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Chicken Deli Meat Recipe

By Snejana Andreeva

on Oct 01, 2024

Move aside Oscar Meyer; there’s a new sheriff in town 🤠 I’m about to rock your sandwich-loving-world with this homemade chicken deli meat recipe. Say goodbye to overpriced, over-processed, plastic-sealed deli meat, and hello to easy , healthy , budget-friendly cold cuts at home . These tender, flavorful slices of chicken taste better than packaged deli meat, and the ingredients are so superior.

Why You’ll Love Chicken Deli Meat Recipe
How to Prepare
Nonna’s Tip 🧂
Variations and Substitutions for Chicken Deli Meat Recipe
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
Common Questions
Chicken Deli Meat Recipe Recipe

Why You’ll Love Chicken Deli Meat Recipe

Looking to save money and make delicious, wholesome sandwiches 🥪 ? Let me introduce you to the easiest homemade chicken deli meat 🍗, made with real ingredients . No preservatives, no plastic, and no fancy equipment required . 💯 Chicken breasts are transformed into tender, deli-like slices in this simple recipe; ready to be topped on salads 🥗, tucked into sandwiches 🍞, or enjoyed on their own.

How to Prepare

🧂 To a pot of water on the stove, add the water, peppercorns, thyme, garlic cloves, and Kosher salt . Stir and let it come to a simmer or until the salt has dissolved.

❄️ Once dissolved, take it off the stove and let the brine cool completely.

⏲️ Once cold, add in the chicken breast, cover, and let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

A close-up of a stainless steel pot being used to prepare an infusion. Inside the pot, there are sprigs of thyme, cloves of garlic, and black peppercorns submerged in water. The contents are gently heating on a stove. - 3

🔥 After 3 hours, take the chicken out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

💧 Now, take out the chicken from the brine and wash it really well and then pat it dry with a paper towel.

🍗 Next, set the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

🧄 Add a small drizzle of olive oil onto each breast (both sides) and lightly season with paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

A person uses a fork to lift a raw piece of chicken breast from a bowl filled with water, herbs, and peppercorns. The scene is brightly lit, highlighting the ingredients in the bowl for this Chicken Deli Meat Recipe. - 4

🙌 Massage the chicken with clean hands and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F (70C) using a meat thermometer.

🥪 Let it cool, slice thinly using a sharp knife , and enjoy onto wraps, sandwiches, salads, or any way you like!

Nonna’s Tip 🧂

Please weigh the salt you use because Kosher salt uses 6 tablespoons to yield 60 grams while Redmond Real Salt uses 3 tablespoons.

Sliced Chicken Deli Meat arranged on a wooden cutting board with a knife in the background. The chicken appears to be seasoned and cooked, showing a slightly golden-brown exterior and juicy interior. The board has a textured surface with visible grain patterns. - 5

Variations and Substitutions for Chicken Deli Meat Recipe

I’ve used a 6% salt brine here, which is 60 grams of 🧂 salt to 1 liter of water. If this is too salty for you, you can certainly do a 4% brine which is: 40 grams (or 4 tablespoons) of Kosher salt instead of 6.
You can use any seasonings you like in this Chicken Deli Meat Recipe, just avoid adding any more salt.
You can use Redmond Real Salt instead of Kosher salt here, just be sure to ⚖️ weigh it first so you have the right brining ratio.

Similar Recipes

Slices of bread topped with ham, melted cheese, and chopped herbs are arranged on a white plate. These Bulgarian Meat Sandwiches (Prinzesi) are cut into small rectangles, with the cheese lightly browned for extra flavor. - 6

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A close-up of a baked, cheese-covered piece of garlic bread on a white plate, with melted, slightly browned cheese and herbs sprinkled on top. - 8

A close-up of a baked, cheese-covered piece of garlic bread on a white plate, with melted, slightly browned cheese and herbs sprinkled on top. - 9

Bulgarian Meat Sandwiches (Prinzesi)

30 mins

Two pieces of golden, freshly baked flatbread garnished with herbs are served on a white plate, accompanied by a sprig of fresh green oregano, reminiscent of flavors found in Feta Egg Toast. - 10

Feta Egg Toast

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Italian Chopped Sandwich

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Best Served With

After slicing up this Chicken Deli Meat really thinly, add it to 🥪 sandwiches or wraps.
This chicken would be heavenly on top of a 🥬 Caesar Salad , my Lemon Parmesan Salad , or Cobb salad .
You can absolutely use this chicken chopped up in a chicken salad, like the filling I used in my lettuce cups .

Common Questions

I’ve used a 6% salt brine here, which is 60 grams of salt to 1 liter of water. If this is too salty for you, you can certainly do a 4% brine which is: 40 grams (or 4 tablespoons) of Kosher salt instead of 6. I recommend weighing your salt to ensure you have the correct ratio.

Yes, but I recommend weighing your salt to ensure you have the correct amount.

It’s not recommended to brine the chicken for too long as it can become too salty and the texture can get thrown off. Please stick to the 3-4 hour range.

Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature when making this Chicken Deli Meat Recipe. It should be 160°F (70°C) when you take it out of the oven. The residual heat will bring it up to the safe temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Yes! You can customize the seasonings to your liking, but avoid adding any more salt since the brine already adds plenty.

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Video

Equipment

▢ Large Pot
▢ Baking Sheet
▢ Parchment Paper
▢ Meat Thermometer
▢ Nakiri Knife
▢ Liquid Measuring Cup
▢ Kosher Salt

Ingredients

▢ 4 cups water
▢ ½ tablespoon peppercorns
▢ 6 tablespoons Kosher salt
▢ few sprigs lemon thyme , or regular thyme
▢ 5 cloves garlic , peeled
▢ 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
▢ 3 teaspoons oil
▢ paprika , to taste
▢ garlic powder , to taste
▢ onion powder , to taste

Instructions

▢ Note: if 6% salt brine is too salty for you, please use 4% instead which is: 40 grams (or 4 tablespoons) of Kosher salt instead of 6.
▢ To a pot of water on the stove, add the water, peppercorns, thyme, garlic cloves and salt. Stir and let it come to a simmer or until the salt has dissolved.
▢ Once dissolved, take it off the stove and let the brine cool completely. The brine should be cold. You can let it cool down and even put it in the fridge until cold to speed up the process.
▢ Once cold, add in the chicken breast, cover and let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours. I let mine sit for 3.
▢ After 3 hours, take the chicken out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
▢ Now, take out the chicken from the brine and wash it really well. Once washed, pat it dry with a paper towel and set onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil).
▢ Add a small drizzle of olive oil onto each breast (both sides) and lightly season with paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
▢ Note: you can use any seasoning of choice making sure there’s NO additional salt as the chicken was sitting in the brine for hours.
▢ Massage it with clean hands on both sides and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F (70C)
▢ Note: We want to take it out at 160F as it will continue to cook through residual heat and it will reach 165F (74C) as it cools.
▢ Let it cool, slice thinly and enjoy onto wraps, sandwiches, salads, or any way you like!
▢ Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.