How to: Poach Chicken Breasts Recipe
How to: Poach Chicken Breasts
Poached chicken is fantastic to have on hand for salads, pastas and sandwiches. Use it right way or freeze the extras for later. This tutorial will show you how to poach chicken breasts in minutes!
When I first started cooking, my idea of poaching chicken breasts was to throw them into a pot of boiling water and cook the heck out of them. Efficient? Yep. But turned the chicken breasts into rubbery frisbees of poultry. Not exactly what I had in mind for a perfect summer salad.
The beauty of poaching several chicken breasts at once is that you’ll have meat for several meals. Either slice or shred the cooked chicken and store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Alternatively, divide the chicken into meal-sized portions, wrap in plastic wrap and freezer bags, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just defrost the packages as you need them and serve the chicken in pasta dishes, on salads or in sandwiches. Easy meal prep!
So, what’s the right way to poach chicken breasts?
If you read various cookbooks or cruise around on the internet, you’ll find as many ways to poach chicken as there are cooking websites. Some require putting the saucepan in the water while others suggest you remove the saucepan from the heat altogether.
My favorite method is placing the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large saucepan with a variety of seasoning and aromatics, such as lemon slices, fresh or dried herbs and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover the chicken breasts with cold water, bring to a boil, then gently simmer for about 15 minutes.
You’ll be rewarded with tender, juicy and flavorful chicken breasts that are perfect for tossing into a variety of dishes. Perfect for summertime entertaining or quick weeknight meals!
- Recipes with cooked chicken:
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Light Chicken & Corn Chowder
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Low-Fat Chicken Salad with Curry & Apricots
- Eat. Drink. Love.’s Chicken, Tomato & Mozzarella Panini with Basil Mayo
- Everybody Loves Pretty’s Saffron Chicken & Herb Salad
- Pastabilities’ Thai Chicken Pasta
- How to: Poach Chicken Breasts Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck
4 (6 oz. each) skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground pepper 4 lemon slices 4 sprigs fresh thyme 4 sprigs fresh rosemary Water 2 tbsp soy sauce
Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom of a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Top with lemon slices and fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs. Fill the saucepan with cold water until it reaches 1 to 1 ½ inches above the chicken breasts. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Lightly simmer until the chicken breasts are just cooked through, about 15 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and let the chicken cool. Slice or shred the chicken. Serve right away or refrigerate, covered, for 2 to 3 days. Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Points+), 2 (Old Points) Serving size: ½ chicken breast | Calories: 106.1 cal | Fat: 3.0g | Saturated fat: 1.1g | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Sugar: 0g | Sodium: 142.7mg | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 18.9g | Cholesterol: 48.8mg 3.2.2925
chicken,
cooking,
how to,
poach,
poaching,
tutorial