This curry chicken salad is full of rich, exotic flavors and warming spices for a delicious lunch or light dinner.
Using cooked chicken in a creamy yogurt curry sauce with crunchy apples, celery, and pecans, this one-bowl wonder can be enjoyed in so many different ways.
Curry Chicken Salad
- Earthy and a little spicy, chicken salad with curry is a flavor-filled treat compared to ordinary chicken salad.
- Basic pantry ingredients and cooked chicken mean this dish comes together in minutes, and in just two easy steps.
- This simple recipe is prepared in a single bowl, which means fewer dishes to wash.
- Make up to a day ahead and the flavors will continue to blend, perfect for weekly meal prep.
What’s in Curried Chicken Salad?
Chicken: Use leftovers from another recipe or your own rotisserie, air fried, or baked chicken.
Curry Sauce: Yogurt, mayo, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt make up the creamy, cool, and slightly spicy sauce.
Fruit and Veggies: Chopped apples add a naturally sweet crunch to curry chicken. Green apples are extra tart and will stay firmer longer, but any variety of apples will work. Crisp celery adds interesting texture.
Nuts: Pecans are perfect, and for maximum crunch and flavor, toast in a dry sauté pan until barely fragrant.
Chicken Salad Switch Ups
- Juicy pears or halved grapes work in place of, or addition to, the apples. Instead of fresh fruit, use raisins, currants, chopped figs, dates, dried mangoes, or cranberries.
- Bell peppers, cucumber, snap peas, green beans, and asparagus pieces can add texture and a bump in nutrition.
- Sliced almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are delicious alternatives to pecans. For nut-free crunch, use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds.
- Heat up that sauce with a dash of sambal, sriracha, or a few red pepper flakes. For a more pronounced, umami flavor, add a dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce.
How to Make Curry Chicken Salad
- Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and garnish (full recipe below).
Ways to Serve Chicken Curry Salad
- Pile it high into a sandwich made with homemade no-knead or whole wheat bread, or tuck it into a wrap.
- Want a low-carb meal? Scoop chicken curry salad over a bed of your favorite salad greens, or add it to a lettuce cup for a healthy salad with fewer calories.
- Chicken curry salad can also be served in a whole bell pepper with the top removed for a delicious and portable lunch or light dinner.
Storing Chicken Salad
Keep leftover chicken curry salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir and add a splash of lemon juice to refresh the flavors, if needed. Leftovers can be made into a new recipe by adding leftover cold pasta or rice to bulk it up. Do not freeze chicken salad since the yogurt and mayonnaise will become grainy once thawed.
More Hearty Salad Recipes
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Curry Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder or to taste
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chopped chicken
- 1 apple chopped, about 1-1½ cups
- ½ cup pecans chopped*
- 1 rib celery diced, about ½ cup
- 1 green onion finely sliced, about 2 tablespoons (or diced red onion if preferred)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro optional, or as garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt.
- Add chicken, apple, pecans, celery, and green onion, and mix to combine. Add in, or garnish with, cilantro if desired.
- Serve on toast or buns for a delicious sandwich, or on salad leaves for a salad sandwich boat.
Notes
- *For even more flavor, toast the pecans at 350˚F for 15 minutes and cool completely before adding to the salad
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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