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!
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!
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.
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!! 😉
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
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Foolproof Poached Chicken with Ginger Shallot Sauce
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:
Nutrition Information:
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!!
Hi Nagi! Do you have a recipe for the cucumbers you put in the bowl at the end of the video? I’ve had these in China and they are absolutely delicious! Are they simply pickled cucumbers or is there something more to it? Please let me know. Thanks!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your site and recipes!!!
Hi Nagi! Excited to try this recipe because I’ve always found chicken breast too dry and flavorless. Do you have any suggestions of herbs or veggies to add to the pot to bring more flavor into the chicken breast and broth? (Ginger, onion, splash of soy sauce?) or it truly is best plain?
This look amazing!! I’m working on my menu for hosting our family Lunar new year dinner this Friday, and definitely want to try making this. But I was wondering if I could use skin-on, bone-in breasts?
Sorry Melissa, this won’t work with bone in skin on breast, and unfortunately I haven’t tested it to know what amendment would be required. Sorry!
traditionally a whole chicken is used so why couldn’t one use bone in skin on breast? the cooking time would need to be adjusted, but a meat thermometer can help with that
Hi Anon! With a whole chicken, you need to bring it to the boil twice and it takes about 90 minutes, from memory 🙂 N x
I also need to make a lot for about 9 people. How would I go about increasing the amount of chicken breasts? This isn’t the only thing on the menu.
Delicious as promised AND easy. Thank you. Discovering this poaching method is life changing! The sauce was so delicious, once the chicken was gone I had it over crackers (no cooked rice on hand). I want to try the whole steamed fish with hot oil, ginger, and scallions next. I too have fond memories of the fragrant sizzle when the hot oil is poured.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
Hi Nagi,
I just wanted to check the amounts for the onion and ginger sauce:
“3 – 4 shallots / scallions / spring onions , green and white part thinly sliced (1 heaped cup)”
So, it’s 3-4 shallots, but if we use scallions/spring onions we need to chop up a heaped cup’s worth…? That seems like a lot of spring onions.
Thanks.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s absolutely brilliant. As a Kiwi (and also very long time Melbourne resident) who has recently moved to Scandinavia from Oz, I really missed Hainanese Chicken and those sorts of poached chicken and rice dishes that I used to get for lunch from one of the many Chinese and Asian places back in NZ and Oz.
This recipe really fits the bill and is ridiculously easy to whack together and the flavour is simply awesome. You’re right as well about the ginger and spring onion sauce, there’s nearly fisticuffs for the last dollop round the dining table! And your method of poaching chicken Nagi is fool proof and turns out perfectly everytime – I’ve even used it to to make some chicken for chicken and mayo sangers and they were just brilliant.
I’ve also cooked your quick satay stir fry twice now as well and that’s a hit too so I’m fast becoming a big fan of your site. Thanks for taking the time to post all of these wonderful recipes.
And as an occasionally homesick Antipodean, I’ve just discovered your sausage roll recipe which is a complete lifeline as I’ve been having cravings for the things.
Thanks once again!
Terrific to hear Tim! So glad you enjoyed this and the stir fry, thanks for taking the time to leave a review! N x ❤️
Hi Nagi! How long does the sauce last? Could I make it several days before I make the chicken? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Michelle! I recommend 48 hours at most 🙂 After that I am pretty sure the ginger will start losing flavour 🙂 This is SO GOOD I hope you love it, it’s like a simpler version of Hainanese Chicken
Hi Nagi, 5 stars for your poaching method! I have used it to cook chicken for a soup, so that I can add it last minute and not ivercook it. I found that I had smaller pieces of chicken, 150-200g so I pulled the 150g pieces out at 15min and left the bigger pieces for 20min. I also used a big pot and cooked 4 chicken breasts at the same time. Still perfectly cooked chicken! I haven’t made the sauces yet, but look forward to testing them on husband. And, after reading through the comments, I was intrigued by Hainanese chicken Rice, but apparently you haven’t done s recipe for that yet! It sounds like something my kids would love for dinner. Very subtle recipe request?(!) I don’t trust many recipes online because I dislike investing time and effort into trying a recipe that flops. Yours are ALWAYS reliable!!
It’s on my list, I promise! Hainanese chicken is so insanely good 🙂 And I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Tamarra, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Nagi, I’m making this recipe for supper tonight & it reminds me of something I have to share with you!
So, yet again, I was across the country in Ottawa for some meetings. I left Garry this recipe (and others) to make for our family while I was gone. He protested & repeatedly stated there was NO WAY he could do this recipe. We’d had it a few times before, but he didn’t witness the process of preparing it. I kept telling him “Just make it! TRUST ME! You got this. I know it looks complicated & fancy….trust me…..it’s an illusion! I wouldn’t lie hunny….neither would Nagi. You are totally capable, it’s just SO EASY!” I literally had to say those things over & over again.
I get a call from him while he’s finishing up making it. He’s blindingly OVERJOYED!! He cannot believe how easy it is to make such a DELICIOUS meal. Flavour is off the charts….and yet it requires no secret, magical, hold your tongue the right way, years of cooking experience, buy a fancy chef hat online kind of talent! YOU ARE AWESOME NAGI!! Thank you for making it so easy to feed my family amazing food when the primary chef is thousands of km away.
Oh JOSIE!!!!! You make me smile from ear to ear!! N xx
Absolutely delicious! Tried this recipe last night and it was a hit. I was afraid the chicken breasts would not be fully cooked but they turned out perfectly. My family usually avoids breast meat as it is tougher and dryer to eat, but they cleaned their plates last night. Thanks for also sharing the spring onion sauce recipe. Divine. The sauce also goes well with any roast meats you get from Chinese restaurants eg. char siu, roast pork, roast duck. YUM! Now… for a Hainanese chicken rice recipe …
I think that every single time and it NEVER fails! Hainanese chicken is on my list…. N xx
Omg the sauce…… Just yum! Next time I’m making double x
I know I know….I feel the same! ?
Hi Nagi, this is ridiculously good. Cooked it twice now, and although a fairly quick and easy meal to prepare, I was wondering if a could cheat a little and use grated ginger out a a jar. The zing of the fresh grated ginger is really good in the sauce, so I expect that the jar stuff might not give the same result. I was after your thoughts?
Woo hoo! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this, thanks for letting me know Goanna! And yes, you suspected right – fresh is best because ginger is a key ingredient in this sauce and also jar ginger has a slight sourness to it that will affect the flavour. 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi
Thank you this is the best Hai-nam chicken reciep I have found, especially the chilli sauce awesome, from other website never turn out even alright.
Ai
Awesome! So glad to hear that Ai Tang, thanks for letting me know! N x
Another brilliant and so simple recipe. I’ve always cooked hard boiled eggs like this (turning off the heat for 10 minutes), but to be able to conserve fuel on the boat this will definitely be added to my galley meals. Thanks Nagi
WOAH! Eggs like this??? LIFE CHANGING!!
I also cook hard boiled eggs like this nagi.
Half inch water in pan. Add eggs. Put lid on pan. Bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and stand covered on switched off burner 10 minutes. But i have only done it with electtic power.
Our family have been cooking our chicken like this since I was a child. I am 35 now. We would put a whole chicken in cold water bring it to a boil then cover the pot for forty minutes. It is the most juiciest chicken ever! However, I love, love, love this recipe. It was delicious. I served my family this recipe and they licked the plates cleaned and asked for more. Thank you so much for all you wonderful recipes and for making them so easy to fix. I haven’t tried them all, but I am on my way. Thank you
Yes! My mother does that too 🙂 And that’s how Hainanese Chicken is made. How do you serve yours? So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thanks for letting me know Morgan! N xx
Nagi! This did no disappoint. Your poached chicken directions were iron-clad fool proof and the ginger-scallion sauce was so delicious. With two kids under 5 running around, can I tell you what a relief it is to have a recipe I can let cook on it’s own without me standing over the stove?!?! 😀 Thank you!!
YESSSSSS!!! I am so thrilled to hear that Anita, I love this little trick! The only way I poach chicken 🙂 N xx
Hey Nagi,
I poached 2 batches of double chicken breasts tonight using your method and breast meat came out absolutely tender and juicey.. It was so beautiful and tasty… the pure and simple taste of chicken is so wonderful. You are a genius! I love this simple and healthy way of cooking using fresh and simple ingredients. How quick and easy is this ? just plain tap water and fresh chicken breasts. I can think of so many ways to use this juicey poached chicken breast.. tonight I am using it in my children’s sandwiches and wraps for their school lunch; as well as topping for salad, noodle soup and fried rice / stir fry. The poaching liquid is saved for making your beautiful wonton noodle as a soup base, it is full of chicken goodness… Love your work! Thank you for sharing. You have forever changed the way I cook chicken breasts. I will now be cooking more breasts, no longer am I worried about it being too dry. axx
HIGH FIVE! So glad you enjoyed it Ada, isn’t it amazing??? Hope you enjoy the wontons!
I live at 1100m above sea level and tried your recipe. Taking into consideration the altitude, I decided to cook the chicken at boiling for 5 mins just to be sure and overcooked it, whoops! BUT it certainly isn’t the last time I make this recipe, next time I’ll try a shorter boiling time. I do wonder if it’ll cook just fine as per your recipe, as the chicken just needs to have an internal temperature of 74°C and even a couple of degrees under 100°C should get it above this point. As to the taste, my husband was not happy I was poaching with nothing but water and couldn’t have been more surprised when he took his first bite, he loved it. I didn’t have chilli paste on hand so just doubled the chilli sauce (I just had a random hot chilli sauce) and it was really good.
Hi Debs – your feedback is awesome, thanks!!! Official High Altitude Recipe Tester!! I am so thrilled to hear your husband enjoyed the flavour, it’s surprising isn’t it? It’s the sauce! That sauce is EVERYTHING!
I’m so thankful for your comment Deb! I live 1,045m above sea level & was VERY curious to see if anyone else had tried this at a high altitude. I’m going to try this!
Hi Nagi,
I am so excited to try this recipe. Two questions:
1. Do you put any salt in water when you boil the chicken ?
And
2. What kind of chili paste? I have Sriracha and Chinese Chili Bean paste -but what chili paste exactly do you use?
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Karen! Nope, no salt in the water. 🙂 And for chili maste, I use Masterfoods, just a plain chilli paste. https://www.woolworths.com.au/Shop/Search/Products/pantry-international-food/herbs-spices-a-k?searchTerm=chilli&name=masterfoods-chilli-freshly-chopped&productId=9591
Hi Nagi! I’ve tried many of your recipes and love them all. They never disappoint! My husband’s favorite is proper chicken chow mein. Best ever and so authentic! I’m going to make this poached chicken dish tonight! Just one thing … shallots and scallions are two different products. Shallots have no green whatsoever. They have a brown peel like a yellow onion and are purple on the inside after peeled. I am sometimes confused which one you are intending for the recipe unless you say “green and white parts” and then I know you mean scallions. But they are not the same as shallots. Just thought I would bring that up to avoid confusion about the recipes.
Hi Debra – so glad you are enjoying my recipes, thank you! Scallions / shallots and green onions are all so confusing between different countries – where are you?? What you are describing as Shallots i.e. mini onion is what I know as eschallots 🙂 Thank you for raising it, I am always worried about it but I kind of figure the photos make it clear what I am using, at least for this one. So glad you love the Chow Mein! N x
Thanks for clarifying – I was confused by the shallots / scallions/ /spring onions, too. I’ve poached the chicken, now will do the sauces for dinner later.
Loved this. My husband said it’s the best thing I’ve made in ages! He usually won’t eat breast either, too dry. Not this time. I love your page, you’re the best.
I’m so glad to hear that Emma! Thank you for letting me know! N x