I was definitely slow to get on the curry bandwagon. In fact, I distinctly remember not liking curry spices for the first 20 years of my life. Luckily, people grow and change over time and I eventually came around to curry (thanks to recipes like quick curried chickpeas!). Now I just want to put curry in everything, like this Curry Chicken Salad!
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Out of all of the recipes I’ve made with curry spices, this Curry Chicken Salad might just be my favorite. Something about the curry with the creamy mayo/yogurt dressing is just perfect! Not to mention the subtle sweetness of the raisins to balance the earthy spices and ALL THAT CRUNCH. …Mmmm.
Chicken salad is never really “cheap”, but when you get your chicken on sale, it approaches affordable. And then when you consider the fact that you can sometimes pay $10/lb. for pre-made chicken salad at the deli, this is actually quite a steal. So, even if you have to save this for a special occasion, bookmark this recipe because you won’t be sorry you did!
Mayo-Yogurt Combo Magic
I chose to use both mayonnaise and yogurt in the dressing for this Curry Chicken Salad because they each have their own unique flavor qualities that they bring to the party. Yogurt is light and tangy and is a classic pairing with curry spices, while mayonnaise offers a deep creaminess. If you need to you, you can just use yogurt or just use mayonnaise, but I’m telling you that the combination fo the two is magic. ;)
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken for this Curry Chicken Salad?
Absolutely. If you don’t want to go through the process of cooking your own chicken breast or happen to have leftover rotisserie chicken, go ahead and chop it up and use it in this recipe. You’ll probably want about 3 cups of chopped chicken for this recipe.
Love chicken salad? You might also like Chicken Salad with Apples or Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad.
Curry Chicken Salad
Servings 4 1 cup eachIngredients
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.41)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt ($0.19)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp honey ($0.02)
- 1 tsp curry powder ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
SALAD
- 2.5 cups chopped cooked chicken* ( $2.95)
- Pinch salt & pepper ($0.05)
- 2 stalks celery ($0.34)
- 3 whole green onions ($0.12)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds ($0.87)
- 1/2 cup raisins ($0.57)
Instructions
- Make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, curry powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Taste the dressing and adjust the curry powder or salt if needed.
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken breast in either a countertop grill or in a skillet until cooked through. Allow the cooked chicken breast to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Finely dice the celery and slice the green onions. Place the green onion, celery, sliced almonds, and raisins in a large bowl.
- Chop the chicken into small cubes and place them in the bowl with the celery, onion, almonds, and raisins. Stir to combine. Pour the dressing over top and stir to coat.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Curry Chicken Salad – Step By Step Photos
To make the dressing for the Curry Chicken Salad, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Stir the dressing together, give it a taste, and adjust the salt, honey, or curry powder if needed (every brand of curry powder is a bit different, so you may prefer more or less). Refrigerate the dressing until you’re ready for it.
You’ll need about 2.5 cups chopped cooked chicken, which for me was two chicken breasts, or about 1.5 lbs. when raw.
Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper, then cook it using a grill or in a skillet. I used a grill pate that fits on top of my range top, but you can also use something like a George Foreman Grill, or a cast iron skillet. Another easy option is to use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
Allow the chicken to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad, then chop it into small pieces.
While the chicken is cooling, you can prepare the rest of the salad. Finely dice 2 ribs of celery and slice 3 green onions.
Add the chopped chicken, diced celery, sliced green onions, 1/2 cup sliced almonds, and 1/2 cup raisins to a large bowl (I used golden raisins).
Add the prepared curry dressing…
Then stir until everything is coated in dressing. And then it’s ready to eat! I ate a bunch just by itself with a fork, but it would also be good with crackers or stuffed into a pita.
I love this recipe. I add chopped broccoli to mine, can’t go wrong!
Just made this with toasted almonds and craisins instead of raisins. I threw everything in the food processor because it was easier to chop and mix and I don’t like chunky chicken salad. Served on Hawaiian rolls. Husband and I love it! Will be making this again! Thanks for sharing!
I really wanted to make this, but was out of almonds and raisins. I used lightly toasted walnuts and chopped dates instead. It was absolutely delicious. I’ll have to stop myself from eating more. Great recipe!
I made this for meal prep and it was very good. Reccomend making it if you’re looking for something fresh and crunchy. I included green apples in the mix because they were perfect in there.
Thanks for the recipe! The only thing I did differently (because I make chicken salad just like this) is I omitted the raisins and added about half of a green apple chopped. I sometimes toast the almonds for a slightly smoky flavor. Gotta love the curry!
Saw this on Instagram! The dressing is so so good. I used smashed chickpeas in place of the chicken for dietary reasons. This is going to be a really good lunch this week (if I stop going back to the fridge and dipping it…) Thank you!
I loved this. I upped the mayo/yogurt combo to 1/2 c each, used dried cranberries, increased the curry, and used honey roasted almond slivers. Really enjoying this site!
Yum! As usual, great recipe! I like that you give recipes that have homemade sauces and dressings. I served this up with roasted rosemary potatoes.
Hello! Love Budget Bytes, just wanted to mention that you mention to rub the Chicken in Ground Ginger however Ground Ginger isn’t included in the ingredients for the recipe.
Thanks for catching that! When I updated the recipe I omitted that ingredient because I didn’t feel it added significant flavor. :)
This was fantastic! Easy to make and super tasty! I will be making this again!
I used frozen chicken breasts because Publix was out of fresh chicken due to Hurricane Irma, but it came out great nevertheless!
Wow, I get to eat this all week! This is so tasty, the curry gives it a lovely kick! :D I omitted the chicken (replaced with chickpeas) and didn’t add the raisins.
Hi there, I tried this today,for an early supper tonight for the surprise visit of a friend, and I love it! I had all the ingredients on hand except for the curry, yes I know! But I made do by adding a bit of mustard and garlic to the dressing, and sprinkled the top with chopped cilantro, and it is delicious! It’s now cooling in the fridge. I will serve it with toast rounds and a Boston lettuce salad, the perfect summer meal before going out to a show. Thanks!
I made this for dinner last night. Yum! I didn’t have yogurt so I just used mayo and also no raisins. It was amazing! Will definitely make this again. Thanks Beth I LOVE your recipes.
I think something may be off with the serving size option. When set to 1 serving it shows 1/4 mayo, but still 2.5 cups of chicken. I think however, based on the directions, this is the amount for 2 servings (1/2 cup of mayo). If you change the setting to 2 servings though it asks for 5 cups, which seems like a lot. Am I correct that 2.5 cups is for the the 2 servings version (1/2 cup of mayo etc…)?
Yes, it looks like the # of servings didn’t save correctly in the recipe card. It’s supposed to be four servings! I’ll fix that now. Thanks for noticing!
Would chicken thighs work also? I have some frozen and they’re cheaper than buying chicken breasts.
It’s worth a try. :)