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Home » Recipe Index » Soups & Salads

Curry Chicken Salad

Published: Jan 30, 2020 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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A mound of curry chicken salad on a bed of lettuce on a white platter.
A close-up view of curry chicken salad between two croissant halves on a white plate.

We absolutely love chicken salad and this version is no exception.

We have to admit that our Best-Ever Chicken Salad was our first recipe to go viral and has been our #1 recipe on the blog for over 4 years. This variation of that salad is absolutely heavenly. We even show you how to make your own curry powder from scratch! So heart-warming and so delicious!

VIDEO ALERT: Be sure to check out the video for this recipe in the recipe card.  If you like the video, subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

A croissant sandwich with curry chicken salad on a white plate next to a glass of white wine.

HOW TO MAKE CURRY CHICKEN SALAD

This recipe comes together very quickly. We recommend roasting two or three bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for deep flavor, but rotisserie chicken from the supermarket works, too.

And if you really want to make this extra special, homemade mayonnaise and homemade curry powder are truly something to write home about.

Watch us show you how to make this amazingly delicious chicken salad!

ROASTED CHICKEN DEEPENS THE FLAVOR

As mentioned, you can absolutely use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket for this recipe and still get great results.

But we really love to get two or three skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts and just rub a little olive oil all over them, and then salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

EXPERT TIP: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and use a knife to cube it. We keep the chicken pieces a little on the larger side, about ½” x ½”. This is about the right size to match against the other components of the salad.

A hand using a large chef's knife to cube cooked chicken on a cutting board.

HOW TO CUT A FRESH MANGO

Fresh mango in this curry chicken salad is really wonderful. The texture and taste are just fantastic.

You can go with boxed or canned mango, no problem, just be sure to drain first.

We do, however, recommend going with fresh mango, if possible. To cut the mango, simply cut away the skin with a sharp paring knife or a good peeler. Then use a large knife to cut around the hard center of the fruit. Then cut into cubes. You’ll get anywhere from ½ a cup to 1 cup of cubed fresh mango.

A hand using a large chef's knife to slice a fresh mango on a cutting board.

We absolutely love cooking with curry. This spice has such a history and elevates dishes to truly incredible culinary heights.

You will be surprised at how easy it is to make curry powder at home. Click here for the recipe and a ‘how-to’ video, as well.

The dressing is tangy with the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, and then brought to life with ground ginger and of course, the curry powder. Yum!

A hand sprinkling curry powder from a small glass bowl into another glass bowl of curry chicken salad dressing.

ROUNDING OUT THE FLAVOR PROFILE

The addition of the following ingredients complements this salad so much.

  • Seedless red grapes, halved
  • Red onion, finely chopped
  • Fresh mango, cubed
  • Roasted and lightly salted cashews, roughly chopped

As with our Best-Ever Chicken Salad, Best-Ever Tuna Salad, and our Best-Ever Egg Salad, feel free to modify the ingredients to your own taste!

EXPERT TIP: We recommend mixing the dressing in a separate bowl from the bowl of the dry ingredients. Because the amount of chicken could vary depending on the size of the chicken breast, you’ll want to adjust the amount of dressing accordingly. Resist the temptation to overdress the salad. We recommend about 1 cup per 8 cups of dry ingredients. Of course, if you prefer a “wetter” salad, then feel free to add more. Adding the dressing in increments allows you to reach your desired consistency.

A large glass bowl of cooked cubed chicken, grapes and mango for chicken salad.

After mixing the salad together, you’ll see the beautiful color and smell the incredible flavor.

Take a taste and add more salt, if necessary.

EXPERT TIP: The salad gets better after it has time to allow all the components to meld. Cover the bowl, or transfer the salad to an air-tight container and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or even better, overnight. For best texture and taste, allow the salad to come to room temperature before serving.

A large wooden spoon holding a heaping amount of curry chicken salad over a bowl filled with the mixture.

CURRY CHICKEN SALAD IS IDEAL FOR ENTERTAINING

This salad works amazingly well as a sandwich, or over a bed of lettuce.

It always gets rave reviews when served for brunch, or special occasions such as baby or wedding showers, parties, and anytime you need to feed a crowd.

This recipe comfortably feeds 6 to 8 people. Double or triple the recipe to feed a larger group.

A mound of curry chicken salad on a bed of lettuce on a white platter.

After one bite, you’ll understand why this is right near the top of the list of our favorite dishes to prepare.

Our homemade curry recipe is not overly spicy at all. If you prefer a little more heat, then simply increase the amount of cayenne pepper.

Just so delicious!

A close-up view of curry chicken salad between two croissant halves on a white plate.

This chicken salad is always a crowd favorite.

As we said, we love serving it as a salad, but also as pre-made sandwiches.

Either way, you’ll have a hit on your hands with this amazing chicken salad!

A hand holding a sandwich of curry chicken salad between to croissant halves.

Ready to make the best Curry Chicken Salad in the world? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and #howtofeedaloon!

A croissant sandwich with curry chicken salad on a white plate next to a glass of white wine.

Curried Chicken Salad

Curried chicken salad is so fresh, and explodes with flavor. Be sure to roast your chicken in the oven and then dice. If you're up to it, why not try homemade mayo and homemade curry powder! It truly takes this dish to the stratosphere. Yum!!
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Course: lunch
Cuisine: Salad / Lunch
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Chicken cooling time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 469kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Ingredients

FOR THE ROASTED CHICKEN

  • 2 chicken breasts split, bone-in, skin-on
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 3 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup red onion chopped (about a cup)
  • 1 fresh mango peeled, pitted and diced, about ⅔ cup.
  • 1 cup red grapes seedless, halved
  • 1 cup salted roasted cashews roughly chopped
  • 1 cup lettuce for garnish - optional
  • 8 sandwich rolls croissants, ciabatta, etc - optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Rub the chicken pieces with oil and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Place on a baking rack on a lined baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
  • Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces, about ½"x½".
  • In a medium bowl, make the dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper.
  • In a separate, large bowl, add chicken, onion, mango, grapes, and cashews.
  • Add the dressing in increments, starting with about ½ a cup, gently stirring as you go. Depending on how much chicken you have, you'll most likely need about 1 to 1½ cups of the dressing. Add more or less as per your own desired consistency.
  • Cover with plastic wrap, or put in an air-tight container and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will meld. Let come to room temperature before serving.
  • Serve over a bed of lettuce greens, or as sandwiches using your favorite sandwich bread.

Notes

The roasted chicken can be made up to 1 day in advance.  A rotisserie chicken works well, too.  If we use a rotisserie, we usually use two chickens.
Be sure to know the heat level of the curry powder before adding to the dressing.  Our homemade curry powder is mild, but many other types may be spicy.  If too spicy, start with just one tbsp, taste, and add more, if desired.
We love serving this to guests over a bed of lettuce, with sliced croissants or ciabatta rolls, and allow them to make their own sandwich.  
The salad definitely gets better after it's had time to sit in the fridge for a day.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 819mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in May 2014, but updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new photography, tips, and a fabulous new video!

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Comments

  1. Patti says

    January 30, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    I plan to make this tomorrow! Don’t have mango but gonna use diced Granny Smith apple. And pile it on a fresh croissant!

    Reply
  2. Debi & Russ says

    January 30, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    Hi Guys!

    Did you change your video format? I can no longer play them (on my older computer) since your previous curry powder post. Disappointed 🙁 Oh, wait. My husband is able to play it (on his brand new computer) but had to reload the blog post to do so. Also, when trying to go full screen it stops playing. What up wit dat?

    btw, I am also married to a Norwegian, I feel your pain.

    ~Debi

    Reply

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