Poached chicken with a moist, juicy texture and mild flavor makes for the perfect addition to richly-flavored soups, condiment-laden sandwiches, or a fully-loaded casserole. While poaching is branded as a foolproof process to ensure that chicken never dries out, this isn’t strictly true, and you should be careful when using this method.

While it's true that poaching is a gentler cooking technique that is far less prone to drying the chicken out, that doesn't mean there's no risk of overcooking. A pot of water doesn't guarantee that the chicken will be moist, especially if it's cooked for too long at too high of a temperature, and poaching is all about cooking low and slow.

Firstly, you should add the chicken to the poaching liquid while the liquid is still cold, then bring both the meat and liquid up to a gentle heat together. Once the thickest part of the poultry reads 150 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the liquid and allow it to rest for several minutes so that juices can be redistributed for maximum moisture.