This poached chicken is extremely moist and tender without using any oil in the process. All you need to do is to drop the meat into the boiled water and let the magic happen. Enjoy with scrumptious ginger scallion sauce.
One of our meal-prep staples is this poached chicken. It is amazingly easy to make yet so versatile. Other than eating on its own, we shred and add on top of salads, eat with noodles, or even toss in sauce and wrap in tortillas. Our kids just love to slice and eat them like ham with a sprinkle of salt.
For this recipe, I had to include how to make ginger scallion sauce as it is our ultimate favorite to pair with this poached chicken. It is so simple yet loaded with gorgeous Asian flavors.
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Key to the Moist Tender Meat
The chicken is cooked without using any oil, but without compromising any juiciness. In fact, you will be surprised of how moist and tender the meat gets with this easy method!
Since chicken breasts are extremely lean, boiling at high temperature makes the meat tough and dry. However, poaching, compared to boiling, is a much gentler way of cooking which keeps the meat soft and moist. Poaching generally calls for food to be submerged in a liquid that is kept at a lower temperature around 160°F - 180°F.
Also, adding a little amount of sugar and salt helps to retain the moisture in the meat while seasoning the meat perfectly.
Ingredients for This Recipe
For the chicken:
- Water
- Sugar
- Salt
- Chicken breast
For the sauce:
- Scallion
- Ginger
- Salt
- Avocado oil - I recommend avocado oil as it has a high smoking point. Other neutral tasting oil can be used but know that they may start to smoke sooner.
How to Make Poached Chicken
For the chicken:
1. Boil the water in a large saucepan. Mix in the sugar and salt.
2. Place the chicken breasts into the boiling water and let them submerge completely.
3. Wait for about a minute until the water comes to a boil again.
4. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Leave on the counter for 1-2 hours.
5. Slice the chicken against the grain.
For the sauce:
Place the scallion, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Heat up the avocado oil very hot (almost smoking), then pour over the scallion mix. It may splatter so it is recommended to do the pouring step inside the sink. Mix well and serve with the chicken.
*See the recipe card below for detailed instruction.
How to Store Poached Chicken
The poached chicken can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I recommend keeping the chicken in the broth so it stays moist and tender.
To freeze, cut up or slice the chicken, then freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge before using. Microwaving for thawing is not recommended as it will dry up the meat!
How to Use Leftover broth
This broth is gold. It can be used as a soup base since it has a lot of flavor from the chicken. You can add some vegetables, or simply add scallions and some sesame oil to make it into a dish. I also like to use the broth to cook rice with.
More Chicken Recipes...
Recipe
Poached Chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce
Ingredients
For chicken:
- 5 cups water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large chicken breasts about 8oz/ 226g each
For sauce:
- 1 cup chopped scallion
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral tasting oil
Instructions
- Boil the water in a large saucepan. Mix in the sugar and salt.
- Place the chicken into the boiling water and let them submerge completely.
- Wait for about a minute until the water comes to a boil again.
- Turn the heat off and cover with a lid. Leave on the counter for 1-2 hours.
- Slice the chicken against the grain.
- For the sauce, place the scallion, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Heat up the avocado oil very hot (almost smoking) in a saucepan, then pour over the scallion mix. It may splatter so I recommend to do the pouring step inside the sink. Mix well and serve with the chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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