Using this foolproof method of poaching chicken breast you will never again end up with a dry, overcooked chicken! Honestly, poaching chicken breast is one of the most difficult things to master, even the experts use thermometers to get it exactly right, or they use fancy techniques like sous-vide (sealing meat in vacuum packs and submerging them in hot water maintained at an exact temperature).
The home method is so simple and no fail. All you do is bring water/stock to boil, place the chicken in water, bring it to boil again, remove from heat and leave it to cook in the residual heat. Everytime I make this, I stress that the chicken won’t cook through – but it always works! Always. The chicken breast is just cooked through, and is incredibly moist. It is so juicy you can eat it plain – and that’s saying something for chicken breast!
Using this method also flavours the stock it’s cooked in which is an added benefit, so it’s perfect to use as the base for a noodle soup.
Though the recipe shows that it takes 30 minutes to cook, only 5 minutes of this requires requires the stove to be on! This is a fantastic mid week meal that’s effortless but oh-so-tasty and satisfying. Hope you give it a go!
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Foolproof Poached Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast (up to 300g/10 oz)
- 3 bok choys (or 4 small ones)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 5 oz / 150 g fresh egg noodles
Soup Stock
- 2 cups / 16 oz / 500 mls chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine (or sub with 2 tsp sherry or sake (rice wine))
- 2 tsp ginger , minced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 star anise
Garnish (optional)
- 1 scallion/shallot , light green and green part only, sliced
- Fried Asian shallots
Instructions
- Combine Soup Stock ingredients in a medium saucepan large enough to hold the 2 chicken breasts side by side (without being crammed in). Bring to boil, taste and adjust if necessary.
- Add chicken to soup, bring back to boil. Remove from heat and put aside covered for 20 - 25 mins. Don't worry if you leave it for longer, it won't over cook.
- When the chicken is poached, remove from the soup and slice into 1/4" / 0.5cm slices.
- Cook noodles according to the packet instructions - usually for fresh noodles soaking them in boiling water is sufficient.
- Cut the bok choy leaves from the stems, cut the stems vertically into 1/3" / 1cm wide sticks.
- Bring the soup (without the poached chicken in it) back to boil, add the bok choy stems, boil for 30 seconds then remove from heat, add the bok choy leaves and bean sprouts.
- To assemble place noodles in bowl, top with bok choy, chicken and spoon over soup.
- Garnish with scallions/shallots and fried shallots.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Completely scrumptious and satisfying! The chicken was so silky and tender. Appreciate how easy this came together, too. Definitely a recipe for the “go-to” collection. Thanks!
Super easy, super tasty, and the look on my partners face after his first slurp of the soup was priceless!
Thank you Nagi for this beautiful soup & making your recipes so easy & tasty! 😋🤤!! Definitely a comforting soup!
Will be making this one again! 💚
It’s criminal how easy and how awesome this soup is! Put a wee bit of red chili sauce on the bowl and it was perfect for a cold Canada winter day.
Perfect Thomas!! N x
Absolute winner! Followed the directions and soup broth came out awesome – too awesome for how simple it is : )
Plus, you get the most juicy tender chicken with sensational flavour.
You’re a star Nagi. Thank you.
Made a delicious broth; used kale instead of bok choy. The anise added subtle exotic flavor. Chicken perfect and served soup w/ rice & ramen noodles option, sliced boiled egg, green onion, spiraled carrots & sriracha sauce for heat!
Sounds great Nicole! N x
I lost a similar recipe when moving house, very pleased to find this one! It was absolutely delicious, brought back memories of trips to China. Many thanks Nagi 😊
Hi, I made this last night to poach the chicken for your crunchy Asian slaw recipe, can I freeze the broth to use in a soup later on? Love your recipes 😍
Hi Lee! Absolutely, this broth will freeze just fine! 🙂
I made this and the chicken breast was cooked but rubbery and tough 🙁
What did I do wrong? (I used a nice organic chicken breast as well.) I thought that maybe I didn’t use the right pot. I used a small stainless steel one but perhaps I should have used my mid sized Crueset pot which would have held the heat better when I removed it from the cooking element ??
Hi Jenny, I have to confess I’m really surprised to hear this, it’s scientifically impossible to overcook the chicken using this method! Did you remove the pot from the stove while it was standing??
Hi Nagi: Actually it was the poached chicken breast with ginger shallot sauce that I made – same process. I may not have put enough water in the pot. I noticed now that it states to cover the chicken by at least two inches over. I might have just covered it; can’t remember. When I made it, I checked it and it still seemed quite pink inside. I brought it back to a quick boil. So I guess it was a combo of mistakes. All your other comments found it quite lovely, so I should try it again because it would be such a nice healthy way to cook some chicken for a salad, etc..
To answer your question, yes I did remove it from the stove (from the element).
I loved the ginger/shallot sauce. That turned out just great.
Hi Nagi,
I am right now making this gorgeous soup using the Chinese Campbell’s Soup Base but am wondering if I add all the ingredients you listed to this stock or not?? Or are your ingredients to be added only if using plain chicken stock? I have added the ingredients to this soup base but have watered it down quite a bit.
Thanks
Hi! Even if you’re using the Asian soup base I’d still add them. Just for extra flavour!
I can’t wait to try this! My oven/stove came off the Ark, so I’m constantly overcooking things and refuse to believe it’s my fault 😀
Curious, could frozen chicken breasts be used, or would they not get cooked through?
I just discovered your site and I’ve already printed off roughly 12 thousand recipes that I’m dying to try, thank you!!
12 thousand recipes?? ? Please defrost the breasts before using them to poach chicken this way, otherwise they won’t cook on the inside!! PS Of course it’s the ovens fault. Always blame the tools!!! ?
Hello,
can you please confirm – is it 1 chicken breast cut in half? otherwise what does 1 chicken breast halves mean?
thanks,
Hi Verity! It just means a single breast, not a double. You know how some butchers sell them with 2 chicken breasts stuck together? 🙂
Strictly speaking, the breast of a chicken is one left and one right, a pair makes a whole breast. “One breast” in a recipe should be referred to as a half breast. Sorry to sound so technical, lol, but it is a bit confusing.
I know!!! 😂 I tried to write it in the way I think most people refer to single / double as! N xx
Can I poach marinated chicken like this? I’ve been marinating chicken breasts and thighs and then putting them directly to bake, but they turn out overcooked. I don’t have a meat thermometer.
Hi Ardis! Depends on what marinade you use and how well it infuses into the chicken 🙂 But in theory yes it will work!
Hi Nagi, this is the best poached chicken soup I have ever made. You are right, it is fool proof. I added some dried chilli flakes prior to serving which added a bit of heat. This will become a regulat on my dinner table. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Oooh Lisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And such a co-incidence too, I just created a coconut noodle soup using this same chicken poaching method!! <3
I need to try this method. I usually just poach mine in boiling water continuously and while it cooks, it isn’t moist and juicy looking like yours. Yours looks perfect! Are you sure that’s chicken? ;P
I swear you will never go back after trying this method! I love that I don’t really have to think about exact cooking time either, I often end up leaving it in the pot for an hour (not deliberately, I forget!) and it is STILL nice and juicy, perfectly cooked inside!
I always poach breasts this way. They come out so moist and tender, and perfectly done … it’s unbelievable.
That is seriously the most perfectly cut and poached chicken I have seen to date!