Chicken salad is a classic dish that is simple to make, customizable, and can be served in a variety of ways. The key to great chicken salad is starting with perfectly cooked chicken. Overcooked chicken can be dry and chewy, while undercooked chicken is unsafe to eat. Follow these simple steps to cook juicy, tender chicken breasts or thighs that are ideal for chicken salads, sandwiches, wraps, and more.
Why Poaching is the Best Cooking Method
Poaching is hands-down the best way to cook moist, flavorful chicken for chicken salad. It keeps the chicken incredibly moist and tender. Roasting can easily lead to dried out chicken breasts, while pan searing can cause the exterior to overcook before the inside is done.
Poaching gently cooks the chicken in simmering liquid, whether water, broth, or a flavorful poaching liquid Starting the raw chicken in cold liquid and slowly bringing it up to a simmer results in evenly cooked chicken that is juicy throughout.
How to Poach Chicken Breasts for Salad
Poaching chicken breasts for salad is simple with just a few basic steps:
-
Use chicken breasts that don’t have any bones or skin on them. This lean cut cooks quickly and evenly. Save money by buying larger packs and freezing individual portions.
-
Pound the Chicken Breasts to an Even Thickness: This helps them cook at the same rate. Place between plastic wrap or in a bag and use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or pan to flatten.
-
Use Water or Low-Sodium Broth to Cover Use enough cool liquid to cover the chicken by 1-2 inches in a tall pot This poaching liquid can be seasoned or flavored.
-
Slowly Bring the Liquid to a Simmer Cook over medium heat until tiny bubbles start to break the surface, about 10 minutes Do not boil rapidly
-
Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165oF. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature every 10 to 15 minutes. The time will vary based on thickness.
-
Rest and Cut or Shred the Chicken: Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before cutting or shredding it so that the juices can soak back into the meat.
Follow these simple steps for foolproof poached chicken every time. For any chicken salad recipe, the chicken will be cooked just right.
Flavorful Poaching Liquid Ideas
While plain water or broth work well, you can add extra flavor to the chicken with aromatic poaching liquids. Try:
- Chicken broth or stock
- Water with a few smashed garlic cloves
- Water with lemon slices and thyme or rosemary
- Low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic
- White wine or beer with peppercorns and herbs
The poaching liquid can then be strained and reserved for making salad dressings.
How to Poach Boneless Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are another excellent choice for chicken salads thanks to their richer flavor and tender texture when cooked properly. Follow the same poaching method as above but with a few changes:
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to simplify prep
- Cook for just 12-15 minutes until 165oF internally
- The meat will start shredded easily when done
Thighs cook faster than breasts. Watch the clock and temp carefully to prevent overcooking.
Poaching Whole Chicken Breasts
Whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts work beautifully with this poaching method too:
- Use 2 split, bone-in chicken breasts per person
- Cook 15 minutes then check temperature
- Allow to cool slightly before removing bones and skin
- The skin can be crisped up for chicken salad croutons!
The bone and skin help keep these whole breasts juicy as they poach.
Quick Poaching Method for Shredded Chicken
For easy shredded chicken, use this quicker poaching method:
- Add chicken and generous salt to a pot, cover with water by 1-2 inches
- Bring to a boil then cover and remove from heat for 10-15 minutes
- Shred chicken in the hot poaching liquid right in the pot
No thermometer is needed, and you end up with hot shredded chicken infused with seasoning ready for chicken salads!
Make-Ahead Poached Chicken
To get a head start on meal prep, fully cooked, poached chicken can be refrigerated for up to 4 days for quick chicken salads all week. Here are some tips:
- Let chicken cool completely before refrigerating poached chicken in an airtight container.
- Poached chicken can also be frozen for up to 4 months.
- Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Add a bit of the poaching liquid to prevent dried out chicken.
Meal prepping poached chicken sets you up for quick and delicious chicken salads!
Expert Tips for Poaching Chicken
Follow these pro tips for the most tender, juicy poached chicken breasts or thighs every time:
-
Always start with raw chicken fully submerged in cool liquid and slowly heat to a gentle simmer. This allows it to cook gradually.
-
Lightly pound chicken breasts before poaching to an even 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch thickness so they cook at the same rate.
-
For food safety, cook chicken to 165oF internally as measured by an instant-read thermometer before shredding.
-
Let chicken rest 5 minutes after cooking so the juices can absorb back into the meat.
-
Add any chopped poaching aromatics like garlic, citrus, or herbs after cooking to the salad.
-
Strain and reserve flavorful poaching liquids for making dressings or sauces.
Go Beyond Chicken Salad
In addition to classic chicken salad, poached chicken works wonderfully in:
- Wraps and sandwiches
- Power bowls and grain salads
- Tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas
- Pasta, rice, and grain bowls
- Casseroles and pot pies
- Soups, chilis, and stews
Poached chicken is incredibly versatile for all kinds of healthy and delicious meals!
Top Poached Chicken Salad Recipes
Once you have perfectly cooked poached chicken, the possibilities for chicken salads are endless. Here are some top-rated chicken salad recipes to try:
Classic Chicken Salad
This back-to-basics chicken salad is made with just chicken, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and seasonings. It’s perfect on bread, wraps, or lettuce cups.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo chicken salad has poached chicken coated in spicy buffalo sauce then served over lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, and crunchy wonton strips.
Greek Chicken Salad
With Mediterranean flavors like feta, olives, red onion, cucumber, and lemon-oregano dressing, this salad is fresh and delicious.
Mexican Chicken Salad
Poached chicken gets tossed with black beans, corn, peppers, avocado, cheese, and cilantro-lime dressing for a hearty Tex-Mex salad.
Curry Chicken Salad
For an Indian-inspired twist, use mild yellow curry powder and chutney in the dressing along with raisins and almonds.
Waldorf Chicken Salad
Chicken salad gets even more delicious with apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts just like a Waldorf salad.
The flavor combinations are endless, so have fun coming up with your own signature chicken salad!
Learning how to properly poach chicken results in perfectly cooked meat for incredible chicken salads every time. The simple poaching methods work for bone-in or boneless chicken breasts, thighs, or even whole chickens. Feel free to get creative with aromatic poaching liquids too.
Take the time to poach chicken using these helpful tips and guidelines. Then you can toss the juicy, tender meat in your favorite chicken salad recipe or use it in a variety of healthy meals all week long. With a little practice, you’ll be poaching chicken like a pro!
How To Make Chicken Salad
- Chicken breasts: You can’t make a great chicken salad without chicken that is cooked just right and is juicy but not too lean. It’s common to put dark meat in chicken salad, but I feel like it can make the whole thing too soft and fatty. Instead, poaching chicken breast in seasoned chicken broth is a simple way to make sure you won’t get dry, bland chicken. It’s important to pick smaller breasts that will cook more evenly. If you are short on time, a rotisserie chicken is also a good choice. But resist the urge to shred the chicken. By cutting the chicken into small pieces, the ingredients can be spread out more evenly.
- Chicken broth: You can use water instead of chicken broth, but the flavor it adds to the salad is stronger.
- Seasoned salt: Same thing as regular salt—seasoned will make this taste even better.
- Dressing: Mayonnaise is great for making salads creamy, but it needs some help to not make the salad too heavy. Full-fat Greek yogurt, lemon, and Dijon mustard are all acidic foods that will help keep things rich but light and bright.
- Mix-Ins: For me, the only things that should be in chicken salad are crunchy celery, some kind of onion (I like red for color), and leafy herbs (I love dill and parsley). Other than that, this is the fun part! Go nuts. or grapes, or avocado, or whatever your heart desires. Peanuts or pecans that have been toasted will add more texture, and fruit will give it a sweet burst. This is my favorite ingredient because it has a layer of crisp, briny salt from the dill pickles. No matter what you choose, make sure the pieces are all about the same size so they’re spread out evenly in each bite.
To start, poach your chicken breasts by putting them in a pot with broth and salt and then turning the heat up to high. You’ll be aiming for an internal temperature of 165°, which should take about 10 minutes. Use your meat thermometer if you’ve got one! Once your chicken is cooked through, set it aside and allow it to cool and rest for a few minutes.
In the meantime, make the dressing by mixing yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl until the mixture is mostly smooth. You might be tempted to throw your crunchy mix-ins here too, but I found that it all mixes together better if you make the dressing first, then add the chicken to coat, and then add your mix-ins.
Once your chicken is cool, cut it into as uniform of cubes as you can manage, then add it to your dressing and stir everything together. Add whatever mix-ins you like, and stir to combine. Taste for seasonings (I usually have to add a good amount of salt here).
You can eat this right away, on its own or on a sandwich, but I usually like to get it into the fridge for a bit before enjoying to let the flavors meld together more. You do you!.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe above.
What To Serve With Chicken Salad
- There are many popular versions of pasta salad on Delish, but this Italian-style recipe is always my first choice when I need a quick and easy BBQ side.
- Potato salad: This potato salad also shows up at almost all of my summer cookouts because it’s creamy, a little sour, and not too sweet (the worst!).
- Simple corn salad is one of my favorite ways to eat corn. I love corn in all its forms, but elote is my favorite. Like my chicken salad, this one can be changed in many ways.
Chicken salad is an ideal make-ahead recipe because it gets better as it sits. Make it one or two days ahead of time and put it in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days, and enjoy epic lunch sandwiches (and salads!) for days. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below.
- 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 2 Tbsp. seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s) or kosher salt, divided.
- 1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 Tbsp. grainy or smooth Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles (from about 2 spears)
- 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Step 1: Put the chicken, broth, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot and heat it over medium-high heat. plus 1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt. Turn down the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes. As Step 2 goes on, mix yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl until it’s smooth. Step 3: Dice the chicken into 1/4-inch cubes and add them to the yogurt mixture. Toss to coat. Add celery, onion, pickles, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt and mix until well combined.
How to Make Chicken Salad | Chicken Salad Recipe | Lunch Ideas | Canned Chicken Recipes
FAQ
How do you cook chicken for a chicken salad?
Learn the easiest (and BEST) method on how to cook chicken for a perfect chicken salad! Using the poaching method to cook the chicken breasts, place the chicken in a large soup pot, and add the water to cover the chicken by about 2 inches. Generously season the water with salt and your choice of spices and herbs.
How do you serve chicken salad?
Chicken salad shines as a main dish or a side. Its versatility lends itself to many delicious serving methods. For a classic touch, serve it as a sandwich. Use fresh bread or a croissant for extra flair. Consider serving on a bed of mixed greens for a lighter option. The freshness of the greens complements the flavors beautifully.
Can you make chicken salad with boneless chicken?
First, you’ll need chicken breasts that are boneless and skinless. These are the best chicken breasts for chicken salad because the meat is lean and mild. Here’s a step-by-step guide to poaching chicken for your salad: 1. Begin by placing the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large saucepan or skillet. 2.
How do you poach chicken for a salad?
Here’s a step-by-step guide to poaching chicken for your salad: 1. Begin by placing the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large saucepan or skillet. 2. Pour enough chicken broth or water into the pan to cover the chicken breasts completely. 3.
Can you cook leftover grilled chicken for chicken salad?
Techniques vary, with some advocating for roasting the chicken prior to chopping and dressing it (via Food Network) and others stating that leftover grilled chicken works just fine (via Allrecipes). Cook’s Illustrated says that poaching is the best way to cook chicken for chicken salad.
Is chicken salad healthy?
Chicken salad is generally healthy, especially when prepared with fresh ingredients. It’s rich in protein and nutrients. To increase its health benefits, choose lean chicken and load it with vegetables. Use a light dressing to cut down on fat. Mastering the art of cooking chicken for salad opens a world of culinary possibilities.