How do you make curry chicken salad?

Dice cooked chicken breast into bite size pieces, then place it in a large bowl. Add minced celery, red onion, raisins, cashews and parsley. Whisk together a mayonnaise based dressing flavored with lemon and curry powder, then pour the dressing over the chicken, veggies and fruit. Stir everything together, then serve right away, or refrigerate for later use.

Bowls of ingredients including chicken, diced vegetables and spices.

Tips for the best curry chicken salad

You can use freshly cooked chicken breast, leftover chicken from a previous meal or store bought rotisserie chicken for this salad. You can dice or shred the meat, although I prefer the texture of diced chicken.

I typically roast bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes, then let the meat cool, remove the skin and dice up the chicken.

The dressing combines both mayonnaise and sour cream for the perfect creamy texture and optimal flavor. If you don’t have sour cream in the house, it’s fine to just use mayonnaise instead.

This recipe calls for yellow curry powder, which is a mild blend of spices that can be found in all major grocery stores.

Serve your curry chicken salad on a croissant, in a bowl with crackers on the side, or spoon the salad into lettuce for a low carb option.

Looking to save a few calories? You can substitute light mayonnaise and light sour cream instead of the full fat versions.

A bowl of diced chicken with raisins, cashews and vegetables.

How long does chicken salad last?

This salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container for best results. Curry chicken salad is not a good candidate for the freezer, as it can become watery when thawed.

A bowl of chicken salad with creamy dressing poured over the top.

Salad Flavor Variations

This salad is delicious as-is, but you can easily use different ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

Fruit: Instead of (or in addition to) the raisins, try pineapple, diced apples, dried cranberries or fresh halved grapes.

Nuts: Swap out the cashews for toasted chopped walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds.

Herbs and Spices: Swap out the parsley for dill, green onions or basil. You can also add additional spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, or a touch of smoked paprika.

Meat: Try diced roasted or smoked turkey instead of chicken for a different flavor.

A serving bowl of curry chicken salad garnished with parsley.

Curry chicken salad is great for a light lunch, perfect for potlucks and makes for the ultimate sandwich!

More salads to sample

Curry Chicken Salad