The method reminds me of sous vide, but you don’t need any fancy equipment, just plastic wrap and a big pot of hot water. You take a strip of boneless, skinless chicken breast, season it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then drop it in hot water. That’s it. So easy. The result is tender, moist, perfectly cooked chicken, with no added fat.
How To Poach Chicken
The key to the success of this technique is to never put the rolled-up chicken into boiling water; boiling water is too hot and will overcook the meat. Instead, bring the water to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Once the water stops bubbling, you can add the meat. As the water temperature slowly drops, the chicken is gently cooked all the way through. Small chicken breasts will be perfectly cooked in 15 minutes, but you can leave them in the water for 30 minutes with no loss of flavor or texture. Make sure that your slices of chicken or other meat are not more than 3 inches in diameter. If they are wider, you can still use this method, but you might need to turn the burner on “low” to keep the temperature from falling below 140°F.
How To Store Leftover Chicken
Poached chicken will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for 3 to 5 days. Since this poaching method is so quick and is designed to create tender, moist chicken, we recommend making it fresh versus making it ahead to freeze. It can be frozen if you have leftover that you can’t use, but the chicken may be tougher once defrosted. To freeze the poached chicken, wrap it in plastic wrap and then with foil for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator.
Recipes That Use Poached Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken Breasts Chicken Salad Curried Chicken Salad With Mango Chinese Chicken Salad Chicken Pot Pie
You can double this recipe, but if you do, use a larger pot and double the amount of poaching water. Add the chicken pieces and coat all over with the lemon juice mixture. Let the chicken pieces sit in the lemon juice while you heat the water in the next step. Compress as much air out of the chicken as you can as you roll it. Once the chicken is rolled up, rotate it on your cutting board or counter several times to tighten the cylinder even more. Tie the loose ends of the plastic wrap together in a double knot. Repeat with remaining chicken strips. The chicken should be cooked through by then. (If for some reason the chicken is not cooked through, for example if you are using larger than called for breasts, or if you are using frozen chicken that’s not quite defrosted, you can always put the chicken back in the poaching liquid for a few more minutes.)
