This poached chicken salad has become a weekly staple. Poaching the chicken makes it velvety and tender while also delivering a clean chicken flavor. The fresh dill and parsley herbs, tangy olives, and sweet pickles in the dressing give it a jump of flavor. I love serving this on sourdough toast for an extra dose of sour flavor and some crunch!
Poaching chicken breast for recipes is actually a pretty common cooking technique in a variety of global cuisines. The method is pretty easy to do because water always boils at 212 degrees F (this can change with altitude so if you live high up, you will need to do some basic arithmetic!).
So you simply bring a pot of water to boil, plop in the chicken breast, then REMOVE from the heat source and finally, let it sit for 20 minutes. You can let it sit longer but I like to get a move on in the kitchen and my breast is always done at the 20 minute mark. Sometimes I get packages of chicken breast that are quiet large so I’ll cut those in half length-wise to basically make 2 smaller portions of chicken breast. Basically, larger breasts = more cooking time.
I love using chicken breast for chicken salads because the flavor is much cleaner. Since there is little-to-no fat on chicken breast I feel like the simple chicken flavor comes through better. For roasting and grilling I much prefer meatier chicken thighs with their glorious fattiness.
Now, let’s talk about this dressing because it is off the wall! What makes this salad dressing so good? Well, let’s see:
- Green Olives – they are inexpensive and super flavorful. I always grab the pimento stuffed kind because it is like double the flavor! Please, please do not skip them. My boyfriend is not a fan of olives but he absolutely loves this dressing. The olives are diced very finely so you simply get the brininess. Not an olive lover? Capers are an acceptable substitute.
- Bread and Butter Pickles – I used the pre-sliced ones so I count out about 6. They offer some more tangy, briny flavors but that sweetness (don’t worry, it is subtle!) really helps round out the strong flavors we add here.
- Fresh Herbs – I use dill (legitimately my favorite herb) and parsley. Dill is a light herb that adds such a warm, buttery, floral taste. Parsley gives this a very vibrant and fresh grassy flavor that plays off of the olive oil.
- Olive Oil – You only use a bit but the grassy flavor goes so well here! Try and get a raw pressed olive oil for maximum flavor.
- Mayo – Yep. For chicken salad ya GOTTA have mayo. Sorry, not sorry! My only requirement is that you use full fat mayonnaise. It is worth the calories!
- Honey Mustard – You also gotta have mustard! I used honey mustard because I love the flavor but really you can use any mustard you like. The world is your oyster!
- Salt + Pepper – Fresh ground pepper is so amazing in this but if you only have pre-ground, that is just fine! As for salt, I use the cheapest iodized table salt. I will not apologize for that. Salt is salt! Stop wasting money on other versions UNLESS they have an actual purpose (i.e. finishing salt)
This poached chicken salad has become a go-to staple in my house. You can also use the dressing with other protein, it goes very well with canned tuna! I hope you make this soon.
My other favorite chicken dishes!
3 Ingredient Russian Apricot Chicken Thighs
Veggie Loaded Turkey Meatloaf with Sticky Sweet Ketchup Glaze
Zuchinni, Corn, and Chicken Salsa Verde Enchilada Bake
Poached Chicken Salad with Tangy Herb Dressing
Velvety poached chicken with fresh dill and parsley herbs, tangy olives, and sweet pickles in the dressing give this chicken salad a jump of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 3 tbs mayo
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp honey mustard Use any mustard you like!
- 6 green olives I like the pimento stuffed kinds!
- 6 slices bread and butter pickles
- 2 tbs EACH fresh minced dill and fresh minced parsley
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 7 cranks black pepper mill
For Serving
- 4 slices sourdough toast
Instructions
-
Prepare the chicken breast for poaching. If the breast is very thick, slice in half length-wise. Bring a pot of water to boil, place the chicken breast into the pot and return to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken and shred (you can also dice it if you wish). Set aside.
-
In a large bowl prepare the dressing. Whisk the mayo, olive oil, and mustard. Finely mince the olives and pickles, add to the dressing. Add the herbs, salt, and fresh black pepper. Stir and taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste!
-
Combine the shredded chicken with the dressing. Let it sit in the fridge to become cold and further marinate. This chicken salad is best served cold. I enjoy it with sourdough toast!
Recipe Notes
Storage: This chicken salad will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
