Perfect Poached Chicken
Plain, boneless, skinless chicken breasts poached in lightly-salted water are a moist, tender culinary blank slate—elegant in their absolute simplicity. Here’s how to make perfectly poached chicken.
How To Make Poached Chicken Breast
Whether you shred it up to make an indulgent, mayonnaise-laden chicken salad, or slice into rounds and serve alongside a green salad for a ladies-who-lunch-style supper (pass the Chablis, please), poached chicken is a fast and easy classic.
What is Poaching?
Poaching is a gentle, “moist-heat” cooking method that uses water or broth held at a low heat—always below a boil, usually barely at a simmer—to cook foods of all kinds. The ideal poaching temperature is between 170°F and 180°F. It’s important not to let the cooking liquid come to a boil or even a vigorous simmer or else (for all sorts of science-y reasons having to do with heat and moisture) you risk ending up with a tough piece of meat. Remember, poaching is a low-and-slow cooking method.
How to Poach Chicken Breast:
Patience is the key to a perfect poached chicken breast. Here’s what you need to know:
Use a wide, shallow pan.
Begin by placing your raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the pan.
Cover with water. Add cold water to the pan and fill until the chicken breasts are fully submerged.
Bring the water gently up to temperature over medium heat. Here’s where the patience comes in! Remember: low and slow=moist, tender poached chicken.
Once you’ve reached a low simmer, reduce the heat. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan.
Wait, again. About ten minutes.
Check for doneness! You want an internal temp of 165°F. Once the chicken is done, take it off the heat.
Let the chicken rest in its poaching liquid for a few minutes, if you’ve got the time. The capacity of meat to hold water actually increases as it cools. As the chicken rests in the cooking liquid, it will reabsorb some of the moisture it released during cooking. This means ultra-juicy, succulent poached chicken.
