You can eat the poached chicken as is for a light and healthy main course, or save it for meal prep and other recipes throughout the week. And my favorite part about the recipe? How mess-free it is! If touching raw chicken makes you squeamish, this is the perfect chicken recipe for you, since you don’t really need to touch the raw chicken at all. In this post, I’m going to share some tricks and tricks for getting the juiciest, most tender poached chicken breasts.
What ingredients do I need to poach chicken?
At a bare minimum, all you need is chicken, water, and SALT. The salt is super important here, for flavorful chicken! If this is all you have, you can make poached chicken. But you also should probably have some aromatics. Aromatics are herbs, spices, and vegetables that help infuse flavor into the chicken and really make something as simple as poached chicken special. I used fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, lemon, garlic, onion, and peppercorns.
Other aromatics for poaching chicken:
Fresh Herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, cilantro, sage, basil, lemongrass. Fruits: sliced lemon, lime, oranges, and/or grapefruit. Vegetables: celery, carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, ginger root. Spices: black peppercorns, whole coriander seeds, star anise, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries.
I love the idea of poaching chicken with different combinations of aromatics. Lemongrass, ginger, and sliced limes would be delicious for chicken in a Thai green chicken curry recipe. And cinnamon, anise, allspice, and sliced oranges would be delicious for a fall-inspired chicken recipe!
How to make poached chicken breasts
Tips and Tricks
It’s important to start the chicken in cold water, rather than add it to already simmering water. Why? This will ensure it cooks more evenly, rather than overcooking the outside before the inside is completely done. I do this with cold poached salmon, too. Check the temperature to prevent overcooking. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the biggest breast and make sure it reads at 165 degrees F. If you go over that, you risk the chicken being a little overcooked and less juicy. But if you accidentally go over, don’t panic! It will still be delicious- you can go up to 175 degrees F and be fine :-) Don’t boil aggressively. If you boil too much, the chicken may be tough and overcooked, especially toward the outside. Use a back burner (or smaller burner) if you need to, and make sure you turn it down to low immediately after bringing it to an initial boil.
How to store in your fridge
Poached chicken breasts can be stored in your fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend keeping them whole and slicing, shredding, or cutting them just before using, as they will stay juiciest that way. I also recommend keeping them in the back of your fridge in the coldest part so they last longer.
Can I use the poaching liquid for anything?
DEFINITELY! You’ve just made a simple, delicious homemade chicken broth. Since I used lemon in this recipe, my broth was fairly lemony tasting. So, I used it to make a batch of Avgolemono (Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon and Egg). It would also be delicious for chicken noodle soup with fresh dill or as a base for fish stew. Just strain it using a mesh sieve, and store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 6 months.
How to serve poached chicken breasts
Smother it in a creamy lemon caper sauce, or drizzle it with a butternut squash Alfredo sauce. Serve it in a salad with creamy Greek dressing or in a massaged kale salad. Have a delicious side to go with it, such as roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon, spaghetti squash with garlic and herbs, or orzo with mushrooms. Use any leftover poached chicken to make chicken and dumplings, chicken enchiladas, chicken salad, chicken gnocchi soup, or any number of recipes that call for cooked chicken!
Check out all my side dish recipes for more inspiration! Did you make this poached chicken breasts recipe? Please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe!
