Curried Chicken Salad
Curried Chicken Salad
This is one of my favourites! Savory, sweet, and a little spicy – with lots of fresh crunch from grapes, cashews, celery, and scallions – it is wonderful over greens or piled into a sandwich. The creamy dressing is flavored with curry powder, which is a blend of spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, to name just a few.
The juice of a lime livens it up, making it the perfect combo of creamy, crunchy, sweet and savoury!
I recommend using poached chicken to make the salad, but roasted chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken work well too.
Best part, you can make this ahead! The flavours all meld together, making this such a great meal prep option.
Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1½ tablespoons honey
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
¾ teaspoon salt, I like to use this brand
4½ cups cooked shredded chicken (see note)
3 large stalks celery, diced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
3 scallions, light and dark green parts, finely sliced
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
⅔ cup salted cashews or slivered almonds
Directions:
Start by making the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, honey, lime juice, and salt.
To the dressing, add the chicken, celery, grapes and scallions. Toss well to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding the cayenne pepper, if desired. Cover the chicken salad with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Right before serving, stir in the cashews (adding them at the last minute ensures they stay crunchy).
Note: I use poached chicken for this recipe. If you'd like to use roasted chicken, you'll need 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the chicken breasts skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Coat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done. Let cool. (You may also use a rotisserie chicken.)
Make-Ahead Instructions: This salad can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Wait to add the cashews or almonds until right before serving, otherwise they will get soft.
Serve this Curried Chicken Salad over greens or piled into a sandwich. I think you’ll love it!
I hope you try this recipe! I always I love to hear if you tried my recipes, so leave a comment below with how it went.