Curry Chicken Salad
Yield: 6 servings
This easy Curry Chicken Salad recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and savory, with tender chicken, juicy grapes, and nutty cashews, all folded together in a lightly creamy curry dressing.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (see Notes below)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Dressing
- ⅔ cup good quality mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Major Grey's chutney (or similar)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (see Notes below)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salad
- ⅓ cup small diced red onion
- ½ cup small diced celery
- ⅔ cup halved red grapes - or quartered if especially large (or substitute ⅓ cup plump raisins)
- ½ cup roasted, salted whole cashews (see Notes below)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Chicken: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. Rub chicken with olive oil, then season all over with salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast reads 165°F.
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ¾" cubes.
- Dressing: While chicken is cooking, stir together mayo, yogurt, chutney, curry powder, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Salad: In a large bowl, fold together chicken, onion, celery, grapes, cashews, and cilantro. Drizzle prepared dressing over the top and fold to coat all ingredients. Taste test, then season with salt & pepper and additional curry powder as needed.
- Serve: Enjoy right away. Or let cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight. Serve salad cold over a bed of lettuce or in lettuce wraps, or as a sandwich between two slices of bread or a split croissant. Or serve it warm, over rice.
Notes
Chicken: To substitute with leftover cooked chicken, measure out 3-4 cups of cubed, cooked chicken.
Curry powder: This is a blend of spices that varies in flavor and spicy heat depending on what spices are used. Some curry powder blends are very mild, while others can be quite spicy. Choose one that fits your flavor palate. If you don't find many curry powder choices, just taste test and add less or more depending on your desired level of flavor and heat.
Cashews: If storing/refrigerating this salad right away, you might want to consider leaving out the cashews and then folding them into the salad right before serving, for the crunchiest nut texture.
How to store: Transfer curry chicken salad to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days. Before serving, give it a quick stir to ensure the flavors and ingredients are well-blended.
Recipe inspired by a salad I enjoyed at Seabiscuit Cafe on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 462kcal Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 49g Fat: 24g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g Cholesterol: 130mg Sodium: 430mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.