Ultimate Curry Chicken Salad (Print View)
Tender chicken with crisp vegetables and fruit in a creamy curry dressing
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs)
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Salad Base
05 - ¾ cup celery, finely diced
06 - ½ cup red onion, finely diced
07 - 1 medium apple, cored and diced (Honeycrisp or similar sweet-tart variety)
08 - ½ cup seedless red grapes, halved
09 - ⅓ cup toasted cashews or almonds, roughly chopped
10 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
→ Curry Dressing
11 - ½ cup mayonnaise
12 - ¼ cup Greek yogurt
13 - 2 tbsp mango chutney (optional)
14 - 1½ tsp curry powder
15 - ½ tsp turmeric
16 - ½ tsp ground cumin
17 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
18 - 1 tsp honey
19 - ½ tsp salt
20 - ¼ tsp black pepper
# Method:
01 - Season chicken breasts with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 7–8 minutes per side until fully cooked and juices run clear. Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
02 - In a large bowl, combine diced chicken, celery, red onion, apple, grapes, toasted nuts, and fresh cilantro or parsley.
03 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, mango chutney (if using), curry powder, turmeric, ground cumin, lemon juice, honey, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the curry dressing over the chicken and vegetable mixture. Toss gently to coat everything evenly with the dressing.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed by adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice according to your preference.
06 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld together. Serve chilled as a salad, in sandwiches, wraps, or over a bed of fresh greens.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- The curry dressing hits every flavor note at once and somehow tastes even better after chilling overnight
- Its incredibly versatile and works beautifully as sandwich filling, wrap stuffing, or simply served over crisp greens
02 -
- Hot chicken will make the dressing separate and turn watery, so let it cool completely before mixing
- The salad needs time in the fridge to let the curry powder bloom and the flavors really marry together
03 -
- Taste your curry powder first and adjust the amount based on its strength, some brands are much more potent than others
- A microplane makes quick work of mincing the onion into tiny pieces that distribute evenly throughout the salad