how to poach chicken

February 10, 2021/

how have I not showed you how to poach chicken?

This technique is a staple that everyone should know how to do – learning how to poach chicken was one of the first kitchen skills I learned, and it comes in handy often (which is why I’m surprised I’ve never shared it here!).

Poaching chicken is as simple as simmering it in broth or water, letting the cooked meat cool, and then slicing or shredding it to use in recipes.

What recipes, you ask? Well, any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Think soup, pasta salads, tacos, chicken salad, to start (stay tuned for a delicious recipe I’m going to share tomorrow!).

You can slice, pull or shred the cooked meat and the use right away or freeze for future recipes.

Let’s do this!

You can definitely use boneless, skinless breasts for poaching but I prefer skin-in, bone-on chicken. I think the bone keeps the meat more moist and tender, but in a pinch boneless will do.

Poached Chicken

2 bone-in, skin-on breasts, excess bone and cartilage removed
salt and pepper

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a pot just large enough for them to fit. Cover with water or stock* by 3″. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat so that the liquid stays at a steady simmer but doesn’t boil.

Simmer till a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees (this took about 30 minutes last time I did it). Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid (this keeps the meat moist and tender).

Remove skin and bones and then chop, slice, pull or shred the meat – you’ll have about 3 cups per breast. You can refrigerate the chicken for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

*Note: I used water for this post because I didn’t have stock on-hand. You’ll see recipes for poaching that add veggies, spices, bay leaves, etc. I usually skip all this because the cooked chicken is always going to be used in a recipe that will have plenty of flavorful ingredients.

(print this recipe)

This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2021/02/10/how-to-poach-chicken/

About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.