Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups of water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece ginger (roughly the size of half a lemon, sliced
- ½ large onion, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- ½ Tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sea salt
- 2–3 chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each
Instructions
- Fill a medium deep large pan with the water, bay leaves, ginger, onion, garlic, salt and peppercorns. Your pot needs to be able to fit the chicken in one layer, so that the chicken will be completely submerged in the hot liquid.
- Juice the lemons into the water, and then add the lemons to the pot as well. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- With a fork, prick your chicken breasts liberally on both sides. This will help the brine and heat penetrate the meat.
- Remove the lemons, add the chicken breasts, turn the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes. The liquid will not come to a simmer and that’s ok-trust the process.
- Remove the pot from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the chicken sit for about 13-15 minutes until the chicken reaches 160 degrees with a thermometer (you can also take one breast out and cut into it to check).
- Remove the chicken from the liquid and it’s ready for use.
Notes
*You can chill and store the chicken breasts in the fridge whole until ready to use. The chicken breasts are good for several days.
*These chicken breasts are lightly seasoned and can be served topped with sauce or mixed with a dressing. Increase the salt by ½ Tablespoon if you prefer more pronounced seasoning.
*For best results, use evenly sized breasts that are as close to 8 ounces each. If your chicken breasts are incredibly large, cut them in half crosswise first before poaching.
*You can use the poaching liquid to cook more chicken breasts, although I recommend cooking only 2 at a time. Add a little more salt before repeating.
Keywords: poached chicken, meal prep, poaching, healthy, chicken