Give your lunch a delicious upgrade with this Curry Chicken Salad! It’s fresh and creamy with the warm flavor of curry, sweet golden raisins and buttery cashews. Enjoy it in a sandwich or in lettuce wraps for the perfect low carb meal!

Curry chicken salad in a bowl with a serving spoon

I get into lunch ruts all the time. Typically I’ll just eat a piece of peanut butter toast with banana, but when I’m on my game I’ll prep my Greek quinoa salad or egg salad to enjoy during the week.

This Curry Chicken Salad is another favorite, and it was inspired by one of our favorite lunch spots. I’d been making this vegan coleslaw with creamy curry dressing for years, and have no idea why I didn’t get the idea to incorporate these flavors into chicken salad! 

While my pesto chicken salad and tarragon chicken salad recipes are delicious, the curry flavor makes this recipe extra special. This is hands down my favorite!

If you love the chicken curry combination as much as I do, be sure to try my pumpkin curry and coconut curry chicken recipes for dinner!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Tender chunks of chicken breast are combined with crisp celery, chives, sweet golden raisins, buttery cashews and a creamy curry dressing for one unforgettable chicken salad!
  • It’s quick and easy — the entire recipe can be prepped in about 15 minutes using leftover or rotisserie chicken.
  • The curry chicken salad lasts about five days in the fridge, making it a great meal prep recipe.
  • It’s versatile. Enjoy it in a lettuce wrap, atop a salad, in a sandwich, or in a tortilla!
Curry chicken salad lettuce wraps on a platter

Recipe ingredients

This curry chicken salad recipe comes together with basic ingredients that I almost always have on hand. It’s easy to swap out an ingredient here or there to suit your needs as outlined below.

Curry chicken salad ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken: This recipe comes together quickly with leftover baked, poached or grilled chicken. I often prep a batch of my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken when I’m planning to make chicken salad. Pro tip: Use rotisserie chicken to save time!
  • Mayonnaise: I used Vegenaise (vegan mayo) as I prefer its flavor, but you can use whatever you have on hand. If you’re not a fan of mayo, plain Greek yogurt would be a great substitute.
  • Veggies. I added crunchy celery and chives for texture and freshness, but you can substitute them with grated carrot, bell pepper or green onion.
  • Curry powder. A little goes a long way, so I used just 1/2 teaspoon for mild curry flavor. Add more if desired!
  • Cashews: The roasted cashews may be substituted with walnuts or almonds.
  • Golden raisins. The flavor of golden raisins really compliments the curry flavor, but feel free to substitute with your favorite dried fruit or even fresh fruit such as apples or grapes!
  • Lime. Fresh lime juice pairs very well with the curry powder and adds acidity to the dressing. Feel free to substitute with white or apple cider vinegar.

How to make this recipe

This is a super simple chicken salad recipe! It comes together in just 15 minutes with minimal ingredients.

Pro tip: Use leftover or rotisserie chicken to save time!

How to make curry chicken salad collage
  1. Place the chicken, celery, chives, golden raisins, and cashews in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo (regular or vegan), lime juice, honey, curry powder, salt, and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture, and stir gently to combine.
Bowl of curry chicken salad with ingredients alongside

FAQs

How do you cook chicken for chicken salad?

You can bake, poach, grill or use store-bought rotisserie chicken. You can also prepare Instant Pot shredded chicken in an Instant Pot or use leftover roast chicken. Once cooled, simply shred with two forks or chop.

Can you add curry to chicken salad?

Curry powder is a wonderful addition to chicken salad, and is a great way to change it up! Simply add curry powder to mayonnaise with lime juice, honey and salt and pepper for a delicious new twist.

How long is chicken salad good for?

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this shredded chicken salad will last 3-5 days.

How to serve this recipe

Curry chicken salad is so versatile, and may be served a number of ways. Some of my favorites include the following:

  • Serve as a sandwich on your favorite bread with your favorite veggies.
  • Add to cool, crisp lettuce wraps for a low carb lunch or dinner.
  • Serve atop your favorite greens or salad for a light spring and summer meal.
  • Round out the meal with a side of crispy smashed potatoes or roasted green beans.

Recipe notes

  • Total time does not include cooking the chicken. This recipe comes together quickly with leftover baked, poached or grilled chicken. I often prep a batch of my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken when I’m planning to make chicken salad. Pro tip: Use rotisserie chicken to save time!
  • A little curry powder goes a long way, so I used just 1/2 teaspoon for mild curry flavor. Add more if desired!
  • Serve as a sandwich, in lettuce wraps or atop a salad for the perfect meal prep lunch!
  • Store leftover curry chicken salad in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Curry chicken salad in lettuce wraps

More easy chicken salad recipes:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Curry chicken salad in a bowl with a serving spoon

Curry Chicken Salad

Curry Chicken Salad is fresh and creamy with tender chunks of chicken and the warm flavor of curry. It's a low carb, high protein meal that's great for meal prep!
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. cooked chicken breast chopped (about 2 medium chicken breasts)
  • 1 large stalk celery trimmed, halved and chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces almonds or walnuts are a great substitute
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins or substitute with your favorite dried or fresh fruit such as apples or grapes
  • 1/3 cup chopped chives or use 1 large green onion

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise I use Vegenaise but use your favorite! You may also substitute with Greek yogurt.
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice may be substituted with white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or your favorite sweetner
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken, celery, golden raisins, chives and cashews in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, honey, curry powder, salt and pepper until combined, then add to the chicken mixture and stir gently to combine. Serve on your favorite bread, in lettuce wraps, or atop a salad!

Notes

  • Total time does not include cooking the chicken. This recipe comes together quickly with leftover baked, poached or grilled chicken. I often prep a batch of my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken when I’m planning to make chicken salad. Pro tip: Use rotisserie chicken to save time!
  • A little curry powder goes a long way, so I used just 1/2 teaspoon for mild curry flavor. Add more if desired!
  • Serve as a sandwich, in lettuce wraps or atop a salad for the perfect meal prep lunch!
  • Store leftover curry chicken salad in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 208mg, Potassium: 472mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 188IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This recipe was originally published in June 2013. The text, photos and recipe have been updated to include more information and step by step photos.

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