Poached chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and easy to shred for chicken salad, sandwiches, wraps, and meal prep. They cook in seasoned water or broth with vegetables and herbs for simple homemade flavor.
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Poach chicken slowly for salads. It stays juicy, tender, and mild. It's perfect for green salads or deli-style chicken salad.
What is Poaching?
Poaching is a gentle cooking method where food is cooked in water or broth kept just below a boil. The liquid should be hot and steaming, but not bubbling hard like a rolling boil.
This low, steady heat cooks food gently and helps keep it tender and moist. Poaching is often used for chicken, eggs, and fish because it cooks them without making them tough or breaking them apart.
Poached chicken comes out juicy, smooth, and easy to slice, dice, or shred, making it perfect for chicken salad, green salads, sandwiches, and wraps.
Ingredients
These are the best vegetables and herbs to add to your poaching broth. Leek and parsnip give the broth and the chicken a deeper flavor, but you can use what you have on hand.
Choose filtered or bottled water instead of tap water when possible.
You can use bone-in chicken for even more flavor, but boneless chicken breasts cook faster and are easier to shred.
Wash all vegetables well, especially leeks. Cut the leek lengthwise and rinse between the layers to remove any dirt.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Water or chicken broth
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Parsnip, optional
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh dill
- Kosher salt and black pepper
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
How To Poach Chicken Breasts
- Place the chicken breasts in a large pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsnip if using, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in enough water or chicken broth to cover the chicken by about 1 inch.
- Set the pot over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Do not let it come to a hard boil.
- Once the liquid is simmering, reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook the chicken gently for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. It is done when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice, dice, or shred the chicken, depending on how you plan to use it.
- Use right away, or cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Why Use Shredded Chicken for Salad
Poached chicken is moist, tender, and easy to shred. It mixes well with mayonnaise, herbs, celery, onion, grapes, nuts, and other chicken salad ingredients without turning chewy or rubbery.
Cooking the chicken gently in water or broth with celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and herbs gives it a mild, homemade flavor. The chicken stays simple enough for any type of salad, but it tastes better than plain boiled chicken.
Shredded chicken also holds dressing well. It makes chicken salad creamy and scoopable, whether you serve it on lettuce, in a sandwich, or in a wrap.
How to Shred Chicken With Forks
- Let the chicken rest after cooking, then place it on a cutting board.
- Hold the chicken steady with one fork. Use the other fork to pull the meat apart into thin strands.
- Continue until the chicken is shredded into small, even pieces. Shredded chicken blends easily with dressing and works well for chicken salad, sandwiches, wraps, and green salads.
Uses For Poached Chicken Breasts
Poaching chicken breasts is so easy and has many uses!
- This recipe for NYC Deli Chicken Salad will put your poached chicken to good use!
- Try our Chicken Salad with Grapes recipe. It's so good you'll wonder why you haven't been making it forever. The combination of creamy and crunchy textures is irresistible!
- Chicken Salad Wraps and Sandwiches: Mix with mayo and celery, then spread on your favorite bread or wrap.
- The Gotham Salad: A chopped salad from Bergdorf Goodman with poached chicken, bacon, Gruyere, ham, beets, egg, and pink dressing.
- Chicken Caesar Salad: Top a Caesar salad with cold poached chicken. Try our low-carb Caesar. We've left out the croutons to make it the perfect low-carb meal.
- Grandma's Chicken Soup or Deli-Style Matzoh Ball Soup: Add extra chicken to chicken soup for extra protein.
- Stir-Fries: Toss shredded chicken it into quick veggie stir-fries.
- Pasta: Mix with pasta, marinara, and vegetables for an easy dinner.
- Rice Bowls: Pair with rice and veggies for a big bowl meal.
Protein in Poached Chicken Breasts
White meat chicken is low in calories, has no carbs, and it's when freshly cooked, low in histamine. Here is the nutrition in 4 oz. of poached chicken.
- Calories: 120-140
- Protein: 26-30 grams
- Fat: 2-3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Storage
Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Let the chicken cool completely before refrigerating. You can store it whole, sliced, diced, or shredded, depending on how you plan to use it.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked chicken in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
FAQ
Poached chicken has approximately 120 to 140 calories per 4-ounce serving (or about 222 calories for a 6-ounce serving). Because it is cooked in water or broth without added oils or butter, it is a highly nutritious, low-calorie, and zero-carb source of lean protein.
Poached chicken is done when the juices run clear after piercing with a fork. For accuracy, check with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165°F (74°C), as recommended by the USDA.
The main difference is temperature. Poaching is a gentle method where the liquid is kept at a low, steady simmer between 160°F and 180°F-hot and steaming, but not bubbling heavily. Boiling happens at 212°F with rapid bubbles. High heat can make chicken tough and rubbery, while gentle poaching keeps the meat tender and juicy.
It typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes once the liquid reaches a simmer, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Always reduce the heat to low and cover the pot to let them cook gently. The chicken is finished the moment the internal temperature hits 165°F.
Poaching is the absolute best method. Simmering the chicken breasts low and slow in water or broth with aromatic vegetables (like carrots, celery, and onions) and fresh herbs infuses them with a clean, mild flavor. It keeps the meat incredibly moist, tender, and easy to shred or dice so it perfectly holds your salad dressing.
The Best Way To Cook Chicken For Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 to 8 cups water or chicken broth enough to cover the chicken by 1 inch
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
- 2 celery stalks cut into large pieces
- 1 small onion peeled and quartered
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 parsnip peeled and sliced, optional
- A few sprigs fresh parsley
- A few sprigs fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken, carrots, celery, parsnip, onion, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in a large pot.
- Add enough water or broth to cover the chicken by 1 inch.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (about 165°F / 74°C). Don't boil.
- Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.
- Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Shred or chop for salad.
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