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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. Here is what you’ll do:
- 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.
First time making this? Watch this quick video:
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 |
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)
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 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
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.
Serve
- 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.
Notes
- Fresh herbs: 2-3 sprigs added to the pot.
- Dried herbs: 1 teaspoon per pound added to the pot.
- Garlic cloves: 1-2 per pound (½ teaspoon dried).
Debbie says
This recipe is a minor miracle—and my new favorite thing to tell people about. How did I reach 69 without realizing you could poach chicken?
I came to cooking later in life thanks to working remotely (I’m home more and can actually tend to a pot) and buying an air fryer (which made cooking for two easier and more fun). Now I buy 4–5 lb packs of skinless chicken breasts and poach several at once. I shred one for chicken salad sandwiches, and the rest get shredded, moistened with about ¼ cup of broth, and frozen in individual portions.
Whenever I need shredded chicken, I just grab a bag—perfect for soup (cream of chicken/celery, chicken tortilla) or another round of chicken salad… possibly curry. This method has saved me time, money, and a lot of weeknight stress.
Laura says
So glad this has helped you with your meal prep and saved you some time + money!
Virginia says
This worked quite well except my chicken breasts don’t look anything like yours. Mine are about 2” thick. Did you pound them flat? Your recipe doesn’t mention this step. Otherwise it will take far longer that 10 minutes. I did that and it worked well. I’d recommend adding the flattening step.
Laura Fuentes says
I did not pound them flat, they were on the smaller side. However, for this method it doesn’t make a difference (bigger or smaller breast).
Jody says
Can you do this with frozen breast?
Laura Fuentes says
Yes, but I would thaw them first.
Richard Kasbeer says
Erase my previous comment. Obvious meat thermometer malfunction.
Laura Fuentes says
This happens to me all the time with my meat thermometer, Richard. I often have to look twice to make sure it’s in F as well. Glad you realized it worked for you!
Richard Kasbeer says
Oops. Wrote too soon. 76 degrees makes no sense, since that is essentially room temp. Meat thermometer malfunction (no it wasn’t centrigrade). Up to 190 now. Sorry.
Richard Kasbeer says
I’m not an experienced cook. I mainly do chicken outside on a gas grill, but thought I would try this to make some chicken salad. Two big breasts, at least 2 inches water over them. Heated to boil, covered and turned off ten minutes. Internal temperature 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Oops! Guess this isn’t the method for me.