Recipe

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Follow this recipe to cook chicken for chicken salad that turns out tender, flavorful, and has a great texture.

Perfectly cooked chicken should never be dry, rubbery, or bland. Here, you'll learn how to cook chicken for chicken salad so it always tastes amazing.

The Best Way to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad

I’ve been cooking chicken for chicken salad at home for years using this simple poaching method, and it’s the best way to get juicy chicken that’s never dry or rubbery.

This post includes tips and a video using chicken breasts, but you can also poach chicken thighs and make chicken salad with that.

There are other ways you can cook chicken for chicken salad. Here are the pros and cons, in my opinion, of each:

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

Poached chicken is, to me, my least favorite way to prepare chicken UNTIL I found this recipe, and it indeed makes THE BEST chicken salad. Unless I have leftover rotisserie chicken, this will be my go-to method. I'm so happy I gave this a try! – Hope

How to Cook & Shred Chicken for Chicken Salad

It all starts with raw chicken, some water, and a pot. Read the step overview here, then see the full recipe and watch a quick video in the recipe card,below.

The setup is important. The chicken breasts go directly into the large pot first. Then, you need to cover them with enough cold water to cover the chicken by 2 inches.
Season the water and the chicken with salt, then add dried or fresh herbs for flavor. More deets below.
Bring it to a boil uncovered, and when it’s boiling, flip the chicken breasts over.
Cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and let the chicken sit in the pot without opening the lid for 10 minutes. Then, check that it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 165F.
Remove the poached chicken from the pot onto a board and let it sit there for 5 minutes to lock in the juices. Then, slice it or shred the chicken.

Seasoning Chicken for Chicken Salad

Most chicken salads are made by tossing the cooked chicken in a creamy, seasoned dressing, so the only essential seasoning during cooking is salt. Adding aromatics to the water (fresh or dried) like thyme, oregano, sage leaves, rosemary, peppercorns, or garlic will enhance the flavor (I highly recommend it). This is especially helpful if you plan on serving the cooked chicken over a salad.

How Much Shredded Chicken

Each pound of chicken meat generally yields 3 cups of cooked chicken. This can vary by chicken cut, and the graph below shows what’s often found at the grocery store and how much to expect from each. These are approximate to give you a general idea.

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
1 rotisserie chicken	3-5 cups shredded/cubed

a bowl with a bed of lettuce and chicken salad on top

Best Chicken Salad Recipes

With your cooked chicken ready, you can make my award-winning Southern chicken salad, which I serve over greens, crackers, or as a sandwich, or go for the bold flavors of my spicy chicken salad. For a protein punch without mayo, make this cottage cheese chicken salad; you’re going to love it.

How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad (Poaching Method)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 17

Follow this recipe to cook chicken for chicken salad that turns out tender, flavorful, and has a great texture.

4.99 from 99 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

For the Poached Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups water*, more if needed
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons peppercorns, optional
Fresh or dried herbs, see notes

For the Chicken Salad

½ cup finely chopped celery
1 lemon, juiced
⅓ cup mayonnaise, can add up to ½ cup
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon creole seasoning

Instructions

Prep:

Place the raw chicken breasts inside a large pot and add enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. The recipe card says 4 cups, but this will vary depending on the size of your pot and the amount of chicken you add in.
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, it's key to juicy chicken.

Cook:

Place the pot with the chicken, water, and seasonings on the stove. Bring the water to a boil, and once boiling, flip the chicken breasts over using kitchen tongs.
Cover the pot with a lid and turn off the heat. Let the chicken sit in the water for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Do not open the lid until the timer is up; this reduces the water temperature. To check for doneness, remove one chicken breast from the pot onto a board and test the temperature with a meat thermometer. If not done, place it back, cover, and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
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.

Shred:

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. You can also slice the chicken diagonally with a knife.

Make the Chicken Salad:

Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, pepper an
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and combine. Add the finely chopped celery and mix one final time. Serve.