Curry Chicken Salad
This easy Curry Chicken Salad recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and savory, with tender chicken, juicy grapes, and nutty cashews, all folded together in a lightly creamy curry dressing.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ pounds chicken breast see Notes below, boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise good quality
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt full-fat, plain
- 2 tablespoons Major Grey's chutney or similar
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (see Notes below)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Salad
- ⅓ cup onion small diced, red variety
- ½ cup celery small diced
- ⅔ cup red grapes or substitute ⅓ cup plump raisins, halved or quartered if especially large
- ½ cup cashews see Notes below, roasted, salted, whole
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped leaves
- salt to taste, freshly ground pepper
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Chicken: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. Rub chicken with olive oil, then season all over with salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast reads 165°F.
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ¾" cubes.
- Dressing: While chicken is cooking, stir together mayo, yogurt, chutney, curry powder, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Salad: In a large bowl, fold together chicken, onion, celery, grapes, cashews, and cilantro. Drizzle prepared dressing over the top and fold to coat all ingredients. Taste test, then season with salt & pepper and additional curry powder as needed.
- Serve: Enjoy right away. Or let cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight. Serve salad cold over a bed of lettuce or in lettuce wraps, or as a sandwich between two slices of bread or a split croissant. Or serve it warm, over rice.
Notes
- Chicken: To substitute with leftover cooked chicken, measure out 3-4 cups of cubed, cooked chicken.
- Curry powder: This is a blend of spices that varies in flavor and spicy heat depending on what spices are used. Some curry powder blends are very mild, while others can be quite spicy. Choose one that fits your flavor palate. If you don't find many curry powder choices, just taste test and add less or more depending on your desired level of flavor and heat.
- Cashews: If storing/refrigerating this salad right away, you might want to consider leaving out the cashews and then folding them into the salad right before serving, for the crunchiest nut texture.
- If storing/refrigerating this salad right away, you might want to consider leaving out the cashews and then folding them into the salad right before serving, for the crunchiest nut texture.
- Recipe inspired by a salad I enjoyed at Seabiscuit Cafe on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 462
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 462kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 49g | 98% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 18g | 106% |
| Cholesterol | 130mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 430mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.