Perfect Poached Chicken
Perfectly Poached Chicken. Ideal to meal prep and have on hand for all kinds of dishes!
Poached chicken breasts are succulent and tender, making them a great alternative to store-bought rotisserie chicken, which can sometimes be dry and high in sodium.
Slowly bringing the chicken breasts to a gentle temperature just below a simmer in a flavourful broth and letting them sit in the liquid before removing ensures that you won't overcook the meat. Poached chicken is such a versatile protein to have on hand for all kinds of dishes….which is why I love it for meal prep!
You can use just water to poach chicken, but I prefer using broth or even wine to create a more interesting flavour.
Perfectly Poached Chicken
Ingredients:
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2-3 cups chicken broth (or water, or wine) enough to cover the chicken
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a small, heavy-bottomed pot. Make sure they fit in a single layer. Cover the chicken with broth or water. Add the herbs and bay leaf.
Begin heating the pot over medium heat, giving the liquid an occasional stir. Once the water temperature reaches the point before it simmers, reduce the heat to low so that the water maintains this temperature.
Partially cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat completely and allow the chicken to remain in the hot liquid for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 155 F. The chicken should be completely opaque.
Remove and slice or shred the chicken.
Serve in salads, soups, stews or store for the week in the fridge!
Be sure that your chicken breasts are all about the same size so that the cook uniformly. And feel free to shush up your liquid with a smashed garlic clove, or a quartered onion for more flavour.
For the herbs, you can use an herb mix such as herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning…..or just experiment and make your own!
How to use Poached Chicken
Poached chicken is SO versatile! Try it in one of these delicious recipes:
Curried Chicken Salad