Salads · American
Chicken Salad
Gently poached chicken folded into a lemony, herby mayo dressing. Sandwich, lettuce cup or straight from the bowl.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hands-off
- 2 h
- Total
- 2 h 30 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Serves
- 4
Hands-on: about 30 minutes of chopping, deboning and mixing. Hands-off: about 10 minutes to come to the boil, 20 minutes poaching, 30 minutes cooling in the broth and at least 1 hour chilling. With leftover cooked chicken it's about 15 minutes plus the chill.
- easy
- lunch
- make-ahead
- picnic
- sandwich-filling
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? The salad scales in a straight line. For more chicken, poach it in a wider pot so the pieces sit in one layer under the broth; crowded pieces take longer, so check each one with a thermometer. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: medium-large saucepan with a lid · instant-read thermometer · 2 cutting boards (one only for raw chicken) · chef's knife · fine-mesh strainer · small and large bowls · whisk · airtight container
Contains: egg
Method
Set up the pot
Put the 10 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, halved onion, halved carrot and halved celery stalk in a saucepan. Lay the 1.36 kg (3 lb) chicken breasts on top and pour in 1.2 to 1.4 litres (5 to 6 cups) broth, enough to cover. Wash your hands and the raw-chicken board right away.
Bring just to a boil
Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring it just to a boil.
Ready when: The first big bubbles break across the surface. Don't let it boil hard.
Poach gently
Turn the heat to very low, put the lid on and poach for about 20 minutes.
Ready when: Done when the chicken feels firm when pressed and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part (not touching the bone) reads at least 74°C (165°F). If a piece is under, cover and poach a few minutes more and check again.
Cool in the broth
Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid and leave the chicken to cool in the liquid for 30 minutes.
Ready when: After 30 minutes the chicken is cool enough to handle. Don't leave it out longer than this before chopping and chilling.
Pick and chop
Lift the chicken onto a board. Pull off and discard the skin and bones, then chop the meat into about 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces. You need about 4 cups. Strain the broth and skim off the fat if you want to keep it.
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup (225 g) mayonnaise, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the salad
In a large bowl, toss the chopped chicken with the diced celery, 2 tbsp shallot, 2 tbsp dill and 2 tbsp parsley. Add the dressing and fold gently until everything is coated.
Otto tried this firstOtto tips the dressing onto the chicken while it's still steaming hot from the pot. Let it cool in the broth for the full 30 minutes first, then chill the finished salad.Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, so the flavours come together. Scatter chives over the top to serve.
Swaps
- Instead of mayonnaise: Greek yogurt or mashed avocado Tangier with yogurt, softer and greener with avocado.
- Instead of shallot: thinly sliced scallions or diced red onion Same amount.
- Instead of dill: fresh tarragon Gives a classic French-style flavour.
- Instead of poaching your own chicken: about 4 cups diced cooked chicken, or canned chicken breast in water, drained Skip the poaching steps and start at the dressing.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Make ahead
- Make it up to a day ahead: it needs at least 1 hour in the fridge anyway, and overnight is fine.
- Storage
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Don't freeze it: the raw celery and shallot go watery. Refrigerate the salad within 2 hours of serving (1 hour on a hot day above 32°C / 90°F). The strained poaching broth keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it.
If something goes wrong
- Chicken is pink or under 74°C (165°F) Why: Thick or crowded pieces, or the heat was too low.
Put the lid back on and keep poaching gently, checking every few minutes until it reaches 74°C (165°F).
Good to know
- Serve it on lettuce with sliced tomatoes, in halved avocados, on crackers or in a sandwich.
- The poaching broth is worth keeping: strain it, skim the fat and use it for soup.
Safety
- Raw chicken: use a separate board, and wash hands, board and knife with hot soapy water right after handling it.
- Use a thermometer: the chicken is safe at 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part. Colour is not a reliable test.
- Keep the salad cold. Don't leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F).
- Mayonnaise contains egg, and Dijon mustard and celery are allergens in the EU and UK: check labels if you cook for allergies.