Learn how to make the perfect poached chicken at home! Say goodbye to rubbery chicken breasts and hello to juicy, moist chicken breasts!
These poached chicken breasts really are so easy, and with my top tips, you'll have perfectly cooked chicken ready in under 20 minutes. Perfect every time!
AND Poached chicken is so versatile and so handy to have in the refrigerator! I have included so many ways to use it in this post.
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See how easy it is to poach chicken (VIDEO)
The gentle heat of poaching is perfect for chicken breasts. The low temperature and poaching liquid cooks the chicken very gently and helps to prevent it from overcooking. The liquid also helps to keep the breasts so moist and juicy. Hopefully, you can tell from the photos just how juicy this chicken is!
How to poach boneless chicken breasts
Poaching chicken is really easy. It involves placing chicken breasts into a pan of boiling stock/broth and bringing the liquid back to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling a lid is added and the heat is turned off. The chicken breasts will slowly cook in the residual heat of the stock/broth.
Using this method it is virtually impossible to overcook the chicken breasts. Just set a timer and remove them from the poaching liquid - perfectly poached chicken!
How long to poach chicken breast.
Once the stock/broth has come back to the boil then you want to leave them to sit in the liquid for 15 minutes. Although a couple of extra minutes won't harm them.
Top tips for poaching chicken
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes in advance
- Use chicken broth or stock for extra flavor
- Use a pan with a well-fitting lid
- Place the chicken in a single layer
- Do not allow the chicken to boil in the liquid
Additional ingredients to add to the chicken broth
The chicken will be perfect cooked in just plain broth/stock. Just ensure that it has plenty of seasoning in it.
You can also add:
- Onion slices
- Celery sticks
- Chopped carrot
- Parsley stalks
- Garlic cloves
- Peppercorns
- Lemon zest
Bonus Tip: Do not throw away the poaching liquid, it is going to be a great broth/stock for so many dishes! (See below)
Ways to use poached chicken breast
- Curried Chicken Salad
- Crispy Chicken Croquettes
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza Bites
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas (We are not Martha)
- Baked Chicken Taquitos (Kylee Cooks)
- Buffalo Chicken Dip (My Sequined Life)
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (Courtney's Sweets)
Ways to use the poaching liquid
Any recipe that asks for chicken broth/stock will be great to use up this chicken broth. Including
- Pasta with Chicken Broth
- Creamy Basil Chicken
- Chicken Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup
- Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
- Happy Family Stir Fry
- Saffron Risotto (Inside the Rustic Kitchen)
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Courtney's Sweets)
Enjoy x
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Recipe
Recipe for How to Poach Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth/chicken stock (see note 1)
- 4 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Pour the chicken broth/stock into a large shallow pan and bring to a boil. (Ensure the stock is really well seasoned)
- Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the broth trying to keep them in a single layer.
- Bring back to a simmer, then place on a lid and remove from the heat.
- The chicken will be fully cooked after 15 minutes. (18 for extra large chicken breasts)
Video
Notes
- The chicken will be perfect cooked in just plain broth/stock. Just ensure that it has plenty of seasoning in it.
You can also add:
-
- Onion slices
- Celery sticks
- Chopped carrot
- Parsley stalks
- Garlic cloves
- Peppercorns
- Lemon zest
Debbie says
Perfect! Moist and savory with a well seasoned broth! Thank you! I’ve been cooking for 40 plus years and you’d think I could figure out some way to poach chicken for chicken and pasta salad my family loves, well now I am proud to put it all out 🙂
I cooked eight boneless breast , single layer but three were extra large so I boiled three minutes and removed from heat for ten mins. Just as good as the others! Thanks again for sharing your recipe!
Claire McEwen says
Oh Debbie this makes me smile so much!
I am so happy you found this recipe and that it makes you proud. That just makes me grin from ear to ear 🙂
Cx
Roberta says
Can these poached chicken breasts be frozen? What is the best way?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Roberta, They can definitely be frozen.
I wrap each individual chicken breast tightly in a good quality plastic wrap and then place them all in a ziplock bag. This makes it easy to defrost just one at a time and individual breast are easier to wrap tightly.
Hope that helps
Cx
Caitlin says
I brought the broth to boil. Put chinked in and brought back to a boil and the breasts were no where close to being done. Still pink showing throw with 10 mins remaining. I got nervous and just boiled them. Would sitting in hot water really have cooked pink through to white in 10 mins? Thanks for my suggestions.
Claire McEwen says
A few of things that could have affected it.
You need to ensure the breasts are at room temperature. So remove them from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.
If you had very large chicken breasts then they will need at least 18 minutes once you have turned off the heat.
Make sure you place the chicken in a single layer so the hot stock can circulate fully around the breasts.
Make sure you have a well fitting lid and once you bring the broth/stock back to a boil, don't lift the lid again until the time is up. The method works with residual heat in the broth so you want to minimise any heat loss.
I hope that helps.
If you find that your chicken breasts are just not cooking in the time (maybe they are very large or they overlap slightly, you can simmer them for 3 minutes and then turn off the heat for the allocated time (15-18 minutes) this quick simmer at the start will speed up the cooking process.
I hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Kathy Hammer says
This was unbelievable. Never have I had poached chicken turn out like this. Thank you so much!!! The possibilities of how this can be used are endless❣️
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Kathy, it is a fab of mine as having cooked chicken in the fridge is always useful.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe too.
Cx
Kathy Johnson says
Turned out juicy and moist, just like you said it would! Thank you for sharing.
Brooke Reid says
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I have been trying to remake my husbands favorite salad chicken by Applegate for so long now because it’s so pricey but have yet to get it as tender and juicy as them. This recipe is perfect and he loves the chicken I have been packing for him to take to work.
Claire McEwen says
Oh Brooke! I am so pleased my recipe could help!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
Cx