Best Perfect Poached Chicken Breasts Cooks Illustrated Recipes

HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY POACHED CHICKEN BREASTS

How to Make Perfectly Poached Chicken Breasts image

Poached chicken breasts make for tender, succulent chicken that you can use in a variety of recipes, such as soup, pot pie, or burritos.

Provided by Fiona Haynes

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless; about 1 pound)
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth (fat-free and low-sodium, or water)
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf

Steps:

Gather the ingredients.
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 175 to 180, reduce the heat to low so that the water maintains this temperature.
Partly cover with the pot 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.
Remove and slice or shred the chicken. The meat should be cooked through and opaque throughout.
Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 197 kcal, Carbohydrate 1 g, Cholesterol 96 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 37 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 361 mg, Sugar 0 g, Fat 4 g, ServingSize 3-4 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

POACHED CHICKEN BREAST

Poached Chicken Breast image

Poached chicken has much more flavor and a better taste than boiled chicken. If you want to eat more lean protein, give this recipe a try. I like to eat the veggies!

Provided by Ace

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
32 fluid ounces water, or more if needed
1 yellow onion, peeled and slits cut into it
1 bunch celery, stalks (including leaves) separated
3 carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste, or more to taste
1 tablespoon salt
5 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, each cut in half

Steps:

Combine chicken stock, water, yellow onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a gentle simmer. Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer, checking the flavor occasionally, until vegetables are slightly tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
Bring stock to a boil and add chicken, pouring in more water if chicken isn't completely covered in liquid. Bring poaching liquid to a boil; remove pot from heat and cover tightly with a lid until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 322 calories, Carbohydrate 14.4 g, Cholesterol 132.5 mg, Fat 3.9 g, Fiber 4.4 g, Protein 55.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 2786.5 mg, Sugar 7 g

POACHED CHICKEN

Poached Chicken image

Provided by Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey

Categories dinner, main course

Time 35m

Yield One cooked three-pound chicken

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 three-pound chicken
Water to barely cover
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, scraped and cut in half
1 rib celery with leaves, cut in half
12 peppercorns
Salt to taste, if desired

Steps:

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil. Let simmer 30 minutes.

POACHED CHICKEN BREAST

Poached Chicken Breast image

Use this poached chicken breast recipe when making Poached Chicken Salad with Chopped Vegetables from "Martha Stewart's Cooking School."

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes

Yield Makes 2 breast halves

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut crosswise in half
1 medium stalk celery, cut crosswise in half
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Unsalted butter

Steps:

Poach chicken: Place chicken in pot just large enough to hold it with about 3 inches of room on top. Add water and cover by 1 inch. Add peppercorns, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, carrot, celery, and salt. Bring water to just under a simmer over medium-high heat (bubbles should start forming around edges of pot and rise to surface, but there should be no bubbles in center of pot). Reduce heat to medium-low to keep temperature constant (it should be between 170 degrees and 180 degrees). Cook, skimming foam from surface as necessary, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes after the liquid reaches the right temperature.
Strain and cool: Transfer chicken to heatproof bowl. Strain liquid and pour over poached chicken; let cool in liquid (this will keep the chicken moist and tender). When chicken is cool, or you are ready to serve it, separate meat from bones and discard skin and bones. Slice chicken against the grain into 1-inch pieces, if desired.