Learn how to make poached chicken breast with juicy and tender pieces. It’s perfect for slicing and serving with a sauce or shredding for sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.
Recipe Science
- Poaching chicken breast involves cooking it gently in simmering water, which helps retain moisture and results in tender, evenly cooked meat.
- The low-temperature poaching cooking method minimizes the risk of overcooking, preserving the chicken’s natural juiciness and preventing it from becoming tough.
- Aromatics and seasonings added to the poaching liquid infuse the chicken with subtle flavors, enhancing its taste without overwhelming the natural flavor of the meat.
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“I’m a big fan and appreciate how you share your culinary science with us nerds. Nice guide.”—Dave
Why It Works
Poaching is a classic cooking technique that any home cook can master. I use this method to make eggs benedict and poached eggs. The key is maintaining a low temperature of the poaching liquid for even cooking. As a result, the chicken stays tender and juicy instead of getting dried out.
I use the poaching liquid for two purposes: to brine and to cook the meat. This yields evenly seasoned, flavorful chicken that’s incredibly tender. In just 30 minutes, delicious pieces are ready as an entree to serve sliced, shredded, or diced.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are lean and low in saturated fat compared to dark meat. This will benefit from the delicate poaching technique. Breasts between 6 and 8 ounces ensure even and fully cooked pieces. I suggest slicing the meat in half into two cutlets if it is any larger. However, this method is great for using any size or type of chicken.
- Water: The main component of the poaching liquid. It helps to dissolve and disperse the flavor ingredients. Use enough to submerge the chicken.
- Soy Sauce: Enhances the umami taste. Don’t worry. It won’t intensely flavor the meat. I use a similar concentrated mixture to marinate chicken before grilling or pan-searing. Chicken broth or stock can be substituted.
- Salt: Add salt to brine and season the chicken. It helps the poultry’s texture become tender and enhances the savory taste.
- Sweetener: Honey, maple syrup, or sugar can be used. It balances the salt flavor and tenderizes the meat.
- Aromatics: Add flavoring agents like crushed garlic, bay leaf, and fresh thyme or rosemary. Lemon slices, diced onions, sage, or oregano are tasty additions. These can be skipped or customized to complement how the chicken will be served.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Now that you know how to cook chicken breasts using the poaching method, try switching up the flavor! Here are some tasty options to try:
- Bone-in Meat: Breast meat with bones can also be used, making the liquid flavorful. However, you’ll need to add a few extra minutes of poaching time, as it takes longer for the meat to cook with the bone.
- Dark Meat: If you prefer fattier dark meat, use chicken thighs or legs. Cook until the meat reaches 170ºF (77ºC) for super tender pieces.
- Poaching Liquid: Add chicken stock or broth for a richer dimension of flavor. I recommend using unsalted so the poaching liquid doesn’t become too salty.
- Aromatics: Using fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, parsley stems, tarragon, oregano, or bay leaves adds herbaceous notes to the meat. Lemon or orange peel will infuse a citrus flavor from the essential oils.
- Spices: Whole peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, star anise, sliced ginger, dried peppers, or red chili flakes will add a stronger lingering warm flavor to the liquid.
- Vegetables: Add diced carrots, celery, onions, fennel, or garlic to add a classic mirepoix taste.
How to Poach Chicken Breast
Step 1: Make a Flavorful Poaching Liquid
Poaching can be done in cold water, but that doesn’t add much flavor to the meat and will taste bland. Instead, season the water by adding pantry staples like soy sauce, salt, and honey to balance the sodium.
The cooking liquid can even be reserved to make a sauce, like a pan gravy. When poaching, I like to add thyme, bay leaf, and smashed garlic gloves for enticing aromatics and deeper flavor.
Step 2: Brine the Chicken
To acheive the most tender and flavorful pieces, use the poaching liquid as a brine, then cook the meat right after. Cover the chicken with the liquid, then soak it in the pot for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Pro Tip: You can skip this step if you are short on time, but it does make a big taste impact. It also removes the chill from the meat, cooking it more evenly.
Step 3: Poach the Chicken
Warm the poaching liquid with the submerged chicken, turning the heat to medium. Keep a close eye on it until you see movement. No bubbles should be breaking the surface. Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature; target 175 to 180ºF (79 to 82ºF) just before simmering.
Reduce the medium heat to low, cover, and cook the meat for about 17 to 20 minutes. Smaller pieces will require less time.
Step 4: Rest the Meat
Remove the chicken from the pot and test for doneness: The internal temperature should reach about 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
After the chicken is cooked, cover it and let it rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. This allows the juices to be redistributed into the meat and not onto the cutting board.
Step 5: Ready to Serve
Now, you can shred the chicken to add to your favorite recipes or slice it up and serve it with your favorite sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on the size and thickness of the meat, about 17 to 20 minutes when the meat reaches an internal temperature between 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC). Any hotter chicken will dry out.
No! They are used synonymously to describe cooking chicken in a pot of liquid, especially for shredded chicken recipes. Boiling chicken starts with bringing the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer to finish cooking. Poaching never boils the water; bubbles rarely break the surface. This delicate process takes a little longer but yields more evenly cooked chicken.
Most likely, the temperature of the poaching liquid got too hot. The ideal temperature is between 160 to 180ºF (71 to 82ºC). It’s essential to keep an eye on the pot, ensuring the liquid is not rapidly bubbling or even simmering. There should be slight movement with no bubbles.
Poaching is a moist-heat cooking method often used to cook delicate foods that don’t need much time, like eggs, fish, poultry, and fruit. It uses convection to transfer heat from the cooking liquid to the submerged food. The temperature must be held between 160 to 180ºF (71 to 82ºC).
A visual way to check is that the liquid will have slight movement but no bubbles! This is very different from simmering and boiling.
Poaching chicken in just water will be bland. Instead, seasoning it with salt, sugar, and umami-packed soy sauce adds more flavor. Brining the chicken for 30 minutes gives the seasonings more time to flavor the meat. Adding salt to the poaching liquid breaks down the fibrous proteins. Don’t exceed this time, or it will taste too salty. This also saves cooking time, as the chicken will not be as cold when you’re ready to poach.
Recipes to use poached chicken
- Chicken enchiladas
- Chicken salad sandwich
- Chicken nachos
- Buffalo chicken pizza
- Chicken noodle soup
- BBQ chicken sandwiches
- Chicken vegetable soup
- Lemon chicken orzo soup
- Chicken and rice soup
- Chicken tacos
- Chicken tortilla soup
- White bean chicken chili
Serve with a Sauce
If you tried this Poached Chicken Breast, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Poached Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water, unsalted chicken broth or stock
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or granulated sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 pieces, 8 ounces each
- 2 sprigs of thyme, optional
- 1 bay leaf, optional
Instructions
- Make the Poaching Liquid – In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, combine water, soy sauce, salt, honey, and garlic. Place the chicken inside without overlapping. Add the thyme and bay leaf if using.
- Brine the Chicken – Let the chicken sit in the poaching liquid at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will take the chill off the meat and make it more tender and flavorful.
- Poach the Chicken – Heat the pot over medium heat until the liquid reaches 175 to 180ºF (79 to 82ºC). There should be some movement but no bubbles on the surface. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes.Reduce the heat to low, cover, and poach, maintaining the temperature between 160 to 180ºF (71 to 82ºC). Adjust the heat level as needed. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC) on a meat thermometer, about 17 to 20 minutes. Smaller pieces will require less time.
- Rest, then Slice – Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or cutting board. Cover with foil to keep warm, and rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Ready to Serve – Slice, dice, or shred for your desired use.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 2 cups of sliced or shredded chicken
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Larger Batch: Up to 4 chicken breast pieces can be added to the pot.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, coconut aminos, unsalted chicken stock, or broth.
- Storing: Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. It can be covered with cooled-down poaching liquid for more flavor.
- Reheating: Cover and microwave in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
- Freezing: Place in a resealable plastic bag for up to 4 months. Defrost when ready to use.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Dave says
Jessica, I’m a big fan and appreciate how you share your culinary science with us nerds. Nice guide. I’ll likely sous vide mine. Much easier to get the ideal temperature because I tend to “rubberize” it. :-\ Dave
Jessica Gavin says
Nice to meet you, Dave! Sous vide is definitely a great option for poaching chicken breast!
Kevin says
In the video you show covering it but not in directions?? Which is correct?
Jessica Gavin says
I’ve updated the post, thanks for letting me know!