Poached Whole Chicken (Meal-Prep Base)

🍽️ Serves: 6+ meal-prep recipes

🔪 Prep time: 10 mins

🔥 Cook time: 60 mins (or until cooked) and cooling

✅ No added sugar and no seed oiIs


Clean, juicy, and super versatile. This gently poached whole chicken gives you tender sliced breast and plenty of shredded dark meat. It’s perfect to batch into multiple low-carb meals. You’ll also get a light, mineral-rich broth for soups and sauces. 


Ingredients

    1 whole chicken
    Filtered water (enough to cover)
    1 carrot, peeled
    2 celery sticks
    1 white onion, peeled
    Sea salt 


    Let's Begin!

    Load the Pot

    Step 1 

    Place the whole chicken in a large pot. Add peeled onion, celery, peeled carrot and a good pinch of sea salt. Cover with filtered water.

    Poach Gently 

    Step 2 

    Bring to a light simmer. Skim any scum as it rises. Cover with a lid and poach for approx 60 minutes or until fully cooked (thermometer should read 75°C of above)

    Chill Quickly 

    Step 3

    Lift the chicken out and transfer straight to a bowl of ice water for 5–10 minutes to stop carryover cooking and keep the meat juicy.

    Strain the Broth

    Step 4

    While the chicken is cooling, pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve. Taste; season lightly with sea salt. Cool then refrigerate or freeze.

    Break Down

    Step 5

    Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove legs (dark meat) and breasts. Shred the dark meat from legs and carcass and slice the breast and portion.



    To Store

    Cooked chicken: refrigerate 3-4 days or freeze in portions. 

    Broth: refrigerate 4-5 days or freeze. 


    Chef’s Tip!

    Keep the water at barely a simmer as a rolling boil tightens the fibres and dries the meat. If you want a neutral base for multiple dishes, skip strong aromatics; otherwise bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley stems are lovely. 🔥

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