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5 from 16 votes

Poached Chicken: Perfectly Done

I learned how to poach chicken from this amazing just-like-Chinese-takeout soup recipe, and picked up some other tips to make the most tender, flavorful poached chicken. Goodbye dry, rubbery, bland chicken.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chicken recipes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 133kcal
Author: Maureen, Coconut XOXO

Ingredients

  • 2 LBS Chicken breast or thighs boneless, skinless is easiest
  • 3-4 tablespoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic or use 7-8 fresh garlic cloves, halved
  • fresh or dried herbs to your taste
  • water to cover

Instructions

  • Place the chicken in a large stock pot or saucepan and add enough filtered water just to cover. Add the salt, a bay leaf and granulated garlic or halved fresh garlic cloves, and any other herbs you'd like to add.
  • Bring the water to a gentle boil, then turn down and simmer 10 minutes, covered.
    how to poach chicken
  • Turn off the heat and let the chicken stand in hot water, covered, another 10 minutes.
  • Drain and let it cool to touch, then slice or shred depending on how you plan to use the chicken.
    sliced poached chicken breast on a bed of arugula

Notes

The remaining poaching liquid can be used as a base for soup or sauces, but taste it first - it will likely need to be thinned with water due to the salt content.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.02g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.5mg