How To Make Tender Poached Chicken
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Tender poached chicken is easy to achieve using chicken tenderloins and the right cooking method.
I’ve said it over and over again: in cooking, the simplest things are often the hardest to get right, and poached chicken is a perfect example. Because chicken breasts are extra lean and poaching requires zero fat, poached chicken is typically really dry. Most recipes mistakenly call for simmering boneless skinless chicken breasts over very low heat until cooked through. I prefer to use chicken tenderloins, which are more tender than whole breasts. And instead of simmering the tenderloins over low heat, I place them in a pot of boiling salted water, immediately remove the pot from the heat and cover it with a lid, and let it sit for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. This method guarantees succulent chicken every time.
What You’ll Need To Make Tender Poached Chicken
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large pot, bring 2-1/2 quarts of water and the salt to a boil.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the chicken.
Immediately cover the pot with a lid, and let sit, off the heat, for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
Do not overcook!
Using tongs, transfer the poached chicken to a cutting board.
Let cool, then shred, discarding the tough tendon at the end of each tenderloin. Transfer the chicken to an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to use. The poached chicken will keep for 3 to 4 days.
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Poached Chicken
Tender poached chicken is easy to achieve using chicken tenderloins and the right cooking method.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 2½ quarts of water and the salt to a boil. Add the chicken, immediately remove the pot from the heat, and cover it with a lid. Let it sit for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. To test for doneness, cut into the center of one of the tenderloins; it should be white throughout with no sign of pink. (Or insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin; it should register 165°F.) Do not overcook.
- Using tongs, transfer the poached chicken to a cutting board. Let cool, then shred, discarding the tough tendon at the end of each tenderloin. Transfer the chicken to an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to use. The poached chicken will keep for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (9 servings)
- Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 265
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 455 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have tried to make good poached chicken or years and years, without much success. This recipe is the first time it came out rather effortlessly – it is a home run! Using the chicken tenders, rather than the breast was genius. Jenn, I have made so many of your recipes and 99% of them have been such a hit with me and my family. Thank you for all your excellent tips, advice and creativity!
Hi Jenn
I wanted nice tender chicken so I tried your method. After 17 minutes, my chicken tenders were still very pink (not quite bleeding) so I covered them for another 5 minutes. The internal temp wasn’t quite at 165 yet so I just turned the water back on and let them come to another boil and left again for another 5 minutes.
Not sure why my chicken took so much longer. Only thing I can think of, is I’m in Canada so are our chickens ‘different’?
When all was said and done, the chicken was more tender than the method I usually use, so thanks for the recipe!
Hmmm…maybe your tenders were a little thicker? Glad that, ultimately, they came out well.
Would this method work for boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
I don’t think you need to use this method for thighs b/c they don’t get tough like white meat. That said, you can do it if you’d like — they’ll just take longer to cook.