Juicy, hand-pulled chicken breast built for ramen.

This is the chicken we use across the Ken’s bowls — gently poached with kombu, ginger and garlic, then hand-pulled into thick pieces and finished with Ken’s OG Ramen Tare and A1 Garlic Oil.

No sous vide. No hard boiling. The chicken starts in cold water and cooks slowly so the breast stays tender and juicy all the way through.

Yield: About 5 ramen portions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 20–25 minutes

SHOP THIS RECIPE

You’ll need:

• Ken’s T1 OG Ramen Tare — [SHOP OG RAMEN TARE →]
• Ken’s A1 Garlic Oil — [SHOP GARLIC OIL →]

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 piece kombu, approximately 4 × 4 inches
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• Cold water, enough to fully cover the chicken

TO FINISH

• 2 oz Ken’s T1 OG Ramen Tare
• 1½ oz Ken’s A1 Garlic Oil

EQUIPMENT

• Medium pot
• Instant-read thermometer
• Large bowl
• Ice
• Tongs

PREP THE CHICKEN

Separate the chicken breasts into individual breast halves.

If you buy two whole boneless breasts, you should have four individual breast pieces.

Do not butterfly or pound them thin.

Keeping the pieces relatively thick is what gives you those juicy, substantial pulls instead of dry shredded chicken.

POACH THE CHICKEN

STEP 1 — START COLD

Place the chicken breast pieces in a pot in a single layer.

Add:

• Kombu
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Salt

Cover completely with cold water by approximately 1 inch.

Starting cold allows the chicken to come up in temperature gradually instead of tightening immediately in boiling water.

STEP 2 — BRING TO A BOIL

Place the pot over medium-high heat.

Slowly bring the water just to a boil.

As soon as it reaches a boil, immediately reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer.

You do not want a hard rolling boil.

Hard boiling tightens the chicken and pushes moisture out.

STEP 3 — SIMMER

Maintain a low simmer for approximately:

3 minutes

Then turn off the heat.

STEP 4 — STEEP

Cover the pot and leave the chicken in the hot poaching liquid for approximately:

7–12 minutes

The exact time depends on the thickness of the breast.

Start checking the thickest piece around the 7-minute mark.

The chicken is ready when the center reaches 165°F / 74°C.

The temperature is more important than the clock.

ICE BATH

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

As soon as the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the poaching liquid and transfer it directly into the ice bath.

Chill for approximately 2–3 minutes to stop the cooking and lock in the moisture.

Do not leave it sitting in the ice water longer than necessary.

Remove and drain thoroughly.

PULL THE CHICKEN

Using your hands, gently pull the chicken along the natural grain.

Do not finely shred it.

You want thick, irregular pieces — approximately ½–1 inch wide.

The chicken should look juicy and substantial, with visible fibers and clean pulls.

Think:

pulled chicken, not shredded chicken.

SEASON THE SHIO TORI

Place the pulled chicken into a large mixing bowl.

Add:

• 2 oz Ken’s T1 OG Ramen Tare
• 1½ oz Ken’s A1 Garlic Oil

Gently toss until every piece is lightly coated.

Do not squeeze, crush or overmix the chicken.

The finished Shio Tori should be glossy, juicy and lightly seasoned, with the individual pulls still intact.

Taste and adjust with a small amount of additional tare if necessary.

FOR ONE RAMEN BOWL

Use approximately:

3–4 oz prepared Ken’s Shio Tori

Place the chicken on top of the finished ramen immediately before serving.

THE KEN’S SETUP

This recipe is built around:

Ken’s T1 OG Ramen Tare
The savory seasoning base that gives the chicken its ramen-shop flavor.

Ken’s A1 Garlic Oil
Slow-confited aromatic oil made with garlic, ginger, onion, shallot and scallion. It gives the chicken richness, aroma and a glossy finish.

[SHOP THE SHIO TORI SETUP →]

USE IT FOR

OG Paitan Ramen
Hell Paitan Ramen
Miso Ramen
Hell Miso Ramen
Rice bowls
Cold noodles
Salads
Sandwiches