Poached Chicken With Lemon + Herbs
Here is the recipe for a tender poached chicken breasts that's both easy and fabulous. Poaching takes no time, then you'll reduce the poaching liquid into a pan sauce with layers of flavor from lemon, herbs, wine, broth, and shallot.
Servings: 3 to 4 people
Calories: 460kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts; I prefer air-chilled chicken)
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup white wine (not cooking wine)
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (I use Swanson's)
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and ideally at room temperature
- Salt and fresh-ground pepper
Instructions
- Generously season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside. If you are going to serve this with rice, now's a good time to start it.
- Cut the lemon in half. Reserve one half for juicing, and continue to slice the other half into thin slices for a nice garnish, and set aside.
- In an 11-inch skillet (or thereabouts), heat the wine, chicken stock, juice from half a lemon, shallot, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. PRO TIP: Note that you are not adding salt and pepper to the poaching liquid yet. This is because this liquid will later reduce into a sauce, which you don't want to be over-salted.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Give it a couple of swirls. Nestle in the chicken. The poaching liquid should be about halfway up the side of the breasts. Adjust the liquid amount with a little more stock or some water as needed.
- Cover the pan with a lid and poach the chicken breasts at a low simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness, turning halfway. You can also test for doneness by cutting into the thick center with a sharp knife to see if the meat is fully cooked or still pink, or by inserting a probe thermometer. It should read 160°F.TIP: Check under the lid in the first minute or two to make sure that the liquid is at a simmer, not boiling or completely still.
- Remove the chicken and let it rest on a plate. Raise the heat and boil the poaching liquid, stirring often, until it's reduced by about half. Add the butter and give it a swirl to combine. You should have a nice sauce. Taste for seasoning. Fish out the thyme sprigs. If you like, you can slice each breast into pieces and arrange them over rice instead of serving them whole.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve hot.
Notes
This is a simple poached chicken recipe, but you do want to get the technique right by making sure the liquid is at a simmer, never a boil.
You can season the chicken breasts up to 2 days in advance. This "dry brine" will tenderize the meat and season the meat all the way through.
If you don't want to use wine, no problem. Just use 1/2 cup of additional stock, and a little extra lemon juice to increase the acid.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 185mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 1038mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 594IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
