This poached chicken in soy has authentic flavours that are comparable to a Chinese chophouse with ducks and chickens hanging by their window
Weeknight dinners don’t have to be bland and boring anymore because of time constraints. All we need is a little creativity and have the willingness to try new things, like this soy poached chicken.
It’s ridiculously simple to make and for such little effort, you get a lot back in return.
You will have tender and juicy chicken with salty, sweet and aromatic flavours. All thanks to the fragrant spices added to poaching liquid.
That’s not all, you’ll also be gifted with a poaching liquid that you can use over and over again!
So if you are looking for something that is flavoursome, simple and low in fat you have landed on the right page!
How to poach perfect chicken breasts!
My first poaching experience was a massive fail but I have learned from my mistakes.
Initially, I was sceptical of the poaching times and low cooking temperature. There was no way the chicken breasts would be cooked in the time suggested. So, I cooked the chicken at a higher temperature for longer than recommended. (Facepalm) I also skipped letting the chicken rest in the poaching liquid after.
BIG MISTAKE! my breasts were rubbery and dry and the chicken was inedible.
I stayed clear of poaching for ages until I decided to go on a health kick. Poaching along with steaming food is a great way to keep the calories low. So, I decided to give poaching another go and this time I followed the recipe to a tee.
HUGE SUCCESS! poaching the chicken correctly made it juicy, succulent and tender. I wouldn’t have guessed it was cooked in water.
The key to poaching perfect chicken breasts is to make sure:
–The poaching liquid covers all or 90% of the chicken. This means you may need to use a pot that is suited for the amount of liquid and chicken used.
–Use breasts that are approximately the same size so they cook evenly.
–Poaching is heat and time-sensitive so keep an eye on the temperature and the time as a slip up can result in rubbery or raw chicken.
–Do not skip on resting the chicken in the poaching liquid after taking it off the stove. The residue heat from the poaching liquid is slowly cooking the breasts making it juicy and tender
If you nailed all the above, you will have perfectly poached chicken. This means you can experiment with different poaching liquids to suit your taste!
More aromatic delicious Chinese-inspired recipes to try:
Pork & Clams Stir-fry
Spicy Pork Vermicelli Noodles
Chinese Poach Salmon
Steamed Chicken (Ginger & Shallots)
A poaching liquid that keeps on giving!
Poaching liquids are commonly subtle and sometimes even bland, but this soy poaching liquid is anything but!
In fact, this soy poaching liquid is like wine, it deepens in flavour and gets more complex as it ages. It will be more favourable each time you use it as the poaching liquid absorbs the flavour of what’s it’s cooked with.
The soy poaching liquid is a type of master or red braised stock known in Chinese cuisine. Think about the Chinese chophouses that have hanging ducks and chicken, the flavours in this poaching liquid has similar flavours.
It’s salty, sweet and very fragrant, it goes beautifully with salmon or any part of a chicken. It also goes nicely with Chinese greens, mushrooms, baby corn and carrots.
To store the poaching liquid for reuse, skim off any fat on the surface then pour the cooled liquid into a sealable container and freeze.
Subscribe to 3CatsFoodie’s FREE Newsletter
For the latest recipes and other fun stuff!
Ingredients for Poached chicken in soy
Chicken breasts – It’s best to use chicken breasts roughly the same size so they’ll cook evenly. For this recipe, I used approximately 250gm 8.80 oz for each breast.
Chicken stock – I prefer to use salt-reduced chicken stock for cooking as it gives me the freedom to add more salt near the end or leave it as it is. Nothing is worst than having a dish that is too salty after all the hard work you put in!
Orange peel strips – Can be substituted for Mandarin peel.
Light and dark soy sauce – Light soy or regular soy is commonly used for most Asian cooking. Dark soy is thicker in consistency and is used to add colour (darkness) to food, it’s also sweeter and less salty than light soy. It’s best not to swap one for the other if possible.
Shaoxing wine – can be found in Asian specialty stores and can be substituted with dry sherry.
Star anise – A lovely spice that packs a punch in anise flavour.
How to make Poached chicken in soy
Step-by-step guide with photos
It’s unbelievably simple to poach chicken, you basically just dump everything into the pot!
1. Place all the poaching liquid ingredients in a large pot over high heat and bring it to the boil.
2. Add in the chicken breasts and return it to the boil then reduce the heat to very low and cover for 15 minutes.
3 & 4. Take the pot off the heat and let the breasts rest in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before eating, to do this, slice the chicken right in the middle and if it’s fully cooked it will not look opaque in the centre.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS – soy poached chicken is delicious served with rice, boiled egg and steamed Asian greens such as bok choy or Chinese broccoli. Don’t forget to spoon in some of that delicious poaching liquid on top.
STORAGE – To prevent the chicken from drying out do not cut the breast and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep up to 3 to 4 days.
To freeze the poaching liquid for later use, skim off any fat and pour the cooled liquid into a large sealable container and freeze, the sauce will last forever and deepen with flavour!
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
POACHED CHICKEN IN SOY
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken breast (approx 4 x 250gm each) (NOTE 1)
FOR THE POACHING LIQUID
- 2 cups salt-reduced chicken stock (NOTE 2)
- 1 cup light soy sauce (NOTE 3)
- ½ cup dark soy sauce (NOTE 3)
- ½ cup shaoxing wine (NOTE 4)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 strips orange rind (NOTE 5)
- 2 star anise (NOTE 6)
- 25 gm ginger (peeled and sliced)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place all the poaching liquid ingredients in a large pot over high heat and bring it to the boil
- Add in the chicken breasts and return it to the boil then reduce the heat to very low and cover for 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and let the breasts rest in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before eating, to do this, slice the chicken right in the middle and if it's fully cooked it will not look opaque in the centre.
- Serve (optional) with rice, Asian greens and a boiled egg.
