Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Curried chicken salad with apples, celery, raisins, and almonds, lightly dressed with a yogurt and curry dressing, is welcome at almost any meal or gathering. This popular recipe is always a hit and it’s easy to make.
How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large bowl, measuring utensils
Servings: 4
Curried chicken salad is kind of a classic, isn’t it? I like to look at vintage cookbooks from the 1950s era and I almost always see a recipe for curried chicken salad. Yet, if you look online today, you’ll still find plenty of recipes for this favorite salad so it’s not entirely a dish from the past.
Wonder why curried chicken salad recipes have such staying power? If you haven’t tried this salad yet, you’ll find that it’s flavorful and easy to make. The curry powder gives it that extra special flavor that carries the salad beyond mundane and into the realm of Wow! You’ll see why curried chicken salads have stuck around all these years.
What Is Curry Powder?
Briefly, curry powder is a spice blend and there are lots of variations. Most include turmeric, fenugreek, chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, and pepper, but that list is far from complete. You can make your own blend, too. You’ll find curry powder in mild, medium, or hot strengths. Often the mild version is called sweet curry. Curry is popular in many different cuisines (think Thai) but it doesn’t look the same for each. Experiment with different blends and find the one you like best!
Flavorful Curried Chicken Salad
Easy ingredients. Even though curried chicken salad has kind of an exotic flavor due to the curry powder, you don’t need exotic ingredients to make it. You may already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator.
Healthier dressing. I’ve skinnied up the dressing by replacing some of the mayonnaise with fat-free Greek yogurt. I use this method to make most of my creamy dressings and I am so pleased with how they taste. You really won’t taste the difference. Try it in poppy seed dressing or homemade ranch dressing and see what you think.
Lots of ways to serve it. Curry chicken salad is an easy main dish salad to make. It makes a great lunch or dinner; try it on a bed of greens or on a croissant. I love piling it into tomato cups: hollow out a large tomato and pile in the the curried chicken salad. It stands on its own, too; you really don’t need to add anything. Serve it as an appetizer in mini-phyllo cups.
Perfect for lots of occasions. Curried chicken salad is popular for special luncheons, too, like a bridal or baby showers. Take a container on your next picnic. I just know you’re going to love this healthy curried chicken salad.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked Chicken: Make it ahead or use rotisserie chicken. I always have roasted chicken breast in the fridge or freezer so that’s what I usually use for this salad. You can poach a couple of fresh or frozen chicken breasts. The chicken should be cold before you add the dressing and other ingredients. You’ll need about 3 cups.
- Celery: Adds a nice crunch and good flavor to the salad.
- Green Onions (Scallions): Use green onions for a milder onion flavor. If you love onions, feel free to substitute chopped red onions or sweet onions. Soak them in a bit of ice water before adding them to the salad to tone down the sharp flavor.
- Apple: Any type of crisp apple works fine.
- Raisins: Regular or golden raisins add chewy texture and sweetness. Dried cranberries or apricots are good, too. (If you like dried cranberries, be sure to try my cranberry chicken salad, too!)
- Greek Yogurt (Plain): Yogurt forms the base of the dressing. I usually use non-fat but other varieties are fine, too. Just be sure to buy plain unflavored yogurt.
- Mayonnaise: Use whatever mayonnaise you like best. I often buy the olive oil mayonnaise. You’ll only use a quarter cup.
- Curry Powder: A blend of spices, curry powder gives this salad so much flavor! You’ll need a tablespoon of curry powder. Use your favorite kind , whether it’s hot or sweet.
- Lemon Juice: Just a touch of acidity keeps the salad from tasting flat. If you don’t have lemon juice, substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: Add a few drops of honey to round out the flavor of the dressing. You could substitute a bit of maple syrup or white sugar.
How To Make Curried Chicken Salad
It’s really very easy. Stir up the dressing in a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and stir well until everything is coated with dressing. The good part is you’ll only have one bowl to wash, along with a few measuring utensils.
If you have time, put the salad in the refrigerator for an hour or two. You can eat it right away but it’s better if the salad has a chance to let the flavors soak in. As a side benefit, the raisins get a little juicier, too.
Garnish with toasted sliced almonds or cashews. A sprinkle of fresh parsley always looks nice, too.
Enjoy! Make it a special occasion by serving it with a glass of white wine. Riesling or Gewürztraminer would be perfect. A homemade cookie is always a good idea, too. Try a snickerdoodle cookie or an iced oatmeal cookie.
Recipe Variations
- Different fruit: Substitute sliced red or green grapes for the apple, or just add them as additional fruit in the salad. Use golden raisins or currants if that’s what you have.
- Don’t have Greek yogurt? You can substitute all mayo if you like, or use regular yogurt. The dressing will have a thinner consistency if you use regular yogurt but it works just fine. I’ve done that plenty of times.
- Add eggs or nuts. If you like your salads with eggs, add a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs. We have nut allergies in our house but this salad is fantastic with toasted sliced almonds or cashews stirred in.
- Keto-friendly: Use full-fat Greek yogurt and no mayonnaise. Omit the honey, if desired.
Curried chicken salad keeps well in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir well before serving.
Curried chicken salad is a good lunchbox idea. Divide it into individual serving size containers and refrigerate. Pop one in your lunch bag and you can look forward to a great lunch.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #85. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
Chicken Salad Recipes
Curry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and diced (2 ½ – 3 cups diced chicken)
- ½ cup finely diced celery (1 to 2 stalks)
- 1 cup diced apples (1 apple)
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onion (3 green onions)
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl (large enough to hold all the salad ingredients), mix together the dressing ingredients: Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Add diced chicken, celery, apples, green onions, raisins; stir well to coat all ingredients with dressing.
- The salad can be eaten immediately, but for best flavor and texture, refrigerate it for 1 hour or more.
- Store leftovers in a covered container for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Curry chicken salad can be served as is, on lettuce, or on bread, croissants, or with crackers.
- Dressing: If you prefer, you can replace the Greek yogurt with mayonnaise (¾ cup total). If you shred the chicken rather than dice it, you may need to make extra dressing since the chicken will absorb more of the dressing.
- Spice level: We use McCormick curry powder, which is mild. Some curry powders can be quite spicy but will be labeled as “Hot Curry Powder” or “Madras Curry Powder.”
- Add Nuts: If desired, add ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted. If you’re including the almonds, stir them in immediately prior to serving, or sprinkle on top of each serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I’ve made a very similar recipe and it was delicious.
It’s one of my favorites!