Ultimate Curry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Tender chicken with crisp vegetables, sweet fruit, and creamy curry dressing
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 1 pound
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon 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 recommended
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 tablespoons mango chutney optional
14 - 1½ teaspoons curry powder
15 - ½ teaspoon turmeric
16 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
17 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
18 - 1 teaspoon honey
19 - ½ teaspoon salt
20 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
# How-To:
01 - Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 7 to 8 minutes per side until fully cooked and juices run clear. Remove from heat and 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, nuts, and cilantro or parsley.
03 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, mango chutney, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
07 - Serve chilled as a salad, in sandwiches, wraps, or on a bed of greens.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweet grapes and tart apple balance the warm curry spices in a way that makes people ask what's actually in it
- It keeps for days in the fridge and actually tastes better after the flavors have time to hang out together
02 -
- Refrigerating for at least 30 minutes is non negotiable because the curry flavor needs time to develop properly
- Don't skip the salt in the dressing because the chicken and vegetables need that extra seasoning to pop
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry pan before adding them because that extra step makes them taste way more expensive than they are
- Make the dressing a day ahead and keep it in a separate container so you can assemble everything right before serving