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Home Dietary Gluten Free Recipes

Foolproof Poached Chicken Breast with Ginger Shallot Sauce

By:Nagi
Published:17 Oct '16Updated:5 Feb '19
209 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is the only way to make poached chicken breast that guarantees it comes out perfectly cooked and ridiculously juicy, every single time! No fancy kitchen gadgets required.

The chicken is so juicy, you can eat it plain with no sauce, I swear. But because I love sauces so much, I’m serving this perfect poached chicken breast with a classic Ginger Shallot (Scallion) Sauce. So good, you will want to put it on everything!

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

Every since I discovered this genius way to poach chicken breast well over a decade ago, I have never used any other method. In fact, I barely consider this cooking. Well of course, the chicken is cooked. But this technique to poach chicken can barely be considered cooking.

Because this is all you do: Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Plonk in chicken breast. Bring the water back up to the boil, plonk the lid on, then remove the saucepan from the stove. Let it stand for 20 – 45 minutes (seriously, there’s a big window!). And hey presto! A chicken breast that is so perfectly cooked and so crazy juicy, you will not believe your eyes!

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

Every time I make this, I always have a twinge of self doubt, worried that when I cut into the chicken it won’t be cooked through. And every single time, I worry for no reason. Because it always works. Always. Every single time. I have never had a fail – ever.

This is truly a foolproof recipe. And the simple reason is this: in every country, in every kitchen, on every stove, in every pot, the boiling point of water is 100C / 212F*. Because that is the key to this recipe: by simply leaving chicken breast submerged in boiling water and removing the saucepan from the stove, the chicken cooks in the residual heat but the falling water temperature is such that it does not allow the chicken to overcook.

It is bizarrely hard to take a photo that truly captures the juiciness of this chicken, but you can definitely see it in the video (below the recipe). You can literally see the glisten of juice on each slice as I slice it with my Baby Hands.

* Except at high altitudes, see recipe notes about this.

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

I mentioned earlier that this perfect poached chicken breast is so juicy, you can eat it plain. Honestly, try it. You won’t believe me until you try it for yourself.

In fact, it’s so juicy you can even eat it cold, straight out of the refrigerator. Yes, I put myself through the paces to really test out this recipe for you!! 😉

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

However, as good as the perfect poached chicken breast is, I couldn’t resist serving it up with a sauce. For today, I chose a Ginger Shallot Sauce. Aka Ginger Scallion Sauce, to the Americans reading this. ❤️ Or Ginger Spring Onion Sauce.

I am not actually sure of the real original of this sauce. It is basically the sauce used for Hainanese Chicken – in fact, this whole recipe I’m sharing today is like a simpler, much faster version of Hainanese Chicken (minus the rice). This sauce is also similar to David Chang’s recipe which I use in his Momfuku Marinated Beef Skirt Steak Ssam recipe that I shared in my early days.

Do not be fooled by the short ingredient list. This Ginger Shallot Sauce packs a serious flavour punch and is so good, you will want to put it on everything. Long after the chicken is gone, you will be dolloping it on the rice.

In fact, you know what? It’s 5.52pm on Monday right now. And 2 seconds after I hit publish, I’m making this for dinner for about the 3rd time in the last week. It’s that easy, that fast and that good! – Nagi x

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

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Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

Foolproof Poached Chicken with Ginger Shallot Sauce

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Dinner
Asian
4.93 from 53 votes
Servings3 -4
Tap or hover to scale
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A foolproof method for poaching chicken breast with guaranteed juicy chicken every single time. Served with a Ginger Shallot (Scallion) Sauce that is so good, you will want to put it on everything! Also accompanied with a quick chilli sauce (optional). This is like a (much) faster, healthier midweek version of the famous Hainanese Chicken & Rice. Also see cooking video below recipe - don't miss the Dozer cameo at the end! HIGH ALTITUDE locations - please see note 4

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts , boneless skinless, 250g/8.5 oz each (Note 1)

Ginger Shallot Sauce

  • 3 - 4 shallots / scallions , green and white part thinly sliced (1 heaped cup)
  • 2 tbsp finely grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or peanut or grapeseed oil)

Quick Chilli Sauce

  • 1 tbsp chilli paste
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp grated ginger

Instructions

Chicken

  • Take chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Fill a saucepan with water so the chicken breast will be well submerged with at least 2" / 5cm of water above it.
  • Bring water to boil. Place chicken breast in water, place lid on, bring back up to the boil. Remove saucepan from stove and set aside for 20 minutes (it's fine up to 45 min, won't overcook).
  • Remove chicken from water and slice. Serve with Sauces (below) and rice.

Ginger Shallot Sauce

  • Combine and mix ingredients in a bowl. Set side for 20 minutes. It will sweat and become more liquidy.

Chilli Sauce

  • Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes:

1. This method works for chicken breast up to 300g/10 oz. If you use a 300g/10 oz chicken breast, you must take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, per the recipe. 250g/8oz chicken cooks just fine straight out of the fridge but I always take it out of the fridge early out of habit.
If using frozen chicken, it must be fully thawed before using.
2. This recipe works consistently every time because the chicken starts off in boiling water which is 100C/212F no matter which country, what stove, and what pot you're using! Chicken cooks at around 65C/150F, so while the boiled water is at or above this temperature, the chicken is cooking. Once it falls below, the chicken stops cooking and thus prevents the breast from overcooking, yielding a guaranteed perfectly cooked juicy chicken breast every single time!
3. Cook time: A 250g/8.5oz chicken breast will be done at 20 minutes, for a 300g/10oz one, I leave it for 25 to 30 minutes. Up to 45 minutes, and I still do not notice any loss of juiciness in the breast. Around 1 hour, I notice that it is slightly less juicy - but still way juicier than the usual methods of poaching!
4. High altitude locations: The higher above sea level you are, the lower the boiling point of water. This means that if you are located in a high altitude area, the recipe needs to be amended to boil for longer before taking it off the stove, to ensure the chicken cooks through. I intend to do some research on this and will update this note when I find out more - or if any readers leave definitive information about this!
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings and the all the ginger sauce is consumed which it probably will not be because a little bit goes a long way! The oil in the sauce accounts for 150 calories of the total calories shown below.poached-chicken-with-ginger-shallot-sauce

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 167gCalories: 381cal (19%)Carbohydrates: 5.4g (2%)Protein: 40.9g (82%)Fat: 21.7g (33%)Saturated Fat: 3.4g (21%)Cholesterol: 107mg (36%)Sodium: 396mg (17%)Potassium: 407mg (12%)Fiber: 0.8g (3%)Sugar: 1.5g (2%)Vitamin A: 150IU (3%)Vitamin C: 4.1mg (5%)Calcium: 30mg (3%)Iron: 2.2mg (12%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Cooking video! So you can see for yourself how insanely juicy this perfect poached chicken breast really is!


LIFE OF DOZER

Looking thoroughly unimpressed with my offering of a teeny tiny scrap of broccolini stem…..Only because I ran out of leftover chicken after multiple takes which you’ll see at the end of the cooking video!!

dozer-ginger-shallot-sauce

Extra juicy perfect Poached Chicken Breast guaranteed to work every single time! This technique is so easy, it will blow your mind. Served with a gorgeous Ginger Scallion (Shallot) Sauce. recipetineats.com

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209 Comments

  1. Tricia says

    May 30, 2022 at 11:17 pm

    I cannot stress how delicious AND authentic this recipe is. It reminds me of the Hainanese chicken I used go eat when I was younger. This recipe is foolproof. Easy and so good!!!!

    Reply
  2. Lori Goldstein says

    February 27, 2022 at 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you ! Delish.

    Reply
  3. Bronwyn says

    February 14, 2022 at 10:07 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for so many clear, simple delicious recipes. I make a poached chicken like this & use peppercorns, ginger, salt & shallots in the water. As you say, so simple, so good. Our shallot ginger sauce is made by pouring the heating oil onto the other ingredients. Yours is just combined, no heating wow!! I have to try this. Thanks Nagi

    Reply
  4. Kathryn says

    February 12, 2022 at 6:19 am

    Hello! How would the timing change if using a whole chicken?

    Reply
  5. Mrs. G says

    January 18, 2022 at 1:08 pm

    Um is it just me? Shallots and scallions are two completely different things…

    Reply
    • ash says

      January 31, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      it’s referring to the green shallot (aka green onion/spring onion/scallion), not the bulbing onion

      Reply
  6. Sharon says

    December 30, 2021 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    First time poaching chicken breast, and it came out lovely and juicy! I also made the ginger shallot oil to go with it, and also some chicken stock rice. Yum! Great dinner! Thank you Nagi

    Reply
  7. Kath Bailey says

    October 30, 2021 at 7:59 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! Will definately make this again. I added a few drops of sesame oil to the shallot and ginger sauce. My food pickie partner loved this dish and ate what was suppose to be leftovers.

    Reply
  8. Shana says

    October 9, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    This has become one of our favourite midweek meals! Love that it is foolproof but still super delicious and healthy!

    Reply
  9. M says

    September 2, 2021 at 7:10 pm

    5 stars
    Omg did a hainanese chicken rice version with this poached chicken and it was DELICIOUS!!! Idiot proof and much easier than the typical recipes for hainanese chicken rice I’d usually make. Perfect for lazy dinner nights! Poached the chicken with ginger and garlic and spring onion for the hainanese chicken rice touch!

    Reply
  10. Sheryl McNeal says

    May 21, 2021 at 5:58 am

    Hi Nagi what brand chilli paste do you use Re your poached chick breasts. Love this recipe!

    Reply
  11. Shaina Kim says

    May 19, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    Fell in love with this recipe the moment I read fail-proof. I have never been good at cooking chicken so at long last maybe this is my saving grace. Thank you so much, Nagi!

    Reply
  12. Elizabeth Moore says

    April 23, 2021 at 5:15 am

    5 stars
    Good so good, OK I tweaked it, Why not, I used noodle, thin ones, added a tad of lemon to the spring onion sauce, I did not have Chili paste so used Harissa paste instead and tossed the noodles in Sesame oil….. Oh yes and added a chicken stock cube plus bay leaves to the poaching liquid….. My husband loved it – so did I.

    Reply
  13. lyss says

    March 19, 2021 at 11:42 am

    The baby hands comment… I laughed so hard haha great recipe

    Reply
  14. Ana says

    March 19, 2021 at 4:52 am

    5 stars
    Dear Nagi,
    Love your recepies.
    Ginger Shallot Sauce made first time.
    Tasted amazing.
    Poached chicken breast, fantastic.
    The best regards.

    Reply
  15. Elizabeth Blunt says

    March 17, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    For the altitude issue, can I recommend a book called ‘Pie in Sky’ from the University of Denver. Someone had a copy when I lived in Addis Ababa, which was passed from hand to hand and was invaluable.

    Reply
  16. Krish says

    February 10, 2021 at 9:03 pm

    5 stars
    This. Was. Amazing!
    I was worried the chicken would be bland & taste weird being poached in plain water- but it doesn’t!
    And those sauces are so delicious!

    This is definitely going to be a regular in my house!

    Reply
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