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Curry Chicken Salad

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By: MadelinePosted: 04/22/2020Updated: 12/25/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Curry Chicken Salad recipe is a flavorful twist on a traditional chicken salad. This Whole30 chicken salad recipe is the perfect thing to prep for healthy lunches and snacks throughout the week.

Close up above view of curry chicken salad on a plate

Getting bored with your regular chicken salad? Spice it up with a little curry powder.

I used to think that chicken salad was a really boring lunch recipe, but that was before I knew how to mix it up. Now I know you can start with a base of shredded chicken and mayo and add just about any mix ins you like!

This healthy Whole30 chicken salad recipe is flavored with curry powder and the subtle spice is balanced by the sweetness of carrots and raisins. I also added some chopped celery and cashews for crunch.

You can enjoy this curry chicken salad on its own, on a bed of lettuce, in lettuce cups or on a sandwich. There is basically no wrong way to enjoy this flavorful and healthy chicken salad. It is perfect for meal planning because you can make it on Sunday and enjoy for many lunches that week!

Three quarter view of curry chicken salad recipe on a plate

What kitchen tools will I need to make this Curry Chicken Salad?

  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Forks or electric hand mixer for shredding chicken
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Mixing bowls
Above view of ingredients for curry chicken salad

What ingredients will I need to make this healthy chicken salad recipe?

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Mayonnaise – I like Primal Kitchen mayo for a Whole30 friendly mayo
  • Curry powder
  • Salt
  • Lemon juice
  • Celery
  • Shredded carrots
  • Raisins
  • Roasted cashews

Ingredient substitutions

If you don’t like mayo, you can use greek yogurt to make this curry chicken salad. Just mix the greek yogurt in at the same time that you would mix in the mayo.

Use sliced almonds in place of the roasted cashews, if you do not like them. You could also use roasted sunflower seeds instead of nuts.

You can use fresh red grapes or dried cranberries instead of raisins if you do not like raisins. Savory roast chicken and sweet grapes or raisins always taste so good together!

Garnish this savory curried chicken salad recipe with fresh herbs like cilantro or even some sliced green onion.

Above view of shredded chicken in a bowl

Can I use a rotisserie chicken to make this chicken salad?

To make this curry chicken salad recipe even easier you can skip the chicken poaching step and use the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. I like to immediately shred the meat from rotisserie chickens whenever I buy them.

You can also use canned chicken meat OR make you shredded chicken in the instant pot with this recipe.

How to serve

Make a simple chicken salad sandwich with this curry chicken salad. Layer it on toasted bread or a roll with fresh romaine lettuce to make the perfect sandwich.

For a simple gluten free option, serve the absolutely delicious chicken salad on chopped lettuce in a large bowl with any other veggies you might like. I like to serve this with extra carrots and celery.

Above view of stew by step instructions for making curry chicken salad

How do I make Curry Chicken Salad?

Step 1: Poach the chicken

First, add your chicken breasts to a pot with cold water. Then, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 14 minutes.

After 14 minutes remove the chicken from the pot to cool. Once cooled, shred the chicken with 2 forks or an electric hand mixer.

Step 2: Prep the other ingredients

While the chicken cooks and cools, combine the mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Then, slice the celery. Next, place the carrots, celery, raisins, and roasted cashews in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Mix it all up

Then, add the cooled shredded chicken to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Pour the curry mayo mixture on top and mix it all together. Place in the fridge to chill and serve chilled!

above view of curry chicken salad in a bowl with toasted cashews and cilantro

How long will this curry chicken salad recipe keep in the fridge?

Once prepared, store this Curry Chicken salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Check out these other healthy chicken salad recipes!

  • BLT Chicken Salad
  • Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
  • Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
  • Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Image for pining curry chicken salad recipe on pinterest
Recipe

Curry Chicken Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

A flavorful twist on a traditional chicken salad made with curry powder, raisins, carrots and other mix-ins.

Recipe By: Madeline
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 25 minutes
Print Pin it Rate recipe Save recipe
Servings: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup sliced celery
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breasts in a pot with cold water
  2. Bring the water to a boil
  3. Once boiling put a lid on the pot and reduce to a simmer to poach the chicken
  4. Simme for 14 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat and the chicken from the pot
  5. As the chicken cools combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small mixing bowl
  6. Slice the celery into small half moons and add the carrots, celery, raisins,  and cashews to a large mixing bowl
  7. Shred the cooled chicken with two forks or an electric hand mixer and add the shredded chicken to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients
  8. Pour the curry mayo mixture over all of the ingredients and mix until it is all coated in the mayo mixture
  9. Place in the refrigerator to chill and serve chilled
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Did you make my

Curry Chicken Salad?

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Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Trish says

    Posted on 9/9 at 7:20 pm

    This was absolutely delicious. I’ve been following you for awhile but was unable to get into my kitchen and cook due to an injury. This was the first recipe I made once I was able to stand and cook. So easy to make. The first I made it I used rotisserie chicken and it was great. The second time I made it (which was the following week after I ate it all), I used already cooked chicken and it was just as good. The curry overpowering but it just adds a little something, something making this chicken salad special. I will definitely be making this again and again and again. FYI – I’m not normally a fan of chicken salad but this looked great on your IG account.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 9/10 at 9:44 am

      That is awesome!! Thank you for sharing and I am so glad you are back in the kitchen again.

      Reply
  2. Kaelin says

    Posted on 1/18 at 6:00 pm

    I’ve always been worried about making chicken salad because I’m afraid it’ll be really bland. Well let me tell you, this is the most flavorful chicken salad ever! It’s absolutely delicious. We switched cranberries for raisins but kept everything else the same. Sooooo yummy!! We ate it with crackers & Hawaiian rolls. Definitely making again & excited to try your other chicken salad recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/18 at 9:07 pm

      amazing!! this is one of my wifes absolute favorites. THank you so much!!

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    Posted on 2/20 at 10:12 pm

    Wow, Madeline, this might be the best chicken salad I have ever had! I am not a fan of mayo, so used greek yogurt instead, but kept everything else the same. It is the spices and flavours that are the real stars anyway. I definitely need to make it again because I never even got around to making a sandwich, just ate it with crackers and by the forkful!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/21 at 11:22 am

      oh my goodness thank you!!

      Reply
  4. Rachel says

    Posted on 4/27 at 5:16 pm

    Wow! Such a good way to switch up chicken salad. I knew it would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good! And the recipe is so simple! I used shredded chicken and it turned out great!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/28 at 8:51 am

      amazing!! thank you!!

      Reply
  5. Erin says

    Posted on 7/19 at 9:08 pm

    This recipe is SO. DANG. DELICIOUS!

    Very bright, crunchy and so easy (especially if you use a rotisserie chicken). I subbed pistachios and golden raisins once and it still worked beautifully! I know I’ll be coming back to this recipe time after time!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/25 at 8:29 pm

      yay! thank you!!

      Reply
  6. April Young says

    Posted on 7/25 at 12:07 am

    Delicious, a new family favorite, thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/25 at 8:11 pm

      thats great! thank you!

      Reply
  7. Fiona says

    Posted on 2/26 at 12:25 pm

    Love this with chickpeas instead of chicken !

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 3/1 at 9:55 am

      oooo thats so good to know!

      Reply
  8. Whole30ingit says

    Posted on 5/31 at 10:59 pm

    Delicious! I convinced my husband to do Whole30 with me this time and he also enjoyed this chicken salad. We didn’t have any celery on hand so omitted that. I’d like it added for the crunch but it’s also great without.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/2 at 3:36 pm

      glad you both loved it! thanks!

      Reply
  9. Kelli H says

    Posted on 6/28 at 9:52 pm

    Yum! Loved this. I put it on top of a green salad and it was delicious. My husband was surprised how much he liked it, too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/6 at 3:24 pm

      yum that sounds like a great combo. love it when people who aren’t so sure end up loving my recipes! thanks Kelli!

      Reply
  10. Carly Cox says

    Posted on 7/29 at 2:11 pm

    So good! Made this twice last week. Super easy and will be a recipe that I keep coming back to!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Nicole says

    Posted on 2/5 at 6:53 pm

    Delicious!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/5 at 8:34 pm

      Thanks, Nicole!

      Reply

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