Curry Chicken Salad

I eat curry chicken salad at least every week, without exaggeration. I love that at first sight, it’s a simple chicken recipe that doesn’t require a lot of technique or time. But when you take a bite, it’s flavorful and satisfying. With ingredients like mayonnaise, apple and walnuts, this recipe leans toward western preferences. Check the recipe variations below if you want to incorporate more traditional Indian flavors.

Ingredients for Curry Chicken Salad

• Chicken: This recipe calls for chicken breast. If you want a more flavorful option, add in chicken thighs or chicken skin.
• Apple: Fresh apple adds some crunch and sweetness to this recipe. Gala, Fuji or even green apples are great options.
• Dried cranberries: Chewy and tart, both the texture and flavor of dried cranberries incorporate well here. You can use any variety of raisin, currants or dried apricots instead if preferred.
• Mayonnaise: As a creamy ingredient mayonnaise helps bring all the flavors of this recipe together. If you learn how to make mayonnaise you can ensure it’s fresh and free of additives.
• Walnuts: Earthy and a little bitter, walnuts balance the sweetness from the apples and dried cranberries. If you want to bring out their flavor even more, consider roasting them first.
• Celery: A time honored ingredient in chicken salad, celery provides great crunch. You can substitute it for carrot or green bell pepper.
• Lemon juice: Just a touch of citrus brightens up the whole party. If you don’t have lemons or lemon juice you can use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.
• Green onion: This kind of onion is lighter in flavor than others and its green color adds visual appeal to the curry chicken salad.
• Curry powder: The not-so-secret ingredient, curry powder, is the defining element of this recipe. Other Indian spice powders, like garam masala are not similar in flavor so it’s best to stick with curry powder.
• Lettuce: A crisp lettuce variety like iceberg or romaine works well here. Though if you prefer, you can use shredded green cabbage.
• Croissants: While croissants are wonderful for their light texture and buttery flavor, you can stuff this chicken salad into pita bread or homemade Naan.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

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In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion powder and curry powder. Then add the apple, onion, celery, walnuts and dried cranberries to the mix. Fold all the ingredients together.

Step 2: Assemble the sandwiches

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Slice the croissants in half and put the lettuce leaves on one half of each croissant. Spoon a portion of the chicken salad on top of the lettuce leaves and place the other croissant halves.

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Curry Chicken Salad Variations

• Swap the mayo: In India, eating buttermilk and curd is very popular. So if you love Indian food and want to make this recipe taste more traditional, consider swapping the mayo with Greek yogurt.
• Use chutney instead of fruit: Achar, or pickle, is another common condiment in Indian cuisine. In the west, the closest ingredient we have to achar is chutney. Instead of the apple and dried cranberries, try using a mango or tomato apple chutney.

How to Store Curry Chicken Salad

To prevent the croissant or bread from becoming soggy, it’s best to eat this curry chicken salad recipe within two to three hours. If you need to store it for longer, it’s best to keep the curried chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Most bread, like croissants, are tastiest the day they’re baked. If this isn’t practical for you feel free to keep them in reusable beeswax wraps in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze curry chicken salad?

Technically speaking, you can freeze curried chicken salad but we don’t recommend it. This is primarily because the emulsion of the mayonnaise can break, changing its texture from smooth to grainy. This recipe also calls for other water rich ingredients like celery and apple that will break down in the freezer and become mushy when thawed.

If you do freeze any part of this recipe, it should be the chicken. Check out our guide on how to freeze cooked chicken for more deets.

Curry Chicken Salad Tips

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Is curry chicken salad spicy?

Most curry powders are not spicy. They contain a mix of ingredients like cumin, mustard, coriander and turmeric. If you do want some heat, sprinkle in some powdered cayenne pepper.

How long should curry chicken salad sit before eating?

Both chicken and mayonnaise perish quickly, so don’t let the curried chicken salad to sit at room temperature for longer than two hours. After this point, it’s best to transfer the salad to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days.

Is curried chicken the same as chicken curry?

While it’s easy to confuse the two, curried chicken is not the same as chicken curry. The latter is a sauce-based dish, like the classic chicken tikka masala or butter chicken. Curried chicken on the other hand is the combination of chicken with curry powder, such as this recipe for curried chicken salad.