Poached chicken is easy to make, versatile and delicious. Use it in salads, soups, dice it for chicken salad, shred it for tacos or barbecue pulled chicken. It’s a fantastic base ingredient with lots of possibilities. This is a basic poached chicken recipe; it's the go-to at our house.
What is poached chicken
Poached chicken is boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs that are simmered gently in liquid until cooked through. The liquid used is usually water or chicken broth and it’s flavored with aromatics, herbs and spices.
How to add flavor to the chicken
What ingredients to add to poached chicken will depend on what you’re planning to make with it. If you’re going for an Asian chicken salad, for example, then ginger, garlic and cilantro will work well.
If you want the chicken for chicken salad, then keep the flavors mild. Salt, peppercorns and thyme are good options. You get the picture.
Here are a few flavoring options to consider:
Garlic · Onions · Carrots · Ginger · Celery · Salt · Whole Peppercorns · Coriander · Thyme · Bay Leaf · Rosemary · Oregano · Parsley · Sage · Cilantro
What to do with poached chicken
There are many ways to use poached chicken. It’s a versatile ingredient that has a mild taste and can be flavored with a variety of herbs and spices.
Most of the time I shred the chicken and use it in soups, but it’s great in casseroles, dips and salads too. Here are a few recipes made with poached chicken to give you some inspiration!
How to poach chicken breast
Trim away any fat from skinless, boneless chicken breast. Place it in a shallow saucepan that is large enough to fit the chicken side by side without overlapping.
Cover the chicken with the chicken broth. Usually 2 cups is plenty but it will depend on the size of the pan and the chicken pieces. Add ½ teaspoon salt and any chosen herbs and spices (see the list of options above)
- Start the chicken on medium-high heat and bring the broth to a simmer. This will take roughly 4-5 minutes.
- As soon as the broth comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
- Simmer the chicken gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature on the thickest part, of the largest piece is at least 165°F. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure. Keep in mind that the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken, but 15-20 minutes is a good guide.
- Remove the chicken breast from the poaching liquid and prepare it according to the chosen recipe.
Poached chicken is also great sliced on a salad with your favorite dressing. My son even enjoys it plain. He calls it boiled chicken, and out of all the recipes I make, this is one of his favorites. Go Figure!
How to shred the chicken breasts
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into thin strips. Do this easily by placing it on a cutting board; then hold it down firmly with a fork and shred it using another fork. Keep shredding until you have bite-sized pieces.
How to store the chicken
Store the poached chicken in an air tight container for 2-3 days
📖 Recipe
Poached Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Chicken 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2-3 Thyme Sprigs
Instructions
- Trim away any fat from skinless, boneless chicken breast.
- Place it in a shallow saucepan that is large enough to fit the chicken side by side without overlapping
- Cover the chicken with the chicken broth.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt and thyme (or any chosen herbs and spices)
- Start the chicken on medium-high heat and bring the broth to a simmer. This will take roughly 4-5 minutes.
- As soon as the broth comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
- Simmer the chicken gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature on the thickest part, of the largest piece is at least 165°F.
- Remove the chicken breast from the poaching liquid and prepare it according to the chosen recipe.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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