Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Protein
- 450 g boneless skinless chicken breast, raw
Aromatics & Broth Base
- 1000 ml water, cold
- yellow onion, halved
- carrot, roughly chopped
- celery, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic, smashed
- fresh parsley, whole sprigs
- 2 g whole black peppercorns
- 10 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 225 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbohydrates
- 7 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1073 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 72 mg
- Potassium
- 425 mg
- Calcium
- 49 mg
- Iron
- 1.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 40 mg
- Phosphorus
- 223 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 192 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 11.5 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 393 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the raw chicken breasts, halved onion, chopped carrot, chopped celery, smashed garlic, parsley sprigs, black peppercorns, and kosher salt into a medium saucepan.
Pour the cold water over the ingredients, ensuring the chicken is completely submerged by at least 2 centimeters. Add a little more water if the chicken is exposed.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer very gently. The liquid should barely bubble. Poach until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches exactly 74°C/165°F, which takes about 12 to 15 minutes.
Use tongs to carefully remove the cooked chicken from the broth. Transfer it to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing, dicing, or shredding.
Strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or airtight storage container. Discard the spent vegetables and aromatics. Reserve this clear, highly flavorful broth for sipping or as a base for soups.
Chef's Notes
- Starting with cold water rather than dropping chicken directly into boiling water ensures even cooking from edge to center and yields a noticeably more tender result.
- When handling raw chicken during prep, ensure all cutting boards, utensils, and hands are thoroughly washed with hot soapy water immediately afterward to prevent cross-contamination.
- To maximize the lifespan and succulence of the cooked chicken, store the meat completely submerged in its own strained poaching liquid in the refrigerator.
- The leftover poaching liquid is essentially a quick, fortified chicken stock. It is delicate and extremely flavorful; season it lightly with extra salt and enjoy it as a hot sipping broth or use it to cook rice and quinoa.
- Always rely on a digital meat thermometer for poultry. Carryover cooking will occur during the resting phase, so if you cover the chicken tightly with foil while resting, you can pull it at 71°C/160°F to ensure it safely coasts up to the required 74°C/165°F mark without drying out.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store cooked chicken submerged in the strained broth to retain maximum moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze chicken and broth together in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in the broth over low heat until just warmed through to avoid overcooking.
Troubleshooting
Chicken is tough, dry, or stringy
Cause: The water boiled too vigorously or the chicken was cooked well past 74°C/165°F.
Fix: Shred the overcooked chicken finely and mix with mayonnaise, yogurt, or a rich sauce to add back moisture and mask the tough texture.
Prevention: Start with cold water, maintain only a bare, gentle simmer, and monitor the internal temperature closely with a meat thermometer.
Broth tastes completely unseasoned
Cause: Not enough salt was added during the cold water phase.
Fix: Stir additional kosher salt into the warm, strained broth incrementally to taste.
Prevention: Measure the salt accurately before poaching.
Cultural Context
Poaching is an ancient and universal culinary technique, heavily refined in classical French cuisine where it is known as 'pocher'. It is celebrated globally for its unique ability to transform lean proteins into highly digestible, unnervingly moist meals while simultaneously yielding a nourishing, restorative byproduct in the form of broth.
