Basic Chicken Baby Food Recipe
This homemade Basic Chicken Baby Puree is a great addition to your baby’s favorite purees for extra protein and flavor! It’s an incredibly simple recipe with big flavor and nutrition! It’s perfect as a Stage One Baby Food or 6+ months.
Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Chicken Baby Puree
Chicken 🍗 is full of essential vitamins, fat, and protein that your baby needs for their development. But pureed chicken for your baby? 🤔
I know, I know, I know. Pureed chicken for baby sounds… err.. gross. I get it! I was once thinking the same thing when I started my baby food journey because my only reference to a chicken puree for your baby was a self-stable store-bought chicken puree, which is 💯% not the best (trust me, I tasted them all).
And if I don’t want to eat it, I’m not going to serve it to my baby!
Baby food should be as good, if not better, than the food we eat.
But guys, without bias, this homemade chicken baby food puree is legit! It is gently cooked with chicken, earthy parsley, and a deep, rich broth. The key here is to cook the chicken just right — we do not want overcooked chicken. Then, we blend it up with a little extra broth, and you have yourself a creamy puree that tastes like a blended chicken noodle soup.
While some babies love this taste of a meat puree, others might find it a bit intense. That is totally okay. For starters, you can mix this chicken puree into any other fruit or veggie baby food you know your little one will love.
Is it your first time making homemade baby food? Then I suggest you start this journey by reading my in-depth Guide on How to Make Homemade Baby Food. The detailed guide goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, how to know when baby is ready for solids, how to introduce purees, the best first foods for baby, and more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!
Chicken Puree for Baby Video
Reasons to Love this Basic Chicken Puree
- simple yet flavorful
- packed with protein
- great to add to any other fruit or veggie puree that baby loves
- baby food for 4 months and up
- stage 1 baby food
- freezer-friendly
- homemade
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions!
- Chicken: As random as it may seem, chicken is the star of the show in this puree. We are going to use an 8oz piece of boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe. You can also use chicken thighs, but the puree will have a slightly different taste due to the higher fat content found in chicken thighs compared to breasts. You can also easily scale up this recipe if you want more than 12 ounces of baby food.
- Broth: To get that rich, deep chicken flavor, we will cook our chicken in chicken broth. I recommend using a low-sodium, sodium-free, or free-range chicken bone broth for this recipe. You can also use any of those variations above with a vegetable broth as well. If you don’t have any of those on hand, you can use water.
- Parsley: We are adding dried parsley to give the puree a little more complex taste. This can easily be omitted if you prefer.
Organic Chicken: I highly recommend using organic chicken for this recipe, if possible. The organic chicken will be free of antibiotics, synthetic pesticides and will be fed a GMO-free diet. Pasture-raised is also recommended for more Omega-3 fatty acids (healthy fats).
Benefits of Chicken for Baby
- High in protein for healthy muscle growth
- Contains iron, which is necessary to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells
- Contains vitamin B12 for healthy nerve and blood cells and making DNA, and choline that helps promote brain development
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring the cubed chicken, broth, and parsley to a boil over medium heat.
- Simmer: Turn the heat down to low and cover the saucepan. Simmer it for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Let it cool slightly.
- Puree: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a blender or food processor and puree until you reach your desired consistency, adding broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed.
- Eat: Serve to your baby plain or added into another puree.
- Freeze: Store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal.
Kitchen Tools
- Blender or Food Processor
- Storage Containers for Fridge
- Freezer Tray
- Stasher Bag
- highchair
- suction bowl or baby bowl
- Bamboo Baby Spoon
- bib with catch pocket
WeeSprout Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray
Our favorite freezer storage container for baby food! Made of 100% food-grade silicone and comes with a hard clip-on lid. Large 3oz sections with 2oz markings to make sure you have the right amount for your baby.
How to Store Chicken Puree
Refrigerator
You can store this puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer
This puree can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Spoon puree into a freezer storage container (this is my favorite freezer storage container). Do not overfill.
- Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap, and label with the date and recipe name.
- Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely — preferably overnight.
- Pop-out the baby food cubes and place them in a ziplock baggie or stasher bag. Don’t forget to relabel the baggie or stager bag for future reference.
Need more information on how to store your baby foods? Head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!
Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name of the puree and the date you made it. Take it from me; by the end of the week, you will completely forget what is in your freezer and how long it’s been there 😉
Frequently Asked Questions
Baby can eat chicken as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start your baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready for purees.
Can chicken be baby’s first food?
Chicken can 100% be your baby’s first food if you want it to be. It is recommended to wait to introduce the top eight allergen foods to your baby once a few other well-tolerated foods have been introduced, but otherwise, foods can be introduced in any order so choose whatever you are most excited for your baby to have.
No, chicken is not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it.
Does chicken cause constipation for babies?
No, chicken is not known to cause constipation in babies, however, it won’t really help with constipation either since it lacks fiber.
Yes, you can freeze and then thaw this chicken puree to serve to your baby. I would recommend you use fresh (not previously frozen) chicken and that you gently reheat it as to not make it too tough of a texture for your baby.
Great Chicken Combination Purees
While this chicken baby food is great by itself, it can be a little intense for some babies. I recommend mixing it into one of your babe’s favorite purees as an introduction to the rich taste of chicken. Here are some great purees to mix with the chicken puree:
Recipe Tips
- Use a Slotted Spoon: When transferring the chicken from the saucepan to the blender, make sure to use a slotted spoon so you don’t add too much broth into the puree from the start. You only want to add broth if needed while blending. I had to add a 1/4 cup of broth to the blender while I was pureeing this chicken.
- Reheat Gently: If you are freezing some of this chicken puree, reheat it in 20-second intervals. You don’t want to recook the chicken.
Puree Feeding Tips
- Trial adding a little seasoning or spice to purees – babies like flavor! Or consider changing the temperature of purees from time to time, to slightly warmed or slightly chilled. Varying these aspects adds to the sensory experience!
- Place a small amount of puree on the tray during spoon feeding, so that your baby can dip their fingers or hands in the puree. Allowing baby to explore foods in this way helps them learn to self-feed and can help them be more willing to try new textures and foods in the future.
- Have a spare spoon (or three!) – even very young babies often want to be involved in feeding themselves as much as possible. Giving baby an extra spoon to hold can be helpful in giving her a sense of control and also promotes hand-eye coordination.Allow baby to use spoons as a teether during the meal. There are many great options out there but a few we particularly love include the Olababy 3 Piece Set, the NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils, and the ChooMee FlexiDip Baby Starter Spoons.
Or watch a shortened version of this video here.
Get the recipe: Basic Chicken Baby Food
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
- 2 cups chicken or veggie stock, low-sodium or sodium-free
- 1 tsp dried parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring the cubed chicken, broth and parsley to a boil over medium heat.
- Simmer: Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Let cool slightly.
- Transfer: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a blender or food processor, leaving the broth in the saucepan. Reserve the broth
- Puree: starting on low and working your way up to high-speed, puree the chicken until you reach your desired consistency, adding in broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed. I had to add in just 1/4 cup of broth to get the consistency seen in this photo.
- Eat: serve to baby plain or added into another puree.
- Freeze: store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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79 Comments on “Basic Chicken Baby Food Recipe”
Michele
I’m so excited to have found your blog! Our 5 month old is starting to eat oatmeal (yum!) and I’m pumped to make him some of these delicious purées. I attempted the chicken this evening but for some reason, it was basically water after using my food processor😁 Any tips? Thanks!
Alexis
Hello Alexis,
That is so weird. Next time I would maybe take the chicken out of the broth, let cool and then only add extra broth if needed. I made this a couple times in my blender, so if you have one, maybe try using your blender as well.
Hope that helps! So glad you are here!!
xo, Michele
If you find any puree to be too thin, you can always add some rice cereal or your choice of grain to a puree to thicken it up(when you serve it)..
I have tried making Chicken and rice puree yesterday for my 6 months old out of white meat and rice. He was not a big fan. It was a little grainy so we thinned it out a little with water. I didn’t use the broth or any other veggies or fruits. He is a eater but mostly likes fruits and veggies. Me and my husband tasted it and it was KFC chicken puree so we loved it. He hated it and wouldn’t open his mouth and gag when we tried again. Help please!
I would try adding a tablespoon or so of the chicken and rice puree to one of his favorite fruit or veggie purees to see if he likes it mixed with something.
Maybe try this again when they are older and he may like it. I tried apple puree with my little one at 6 months and she hated it but tried again at 8 months and she liked it,
From what I understand their taste buds are still developing so he may not like it today but then like it 2 days later.
Michele
I’m so excited to have found your blog! Our 5 month old is starting to eat oatmeal (yum!) and I’m pumped to make him some of these delicious purées. I attempted the chicken this evening but for some reason, it was basically water after using my food processor😁 Any tips? Thanks!
Alexis
Hello Alexis,
That is so weird. Next time I would maybe take the chicken out of the broth, let cool and then only add extra broth if needed. I made this a couple times in my blender, so if you have one, maybe try using your blender as well.
Hope that helps! So glad you are here!!
xo, Michele
First, I want to say I just love this blog. I have more fun making my baby’s food than she has eating it! I do have a question…I made the chicken puree and it tasted great but it is kind of gritty. When I gave it to my baby, she kind of gags because of the texture. She’s 8 months and still has no teeth and only doing pureed baby food. Should I just keep blending it to get it less gritty? Thanks!
Hello Sarah,
I would try two things next time – puree the chicken after it has cooled down a bit and then maybe puree it with something to help it turn super smooth (sweet potato, apple, carrots, etc). You could also re-puree the chicken puree you have with another fruit or vegetable to see if that helps. I have pureed chicken so many times but haven’t had a gritty problem. Let me know if any of those work so other readers will know 🙂
xo, Michele
First, I want to say I just love this blog. I have more fun making my baby’s food than she has eating it! I do have a question…I made the chicken puree and it tasted great but it is kind of gritty. When I gave it to my baby, she kind of gags because of the texture. She’s 8 months and still has no teeth and only doing pureed baby food. Should I just keep blending it to get it less gritty? Thanks!
Hello Sarah,
I would try two things next time – puree the chicken after it has cooled down a bit and then maybe puree it with something to help it turn super smooth (sweet potato, apple, carrots, etc). You could also re-puree the chicken puree you have with another fruit or vegetable to see if that helps. I have pureed chicken so many times but haven’t had a gritty problem. Let me know if any of those work so other readers will know 🙂
xo, Michele
One of the ingredients is chicken broth, and I was just wondering what is your take on sodium intake for babies? Thanks!
Good question – sodium from table salt should not be introduced to baby until after 1 year. On the other hand, sea salt and himalayan (pink) salt do have some great minerals that are good for baby. They also need to be used very rarely and in small amounts. For the broth, I like to use organic chicken broth that is only made with sea salt. You can cut the amount of sodium in this by using a mixture of water and broth. Or you can make your own broth where you can control how much (if any) salt goes in. I just posted a recipe for chicken broth. Hope that helps.
xo, Michele
One of the ingredients is chicken broth, and I was just wondering what is your take on sodium intake for babies? Thanks!
Good question – sodium from table salt should not be introduced to baby until after 1 year. On the other hand, sea salt and himalayan (pink) salt do have some great minerals that are good for baby. They also need to be used very rarely and in small amounts. For the broth, I like to use organic chicken broth that is only made with sea salt. You can cut the amount of sodium in this by using a mixture of water and broth. Or you can make your own broth where you can control how much (if any) salt goes in. I just posted a recipe for chicken broth. Hope that helps.
xo, Michele
BTW, I love your blog! The recipes look delicious and so do the pictures! I can’t wait to try my first recipe!
Thank you! I am so happy you are here!
xo, Michele
Thoughts on using ground chicken? Thank you!
BTW, I love your blog! The recipes look delicious and so do the pictures! I can’t wait to try my first recipe!
Thank you! I am so happy you are here!
xo, Michele
I just made this and it was so watery….
oh no! So sorry about that. You do have to let it run for awhile so the chicken can break down and then it becomes thicker. If not, you can add some cooked apple, sweet potato, or carrots to it and that should thicken it up really nicely.
xo, Michele
I just made this and it was so watery….
oh no! So sorry about that. You do have to let it run for awhile so the chicken can break down and then it becomes thicker. If not, you can add some cooked apple, sweet potato, or carrots to it and that should thicken it up really nicely.
xo, Michele
Thanks for this recipe! I got it nice and smooth and my babe liked it the first time, But after freezing and defrosting it the texture changed and became gritty and chunky, And now she’s not a big fan. Any suggestions?
This isn’t good. This doesn’t happen to mine, so let’s try getting to the bottom of it. Did you try adding in some liquid after defrosting the puree?
Is it safe to use chicken broth? It contains so much salt, I’m worried about using it.
Good question. I would recommend using a sodium-free broth, bone broth or make your own chicken broth to use in baby food recipes.
Admittedly, I’ve been feeding my LO store bought baby food. She’s been okay with it except for meat. She HATED the chicken. I tried your recipe, and she LOVED it! She had her mouth open like a baby bird waiting for more. She was even getting mad that she wasn’t getting it fast enough. Thank you so much!!! I’m now hooked and ready to spice things up for her.
I love this! So glad your baby bird is wanting more delicious purees!
Have you tried freezing this? If so, does it freeze/reheat well?
I’m so glad to have found your blog. Our baby is almost 5 months and we have just started solids. I was feeling a bit daunted about figuring out the right ways to make her food, and our purées so far have been sooo basic. Can’t wait to try some new recipes and introduce new flavor combos to her!
Can I substitute dried parsley with fresh coriander?
Yes, sounds great
Can I use swansons chicken broth low sodium?
yes
I followed directs to the letter. It’s so runny…hope it will firm up with refrigeration.
Tip for chicken broth stock:
There are brands that are NO sodium, NO MSG. So look for those on grocery shelves. But if you are on the Instant Pot train I have a tip there too:
I make ‘buffalo’ wings using my instant pot. I’ve started to just cook wings with NO seasoning. I reserve the ‘stock’ then store in small batches to freeze. I always have some ‘stock’ for baby’s homemade food.
FYI: I season and sauce the wings after removing from instant pot then broil them to get them crispy. You can even use your outdoor grill too.
Thanks for this recipe! I added broth from the pot without thinking. Is that safe to do?
Yes, but I hope it wasn’t too much liquid when you pureed it.
So my chicken puree had good taste but looked nothing like the pic. It was very grainy if I added more water than watery grainy. 2 things are I used a baby food maker which steams the chicken so perhaps boiling it slowly would make all the difference? Second it was hot when I puréed do you think cold makes all the difference? Should I pour the stock and than blend of blend to a sandy texture and than add stock? I was hoping to keep it just chicken without adding in potatoe or anything as my baby doesn’t really like potato only sweet and I don’t want to mask the chicken taste in fear she will only take to sweet.
My little peanut is just over 4 months and we’re starting to introduce purées to her because she is definitely an eater. She is breastfed and I was wondering, can you use some breast milk in place of the broth when blending up the chicken into a purée?
Thank you! And we can’t wait to try it next week.
Yes, you can always add in breast milk when blending purees. Usually it’s in the recipe card, but I must have missed this one. I’ll add it in asap.
Followed this recipe to the letter and it turned out great! I was hesitant to make this because with my first kid I made chicken purée and it was very grainy and frankly really gross. But I went ahead and tried again. The flavor with this recipe is great!
After reading the other comments I first added the chicken to my blender and slowly added the chicken stock I cooked it in 1/4 cup at a time. I doubled the recipe and used about 1 cup of the cooked broth. Then I blended it to oblivion. Literally blended it for about 10-15 min. I have a vitamix, so I started at a low speed and gradually increased every few minutes and added more liquid. Once you think it’s smooth enough, blend it more. If you take a small spoonful and it feels grainy, blend again! Just keep blending!
Love this! Determination pays off!
Hello, I just came across your blog and am very excited! As a first time mom I’m a little clueless about what to make for my baby, and I definitely want to make my own baby food. I have the Babymoov food system and so far have made single ingredient fruit and vegetable purées. I am starting my baby on proteins now and want to make a basic chicken purée. This recipe looks great, but can it be done using a steaming basket instead of on the stovetop? Do you think it will take away from the flavor? I appreciate your input!
It sounds like you are rocking your goal of making your own baby food!
I think you can totally make the chicken in the steamer basket with your babymoov! I would cook until done – 12-15 minutes and then shred the chicken with 2 forks before pureeing as the blades in the babymoov may not be able to get the puree super smooth. For flavor, you can add in a pinch of spices or herbs while pureeing or add in another fruit or veggie puree your baby enjoys.
Hi. I’m a fan of your blog and I’ve been using it for my little guy since he started solids. I was just wondering if I can use fresh parsley instead? Thanks and more power!
Yes! I would do 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley.
This puree is amazing and my son loves it. The store bought versions made him gag but he absolutely loves this! The ice trays are such a clever way to store this as well. Thank you your blog is awesome
So glad he likes it!
I should have read the comments because my chicken was really runny. I had to cook more chicken. I have enough chicken to last a month. I’m glad it can be frozen. Maybe the recipe could say – puree chicken and add broth as needed.
Our pediatrician told us you shouldn’t be adding salt or sugar to any meals. I would not recommend the use of chicken stock.
You can use low-sodium or sodium-free broth or even water if you prefer.
Hi there I made this chicken purée tonight and my 4 month old loved it I was just curious if I could add some pasta into the purée?
So glad he loved it! You could add it to pasta, that’s a great idea. He might be a little young for pasta, but you can give it a try.
EXCELLENT! I made the recipe exactly as written and they were beyond my expectations. My son loved them! Thank you so much!
So glad you and your son loved this recipe!! 🙂
I don’t see the point of using broth instead of plain water. Babies do not need extras. Using herbs is okay as long as you add them gradually too but I think this is certainly not babies first chicken purée. I am not trying to offend anyone just sharing my opinion.
Cooking the chicken in the broth gives the pureed chicken a ton of added flavor. You can definitely cook the chicken in water and add water to the blender to be pureed, but it will not be as flavorful. Or cook the chicken in the broth and then add water to the blender to puree. You can also omit the parsley, but adding spices and herbs to baby food from the very first bite is perfectly safe. So many options, but all of those will work depending on what you are looking for.
Such a fabulous chicken puree recipe! I love all your recipes and your blog helps a lot in making healthy and delicious recipes for babies🙂
So glad you are here and are finding this blog helpful! Thank you:)
I’m a nanny and make baby food for all the babies. I don’t ever use chicken broth. I just boil my own chicken with vegetables like carrots, celery, sweet peas, yam and some onions….boil and simmer it till all veggies and chicken are well cooked. Then blend it to the right consistency. The veggies gives so much flavor.
You can do it to a ground beef as well. You can add broccoli and other veggies you like.
This is a great way to make the chicken and beef puree. Thank you for the ideas!
Hi! My little girl loves the chicken recipe!
When defrosting, can I just put it in the fridge overnight or do I need to reheat it? Thanks!
So glad your little one loved this!
Hello! Trying your recipe out now. How do you recommend reheating the puree?
If from frozen, I like to gently reheat it in the microwave or stovetop either by itself or with another veggie puree (sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower, etc.). Hope that helps.
My babies are loving the chicken puréed with veggies!! But…I’ve been freezing it and wondered about specifics of thawing, does it need to be heated again to a specific temp or is just thawing ok since everything is fully cooked? Thanks!!
So happy to hear your little ones are loving their chicken and veggies. Yum! You don’t need to reheat the chicken puree to a specific temperature as it’s already cooked. You can serve it straight from the fridge or gently warm depending on what your babies prefer.
Satisfying
The chicken purée was so smooth when I made it. I froze it and when I de thaw it it is all clumpy! Have you come across this issue?
I haven’t had this happen before. When you thawed it, did you heat it up or just thawed in the fridge? I’m wondering if you gently heat it will the clumps get mixed back into a smooth puree?
Great job describing everything!
So happy to hear that you found this post helpful.
As a 1at time mama, This is my fave baby food blog, get most of my recipes here. My baby girl is 6.5 months old and we tried the chicken tonight. I boiled the chicken with fresh thyme and blended with roasted butternut squash…winner! Decided not to use the broth as the fresh herbs added taste.
Tash, thanks so much for sharing your results! 💕