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Classic chicken salad — recipe card
Abdul Rehman

Classic Chicken Salad

A creamy, well-seasoned chicken salad made with hand-pulled poached chicken, Dijon mustard dressing, celery, red onion, and fresh dill. This chicken salad recipe holds up for three days in the fridge and works on sandwiches, wraps, crackers, or lettuce cups.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: Lunch, Sandwich Filling
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~600g / 1.3 lbs) ​
  • 1 litre cold water ​
  • 1 tsp salt ​
  • ​ ​ bay leaf ​
  • 3 whole black peppercorns ​
  • ​ ​ garlic clove, halved ​
For the Dressing
  • 4 tbsp (60g) full-fat mayonnaise ​
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard ​
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ​
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt ​
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper ​
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder ​
Mix-Ins
  • ​ ​ celery stalks, finely diced (~80g) ​
  • 3 tbsp red onion, finely diced ​
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped ​

Method
 

  1. Place chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Add cold water, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, and halved garlic. Cover chicken by at least 2.5cm of water.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low once bubbles appear. Do not boil.
  3. Simmer 12–15 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) and is completely white at the thickest point.
  4. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest 10 minutes. Pull apart into 1.5–2cm chunks with two forks.
  5. Soak diced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  6. Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
  7. Add cooled pulled chicken, celery, drained red onion, and fresh dill. Fold gently with a rubber spatula.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving.