July 22, 2022
updated
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The best chicken salad begins with perfectly cooked chicken. Chicken that’s not dry, rubbery, or tasteless, right?
In this post, you’ll learn how to cook chicken for chicken salad, so you have the BEST meals!
The Best Way to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad
You are correct if you guessed poaching is the best way to cook chicken for salads! Hands down, it’s the simplest way to achieve juicy chicken and will give your salad the perfect texture.
Whether you like chunky chicken salads or smooth textured chicken salad, you can do both with this easy poaching method!
There are a couple of other cooking methods worth mentioning, like roasting and pan-searing, which you can read about in this graph
| Cooking Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Roasting | Easy to shred | Breasts dry out easily |
| Hands-off method | ||
| Flavorful | ||
| Pan-Searing | Quick to cook | Cubed only |
| Easy to overcook | ||
| Breasts dry out easily | ||
| Poached | Juicy | |
| Easy | ||
| Cubed or shredded |
How to Cook & Shred Chicken for Chicken Salad
Grab a large pot, and let me show you how to make chicken worthy of being turned into an EPIC Homemade Chicken Salad.
To keep this recipe simple, I am using boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I’ll show you different cuts to use later in the post.
Now let’s get started!
- Boil some water
Place a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts into a large soup pot, and add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 2-inches. - Add salt and seasonings
Generously season the water with salt and your choice of herbs, if using. *You’ll find more details on seasoning poached chicken in the next section. - Simmer
Bring the water to a low boil and use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken. - Remove from heat
Place a lid over the pot and turn off the heat. Allow the chicken to steep in hot water for 10 minutes or until it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 165F. - Shred
Remove the chicken from the water and set it onto a large cutting board. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes before shredding the chicken with your preferred method.
Watch the whole process that I use to cook chicken for chicken salad in this video:
Seasoning Chicken for Chicken Salad
Since we plan to toss the chicken in a creamy, seasoned dressing, adding spices and herbs while cooking isn’t necessary, the only essential source of flavoring is salt.
That said, you can cook the chicken with aromatics like fresh or dried thyme, oregano, sage leaves, rosemary, peppercorns, and garlic without significantly altering the finished recipe. Just add them in with the salted water and cook as directed.
70+ Epic Chicken Recipes
If chicken is your go-to meal builder, you’re going to love the recipes inside this book!
From marinades, soups, slow cooker meals, one-pot wonders, sheet pan dinners, and more, the recipes inside are delicious and kid-approved.
How Much Shredded Chicken
The amount of shredded chicken you get depends on the type of cut you are cooking. The graph below displays common cuts of chicken you’d find at the grocery store and how much to expect from each.
*These approximate estimates provide you with a general idea of what to expect, not exact amounts.
| Chicken Cut & Pack | Cooked Amount Yield |
|---|---|
| 1 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless | 3 cups shredded/cubed |
| 4 lb split chicken breasts | 4 cups shredded/cubed |
| 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless | 3 cups shredded/cubed |
| 2 lb chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on | 2 cups shredded/cubes |
| 5 lb whole chicken | 5 cups shredded/cubed |
| rotisserie chicken | 3-5 cups shredded/cubed |
Best Chicken Salad Recipes
Now that we have some delicious shredded chicken let’s count the recipes to use it in!
Southern Chicken Salad | Spicy Chicken Salad | 5 Healthy Lunches with Chicken Salad
How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad (Poaching Method)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups water, more if needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
- herbs and spices of your choice
Instructions
- 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. The measurements above suggest peppercorns and herbs, but don’t skip the salt.
- Bring the water to a boil, and flip the chicken breasts over using a pair of kitchen tongs.
- Place a lid over the pot and turn off the heat. Let the chicken sit in the water for 10 minutes or until cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165F. You can check by removing the chicken from the pot onto a board and using a meat thermometer.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the water and set them on a large cutting board. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices.
- For salads, shred the breasts between two forks or use the hand mixer method to achieve a finely shredded chicken texture in under a minute.
C Rassekh
Best way I’ve found to make chicken for chicken salad. It was cooked perfectly and came out very moist. Thank you!
Laura Fuentes
Thank you for sharing you enjoyed my method. 🙂
Linda Binder
Very easy and delicious
Laura Fuentes
Thanks for sharing how much you enjoyed this, Linda!
Linda Ouellette
I have to admit, I was skeptical as to whether the chicken would be done prepared this way. It was perfect! I have been over cooking mine for years
Laura Fuentes
Thank you Linda for sharing that this came out well for you. I know it seems counterintuitive -like just leave it there?- but it works! -my grandmother was right.
Nesi Stewart
Hello. Is there a substitute for the salt?
Laura Fuentes
Hi Nesi, the salt is for seasoning the water. If you can’t have it for health reasons, you can omit it.
Jd
This recipe is a joke. In no universe will this work. The chicken will take at least 30 minutes to reach 165 by this method and will be rubbery as hell. What a joke
Laura Fuentes
Perhaps you should try following the recipe and see that the chicken is fully cooked before you leave a comment like this.
Kelli
JD you can’t be serious
Maria
I tried the recipe and it works. Moist and tender. Before you make a comment, cook the recipe first. Your negativity, negative comment is the joke and is not welcome anywhere.
Laura Fuentes
Thank you, Maria, for sharing how much you enjoy this recipe.
Scott
Jd is no doubt someone who has nothing better to do in life than be a JERK!! JD, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO NOT BE A D!*k TO THE REST US, NORMAL AND WELL-ADJUSTED humans.
Mollie
You’re a joke… why don’t you zip it until you’ve tried it. THEN maybe you can leave an honest review.
Maureen
Can I use chicken broth instead of water?
Laura Fuentes
You can use chicken broth instead of water but you’ll be discarding the liquid after cooking.
Jen
Perfect! Have used this method twice- little mess and can use any mix of chicken parts =)
Jenna
This poached chicken made my chicken salads great for the week! Very tender not dry.
Sheila Forsberg
How do i adjust this recipe for split chicken breasts (bone in)?
Laura Fuentes
I follow this method for bone-in thighs and breasts. Bone-in breasts are thicker than boneless so I adjust the resting period to 25 minutes following the same method.
Katherine Labrie
Ok please provide me with the amount of chicken you would use to serve 100 people chicken salad for a tea.
Laura Fuentes
Well, it depends on what else you’re serving. I’ve made chicken salad in large batches for parties and just 3x, 5x the recipe…