Best way to prepare chicken for chicken salad?

[Floogeldy]

I'm starting with boneless, skinless tenderloins. I usually do them kind of slowly in a covered skillet with a little oil, but sometimes they start frying and get tough on the sides.

Is there a better way?

Thanks,

Floog

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

1. I always poach mine in chicken broth.

I'd be really interested in how others do it since potluck season is coming up & chicken salad is (for me) a good choice to take. I have a couple of dynamite recipes that always go over big.

best

[eleny]

2. Here's a recipe I tried recently

I posted this a while back so just copied and pasted the whole thing. It made a very tender chicken salad - no tough spots. Adjust down for how much chicken you have.

5 lbs. chicken breasts
2 quarts water
parsley sprigs
1 large onion, quartered
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 chicken bouillion cubes

In large pot, bring water and seasoning to boil, add chicken, lower heat and simmer 40 min. Remove from heat, cool. Shred chicken and refrigerate.

Dressing:

1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
1 cup Duke's mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
dash paprika.

Blend well together.

For salad:

Toss shredded chicken with one cup of dressing and let stand at least one hour to marinate.
Combine remaining dressing with:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. honey

Add to chicken and mix well. May add canned water chestnuts, blanched almonds or chopped pecans.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. so you poach the chicken too.

Have you ever heard of another way to make chicken for chicken salad?

Many typos-too many manhattans!

best

[eleny]

4. uh-oh

gotta watch those cherries!

yes, i guess this recipe calls for poaching the chicken. i wouldn't prep it any other way because white meat tends to get tough. although i would make salad from leftover roast chicken. the skin sort of protects the white meat from turning to shoe leather.

thank goodness for the spell checker around here. my fingers always get tangled on the keyboard.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I mostly poach them ... but with the skin on

It adds more flavor. Remove the skin when they're cooked. The fat cooks out and the skin gets removed, so in the end, you get just plain old chicken meat.

I've also done them in a steamer basket over the wok. Plave the breasts (again with the skin on) on lettuce and let 'er rip. I actually liked this way better. The meat wasn't quite as 'soggy/moist' as when they're poached.

[grasswire]

6. chicken broth yes

I use parsley, onion, a carrot, some celery leaves, a grind of black pepper, and some sort of chicken broth preparation such as a cube or soup base or "Better Than Bouillon" -- which is the best but more expensive. Add all that to the poaching water, and you'll have delicious chicken.

I believe the parsley and the celery leaves are key for terrific flavor.

[Syrinx]

7. the best chicken salad I ever made

Not necessarily that best I ever ate, was made with some leftover smoked chicken that I had. But I suppose smoking a whole chicken would be overkill for making chicken salad. It sure was good though.

[fortyfeetunder]

8. Yeah, a can opener

I get a can of the Costco Kirkland Signature canned chicken, open up the container, drain the juice out, flake it, and blend it with my favorite dressing, let stand for X hours then combine with my chicken salad ingredients. I prepare my tuna salad the same way. Either way, there are no leftovers.

[eleny]

10. Yummy and fast!

That sounds great. No fuss 'n muss and extra heat in the kitchen. Stick the can in the fridge overnight and away we go. I like this idea! Having a "V-8" moment here.

[NMDemDist2]

11. that's how I do it too LOL n/t

[displacedtexan]

9. I "George Forman" brined chicken breasts.

Tender. Juicy. Fast.

[Floogeldy]

12. Thanks to all of you. I must experiment.

You see, I once tried boiling the chicken but it turned out kind of yucky and flat tasting. I didn't know to season the water! That might be the answer.

I went ahead and made the chicken in the skillet. It dried out just enough to soak up all of the mayo when I started mixing it with the other ingredients, so it came out thick and not moist.

The next time, I am going to boil it in generously seasoned water. Chicken in chicken salad should be moist and tasty, right?

You people are great.

B-)

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

14. Don't actually let the water or broth

boil. Let it simmer.

You might have just used the word boil, but didn't really mean a full on boil. I just wanted to clarify that you shouldn't let the water boil.

best

[The empressof all]

13. If I just want chicken for chicken salad

I steam it in my rice cooker with chicken broth or Better than Boullion and a little white wine. I actually like the saltiness of the boullion in the chicken.

Steamed chicken is very moist and not bland if you use a flavorful steaming liquid.