This is the foolproof way to make the JUICIEST Poached Chicken of your life. Dead-easy and guaranteed to work every time, this is a cracker of a chicken breast recipe that everyone should know! Use the chicken for any recipe that calls for cooked chicken – sandwiches, salads, pastas, pies, wraps and burritos.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Poached Chicken
I feel like poached chicken is a life skill that everyone should know. But depending how it’s executed, on the one hand it can be like chewing on chipboard: dismally dry, impossible to swallow and completely flavourless.
On the other hand – the successful hand – it’s unbelievably succulent, with chicken flavour you never dreamt was possible, and so tender and juicy you can literally SEE the chicken juices sparkling on the surface of every slice.
See?
OK, so let’s get straight to the point – how to make this poached chicken in a way that literally cooks itself, has a huge margin for error, and yields the most incredibly succulent poached chicken you will ever have in your life!
How to poach chicken
Use 250g / 8.5 oz chicken breast that’s boneless and skinless
Place in boiling water, cover, then immediately take it off the stove
Leave for 20 minutes (up to 1 hour ok), then remove the chicken and slice/dice/shred
Prepared to be BLOWN AWAY by how juicy the breast is!
Barely cooking right?? *She says, smugly*
It’s not on the stove. You don’t need a thermometer. You literally walk away and just leave it, knowing that it’s fine even for up to 1 hour – which I have done countless times, lulled into a serious state of relaxation because of how much confidence I have in this recipe!
What you need to make poached chicken
Fundamentally, all you need is chicken breast. But if you’re intending to use the chicken without adding lots of other flavours, it’s nice to add some flavourings into the poaching liquid.
You can add other fresh or dried herbs and dried spices.
DO NOT add salt or other salted liquids like Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce etc. Salt will affect the temperature at which the water comes to a boil and cools, which may affect the chicken cooking through completely using this method.
Chicken breast this succulent and juicy is even delicious eaten plain when it’s freshly made. But here are a just a few more suggestions for what to make with Poached Chicken – the list is long, it’s a handy to have a stash!
What to make with Poached Chicken
Sandwiches – use sliced like cold cuts, or diced and used in a mayonnaise based filling (such as diced avocado, egg, mayonnaise, finely sliced celery, chives, red onion or green onion, mustard, salt and pepper);
Make your own Salad – slice, shred or dice and add to salads. Make your own – try it with the Honey Mustard Dressing (pictured above), French Dressing, Balsamic, Italian, Caesar, or a creamy Yogurt Dressing (5 varieties!);
Chicken Salad – Use it in any main course salad calling for cooked chicken, such as Chinese Chicken Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, Lemon Chicken Salad or Mexican Chicken Salad;
Add chicken into one of these salads to transform them into a meal:
Add poached chicken into one of these salads
Add into a pasta or rice salad;
Soups – add protein into soups, or use in place of chicken in the recipes (except recipes where cooking the chicken forms part of the broth flavour). Here are some suggestions:
Soups for poached chicken (shred or dice)
Serve with Sauce – One of my favourite ways to serve it as a meal is with a simple sauce, like this Honey Mustard Sauce pictured below. Either make a salad (the sauce is really just a dressing, so it’s made for salads!), or serve it over mashed potato or rice, or for low carb options, try creamy mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice!
More sauces for poached chicken – here are some more sauce options for poached chicken. Some of these recipes have another protein in the recipe – just skip that part and make the sauce!
Ginger Shallot Sauce – this uses this poached chicken recipe! Tastes like Hainanese Chicken.
And a few final ideas for other things to make with poached chicken:
Burritos
Toss into stir fried noodles or fried rice
Make a giant Baked Frittata, add into Quiche or make Mini Quiches
Chicken Rice Casserole – stir it in at the end
Pasta! Use in place of cooking chicken in any pasta recipe (like this Creamy Chicken Pasta) or add it into a meat free one for an extra hit of protein
And with that – I’m out! I hope this poached chicken becomes a staple recipe for you like it is for me. 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Poached Chicken – Foolproof, perfect, AMAZINGLY juicy breast
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , boneless skinless, 250g/8.5 oz each (Note 1)
Optional flavourings (Note 2)
- 1 lemon , quartered
- 1 bay leaf , dried or fresh
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
Instructions
- Take chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Fill a saucepan with water so the chicken breast will be well submerged with at least 2" / 5cm of water above it in a single layer (can be snug but do not stack).
- Add Flavourings, if using (squeeze in lemon juice, add used lemon).
- Bring water to boil.
- Place chicken breast in water, place lid on, bring back up to the boil. IMMEDIATELY remove saucepan from stove and set aside for 20 minutes (it's fine up to 45 min to 1 hr, won't overcook).
- Remove chicken from water. Slice and be amazed how perfectly juicy and tender the breast is!! Or chop/shred and use as desired.
- If reserving for later use, cover loosely to cool then refrigerate whole – see Note 6.
Recipe Notes:
- 250g/8.5oz each chicken breast – leave in water 20 minutes
- 300g/10oz each breast – take out of fridge 30 minutes prior, leave in water for 25 to 30 minutes
- Larger than 300g/10oz – are you sure they are CHICKEN breasts?? ?
- 220g / 7oz or smaller – recipe works fine but is not quite as juicy, but still juicier than normal simmering method. Can pull out of water earlier using a thermometer – cooked breast is 66°C / 151°F, check at 16 minutes.
- Up to 45 minutes, and I still do not notice any loss of juiciness in the breast
- Around 1 hour, I notice that it is slightly less juicy – but still way juicier than the usual methods of poaching!
- Frozen chicken – must be fully thawed before using.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
The pool filter is working overtime!
I remembered this method from years ago from my mom. I just didn’t remember the details, time etc. what I do remember is juicy yummy bites of chicken as my mom was cutting it up. Kind of like a licking the beater thing! Anyway thank you for the method & for bringing back great foodie memories.
That’s lovely Deb, thanks so much for letting me know ❤️
This recipe is a revelation. It’s so simple but the results are truly outstanding. I made it yesterday, sliced it and used it in a sandwich for a picnic and took it with us on our family permitted daily Coronavirus walk (we are allowed to go out once a day for exercise here in the U.K. at the moment). The sun was shining so we went out for a long ramble, stopping for a picnic and not seeing another soul. The sandwich was the highlight of the day – the chicken was full of flavour, beautifully moist and so simple to make. Can’t believe I’ve never poached chicken before! Thanks Nagi.
Perfect Mary! Sounds like you nailed it!! N x
I’ve just tried this out and it worked! Not dry at all!
Just wondering if Nagi or some other kind reader would mind helping me with some links to recipes for how to use all this poached chicken? Sorry I am not creative and have no idea what to do with it next ?!🤷♀️
I’m so glad you gave it a go Mari! Read the blog article, you’ll get plenty of ideas and recipes to use the chicken in!! 🙂 N x
Oh my however did i miss that entire section! Thank you!
Hi Nagi, I’ve made this numerous times (perfect always), but what happens if you (oops) forget to leave the chicken out of the fridge for 30 minutes prior. Would leaving it in the poaching water for a bit extra – say 45min – be ok?
Hi Laura, leave it in the pot for at least 45 minutes to cook through 🙂
Hi Nagi. This is a life changing recipe for poached chicken! Even though I have had complete success with absolutely every one of your recipes, I admit that I was sceptical. But the chicken was perfectly cooked and as juicy as promised. I shredded it and used in your Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake, which was absolutely delicious! I will never poach chicken another way again.
It’s life changing isn’t it Kathleen!
Hi Nagi, I wanted to make this with a lemon but forgot to get one at the store 🤦🏻♀️. Can I sub with refrigerated lemon juice??
Hi Lisa, just leave it out – the flavour is not overpowering so you wont really miss it! N x
Hi Nagi,
Thank you! This was amazing! I thought this wouldn’t work (and I’ve tried lots of poached chicken recipes that haven’t worked)! And this was awesome! So juicy (I need to add more flavour Next time- it needed more than listed-my preference), but so so good! And the honey mustard dressing was delicious! Thanks
It’s totally life changing Lauren!!
You are right! Very moist and juicy chicken breast. Certainly much better and easier. I left it to stand for 30 mins. Thanks for another excellent shortcut.
This is the best! So simple yet so good!
can you make a chicken stock from this or do you need the bone in chicken. Do you have a low to no sodium way of making chicken stock
Hi Nagi…
If I quartered a whole chicken, could I approach the same method of poaching? Or, would the bones change the timing of it?
Hi Julia! Unfortunately I don’t recommend it. But what about doing the whole chicken? Here’s how (I plan to share this as a separate recipe, it’s using a method for a famous Singaporian dish called Hainanese Chicken) – bring water to boil, submerge whole chicken, bring it back up to boil then put lid on and turn heat off. Leave 30 min, then remove chicken from water, bring it back up to the boil, put chicken back in, bring it to boil again, put lid on, turn heat off, leave 30 min. Works every time for 1.5 – 2kg chicken (3 – 4 lb), same soft juicy flesh as the poached breast recipe. For smaller, I’d have to play with it – I know for a 1 kg chicken, you only need to do it once. PS The liquid makes the most amazing stock for rice which is part of the Hainanese chicken dish!
Wait, what?!! My kids love Hainanese Chicken Rice! I’ve made it once a few years back but it was never the same as you get in Malaysia so I haven’t bothered BUT I’m going to give it a go with the above method!! Thank you for the tip, and this poaching method is going to up the game. Ha!
Get out! I have been steaming chicken all my life and have put up with the tasteless result for the sake of good health. And you teach me this when I am 61. Love ya Nagi. Xxx
It’s never too late to learn Anne! 🙂
Love this oh so easy recipe.
Will be using this over and over again. Thank you Nagi.
You’re so welcome Ella!!
I have poached chicken this way but hadn’t thought of seasoning the poaching liquid. Thanks for that improvement.
It’s a total game changer – and SO many possibilities!
I tried this last night with a little chimichurri topping the breasts…….and my husband couldn’t stop commenting how delish it was. Your method is wonderful. THANKS !
Yum!!! Great idea Pat!
Nagi, I am forever steaming my chicken breasts and not happy with them done that way, they taste tasteless, dry. I obviously cook them to long.
So I tried your way! Wow what a difference, it was so moist, forever grateful, never steaming again.
Keep up your recipes, love them.
You’ll never steam again Diane!!!
Made this two nights ago very nervously.
My husband, who has worked at some top restaurants in Australia and overseas, was gobsmacked I made this haha!
He didn’t believe me until I showed him your recipe. I’m a virtual basic cook and I felt like a champion!
Thanks Nagi!
You ARE a champion Ri! Well done!
Hi Nagi!
Um…could I ask a possibly silly question please?
I make – and love! – your recipes – and calories aren’t an issue for me. But – my lovely housemate is trying to diet and watch calories – so I’m trying to help. And of course – you helpfully list calories and other nutritional info underneath the recipes…
But I’m confused!
So the calories here are for a potion of chicken breast that’s 250g. I get that.
But last night I made your Tuna Mornay (fabulous!) – and the calorie content and nutritional info is listed as ‘per portion’ – but I’m unclear as to how many grams make up a portion?
Is it just 100g – like the nutritional info they give on the sides of packets and tins of various ingredients? Or is it more generous than that?
I’ve probably missed something here – apologies again if it seems a silly question!
Hi Ron – that’s not a silly question at all 🙂 The nutrition is per serving – unless it specifically says (like in this one) X calories for X grams. But for most recipes, like Tuna Mornay as an example, the recipe will say it makes 5 servings. And the nutrition shown is for 1 serving. I use judgement for the size of a serving – being a standard meal size. No one has ever accused me of being stingy with serving portions, so I’m not “cheating” serving sizes to make calories seem lower – many so called “healthy food bloggers” do tend to do that eg a creamy pasta bake 300 cal per serving – but it’s for a tiny serving, not enough for a meal for any normal grown person. The Tuna Mornay is 659 calories per serving, and it’s a generous size serving. The nutrition calculator isn’t sophisticated enough to calculate weight or volume of most recipes, that’s why I don’t provide it. Hope that helps! N x
Ah! Thank you – that makes perfect sense! Appreciate it 🙂
thank YOU for my Dinner Yum.How easy and delicious is that. Am having at tonight. I Whish I have Dozer energy. good weekend to YOU both.
It’s soooo easy – you’ll be forever converted Vera!
I tried this method of preparing the chicken breast last night. We loved it! We had to use what we had on hand (getting low on everything; time to go grocery shopping!) so we made barbecue chicken to put over mashed potatoes. The chicken was very moist. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Sounds perfect Linda!