Fried, seared, roasted, or barbecued, there are a seemingly infinite number of different ways to cook chicken. Cooking anything, but particularly chicken, in a liquid gives you the opportunity to impart a world of flavors while keeping the meat juicy and tender, as there’s less risk of drying it out. While they both involve the chicken bathing in a hot liquid, the biggest difference between braising and poaching is how much the meat is submerged in the cooking liquid. With braising, the liquid only comes about halfway up the meat, while poaching something means that it’s fully submerged in the liquid on all sides.
Braising usually starts by searing the meat in a hot pan, like a dutch oven or wide, shallow braising pan, to develop a nice crust that will lend more flavor and lock in moisture. After searing, the pan is deglazed with a small amount of liquid, usually stock, broth, or wine, to scrape up the valuable flavorful fond at the bottom. From there, more liquid is added until it reaches about half the height of the meat, as the seared part should stay exposed so it stays crispy, and then the liquid is brought to a low simmer. At this point it’s best to cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer slowly or transfer the whole thing to a hot oven.
When braising, it’s a good idea to check in on the food occasionally, to make sure there’s enough liquid. Depending on the recipe, cut, and size of the meat, you can braise for anywhere from one to three hours. Our recipe for white wine braised pot roast chicken with vegetables and potatoes is a great way to learn how to braise a whole chicken.
Poaching chicken is the gentlest way to cook it
When you think of poaching, you might imagine a poached egg floating in lightly simmering water, or a bland, “diet-friendly” filet of salmon. But while it is generally a healthy cooking method, poached protein doesn’t have to be sad and flaccid. The gentle technique of poaching chicken in a properly-seasoned broth with aromatics and herbs can yield a succulent and tender meal that’s also full of flavor. Poaching is great when working with skinless chicken breasts, and yields juicy, moist meat for making chicken salads with, for meal prepping, and for simply slicing and serving over a big green salad or building a healthy dinner bowl or comforting chicken soup.
Unlike braising, there is no searing the meat to begin with. To poach chicken correctly, think of it as giving the chicken a warm bath to relax in. The water should be barely simmering in the pot, and shouldn’t be hot enough to come to a boil, otherwise the meat might get tough. Keeping the water at a stable temperature is important as well. Our recipe for creamy coronation chicken poaches chicken beginning in cold water with spices. Similar to a method of boiling potatoes, starting the chicken in cold water lets the chicken cook gently and slowly, as the heat builds gradually rather than giving the meat the shock of dropping it into boiling hot water.
