A unique and delicious twist on the classic chicken salad. This curried chicken salad takes everything we love from traditional chicken salad and combines it with Middle Eastern spices that are warm, flavorful and adds a beautiful yellow hue to the dish.
One of my all time favorite dishes to have on hand is chicken salad. It’s just one of those things that is simple to make and even easier to eat! I love it by the spoonful, on crackers, in a wrap or between two buttery, flaky croissant halves. It has become a go-to recipe of mine for several years.
This recipe for curried chicken salad is basically traditional chicken salad with the a slight Middle Eastern twist. Curry is added to the mayonnaise based dressing which really compliments and highlights the sweet and savory flavors going on in this salad.
Obviously chicken is the main ingredient of this recipe.
Using leftover chicken is the easiest option, but if you don’t have any leftovers there are several options! Snag a rotisserie chicken and dice it up, roast your own as directed in the recipe, or if you’re having other meals during the week that call for shredded chicken make your own and use part for this recipe.
Once the chicken is prepped this salad comes together in about ten minutes! A creamy, flavorful salad that is full of juicy chicken, various textures and sweet and tart cranberries.
This curried chicken salad is impressive enough for a special occasion like a shower, brunch or shower. It’s also simple enough for a simple lunch or easy weeknight dinner. I love to make a big batch of this at the beginning of the week for quick meals and snacks on busy days.
A few of my favorite ways to enjoy curried chicken salad-
- Slice a croissant in half, place some baby spinach on the bottom, top with curried chicken salad and then the other half of the croissant.
- Use a tortilla add sliced tomatoes, lettuce and chicken salad, wrap, slice in half and enjoy!
- For a lower carb option, top a bed of lettuce with chicken salad, garnish with sliced green onions and chopped pecans.
- For a simple snack serve with buttery crackers or pita chips.
Curry Chicken Salad
A unique and delicious twist on the classic chicken salad. This curried chicken salad takes everything we love from traditional chicken salad and combines it with Middle Eastern spices that are warm, flavorful and adds a beautiful yellow hue to the dish.
Ingredients
Roast Chicken
- 6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Chicken Salad
- 1 1/4 Cups Mayonnaise*
- 1 Tbsp dill pickle relish
- 1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 3 Tsp - 1 Tbsp curry powder, to taste
- 1 Cup celery finely diced (about 3 medium stalks)
- 1/4 Cup green onions, diced
- 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 Cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
- 3/4 Cup roasted pecans, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roasted Chicken-
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Place the chicken breast on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until able to handle. Dice the chicken and set aside.
For the Chicken Salad-
- Combine mayonnaise, half cup of diced celery, two tablespoons of green onions, sweet and dill relishes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a food processor. Run the processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add a third of the chicken along with a quarter cup of the dressing, pulse until combined.
- Place the chicken mixture in a small bowl and add half a cup of dressing mixture and the remaining diced chicken and stir to combine. Add the bread crumbs, remaining celery and green onions and fold together. (If mixture seems too dry, add a bit more dressing, one tablespoon at a time).
- Add the pecans and cranberries and fold to incorporate. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
*Rotiserrie chicken or homemade shredded chicken may be used in place of roasting the chicken called for. Use 3 to 4 cups of chicken.
*Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for mayonnaise. Alternately combining half yogurt and half mayonnaise would work as well. Or combinging part yogurt and part sour cream.
*The curry does not overwhelm this salad, it truly compliments all the flavors and lends a mild curry flavor undertone. If you're still leary, add 2 teaspoons initially and adjust as needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 524mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
Nutrition is gathered and calculated based on the ingredients used by Nutritionix. Nutrition can vary for a recipe based on numerous factors such as precision of the measurements, brands of products, freshness of ingredients or the source of the nutritional data.