Poached Chicken Breast

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Master the art of poached chicken breast. This easy recipe offers a flavorful base for salads, tacos, and more!

Alright so I understand that Poached Chicken Breast might not be the most stunning, awe-inspiring recipe. Its not going to go “viral”. Believe me, I even struggled taking photos of it. Trying to make it not look like plain, unseasoned chicken. But hear me out, while it make *look* like that. Poached Chicken Breast is anything but.

In fact, when cooked right, poached chicken is extremely moist, flavorful and one of the most versatile recipes you can have in your repertoire. You can use it to make chicken tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, add it to salads. It really is a great recipe to have on hand!

And it’s easy to boot! Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make it.

Poached Chicken Breast Ingredients:

To make perfectly poached chicken you only need a handful of ingredients. Most of which you might even have on hand.

• CHICKEN BREAST: You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. It’s best if they are about the same size so that they cook at the same time.
• WATER: The poaching liquid.
• KOSHER SALT: Salt is important when poaching for two reasons- It helps to season the chicken as well as keep it juicy.
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS: Adds a smokiness to the poaching liquid.
• GARLIC: A few smashed cloves, just to release the flavor of the garlic. It’ll give a subtle garlic taste to the chicken.
• BAY LEAVES: I know there is a lot of question about what bay leaves actually add to recipes and the answer is a subtle earthy flavor. Don’t leave them out, you’ll be surprised how much you miss the flavor!

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Poaching chicken is really about the technique of it all. And the most important is do not boil the chicken. Boiling will result in tough, rubbery chicken breast. I also highly recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that you don’t overcook them.

STEP #1: Place the chicken in an 4qt saucepan. Pour enough water over the top to cover the chicken by 1 inch. For me this was about 4 cups of water. Add the salt, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves.

STEP #2: Bring the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Once bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan, use tongs to flip the chicken over. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken breasts reaches 165 degrees F.

STEP #3: Remove the chicken from the liquid. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve.

Storage and Leftovers:

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Poached Chicken Breasts are great when you are doing meal prepping. You can dice them and put the pieces in salads. Shred it to use in other recipes or even eat it on its own. Whatever you do, you’ll want to make sure that this recipe is saved in your recipe file!

Need more chicken recipes?

Savor this simple and flavorful Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe that combines the sweetness of tomatoes with savory garlic. 

Chicken Dijon is a rustic, decadent chicken dish. Crispy chicken thighs smothered in a creamy dijon wine sauce. Perfect over mashed potatoes!

Cajun Chicken Sandwiches make the perfect lunch or dinner! Juicy, spicy chicken breasts topped with creamy coleslaw and crisp onions.