name implies!
They are not expensive, and you can enjoy budget friendly meals by utilizing the stewing hen.
After cooking them properly (low and slow), you will have a most tender and delicious meat from the stewing hen that you can use in any number of dishes that require chicken/meat.

What I Created With My Stewing Hen Broth and Meat

I decided to use this most flavorful stewing hen broth and meat in a Chicken and Wild Rice Soup which was AMAZING!

Basically all I did was add the broth to a saucepan, along with some wild rice. Bring to the boil, and simmer until the wild rice is cooked. Add some cut up veggies…I used carrots and celery. Cook until softened, then add the tender meat from the stewing hen, and season to taste.

Let's Honor A Stewing Hen 🙂

So, next time you happen to see a stewing hen at your grocery store, I do hope you will bring one home. Cooking with it truly does honor the entire life cycle of an amazing creature that gave its all. ❤️

You can use the broth and meat in a chicken and wild rice soup, like I did. Or you can use the broth to enrich other dishes that call for it, and the delicious tender meat can be enjoyed in a myriad of other meals!

Bon Appetit!!

Some Other Dishes You May Enjoy!

Easy Fall Apart Tender Barbacoa Tacos

Easy Shrimp Gumbo Using Zatarain's Gumbo Mix

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace

Stewing Hen in a crockpot

How To Cook A Stewing Hen

Cooking a stewing hen shows love and honor for a bird who has given its all during its life as an egg layer. Best cooked low and slow in a crockpot which will result in a fabulous broth and tender meat!

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 12 hrs

Additional Time For Cooking Chicken and Wild Rice Soup 1 hr

Total Time 13 hrs 5 mins

Course broth, Soup

Cuisine American

Crockpot

1 stewing hen
water enough to cover the ingredients in the crockpot
3 garlic cloves peeled
1 onion peeled and quartered
1 celery cut into a few pieces
1 carrot peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
few whole black peppercorns I just sprinkled a few in

For Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4-6 cups Stewing Hen broth
3/4-1 cup wild rice
1 carrot peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 celery cut into bite sized pieces
1.5 cups Stewing hen meat picked off the bones
salt to taste
pepper to taste

To Cook The Stewing Hen

Add the stewing hen and other ingredients to a crockpot. Cover the ingredients with water.
Set to low heat, cover, and cook for 12 hrs.
Allow to cool a bit, then separate the ingredients from the broth. Skim the fat from the top of the broth if you like.
Pick the meat from the bones of the stewing hen.

To Make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Add the stewing hen broth and wild rice to a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
Lower to a simmer, and cook until the wild rice is tender, around 45-50 minutes.
Add the cut up carrots and celery for the last 10 minutes of the time your rice is cooking. Cook the vegetables until softened.
Add the stewing hen meat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Everything presented here can be followed directly or used as guidelines. Feel free to mix things up! Add other vegetables, herbs or seasonings as you desire. The main thing is to feel good about being able to honor the life of the stewing hen!

You will enjoy great flavorful broth and delicious tender meat when cooked low and slow in the crockpot.

Use the broth wherever chicken broth is called for and the meat can be thrown into enchiladas or quesadillas, for example. Or you can utilize both in a fantastic Chicken and Wild Rice Soup!

Keyword broth, Chicken, Soup, stew