Curried Chicken Salad is flavorful as can be and so easy to make! Use it to make an amazing sandwich for lunch, serve it with crackers as an appetizer or just enjoy a bowl all by itself. With ingredients like curry powder, honey, cilantro and more, there’s so much bold flavor here that makes this recipe a step above the rest.

A bowl is filled with curried chicken salad.


Curried Chicken Salad

Elevate your chicken salad game with this amazing (and super easy) curry chicken salad recipe! It’s loaded with a ton of bold ingredients that each add a unique flavor yet compliment each other beautifully. Curry powder creates that signature curry flavor we all know and love. Cilantro adds a vibrant pop of freshness while honey sweetens things up just a touch.

There are so many more ingredients in the mix as well that make every bite so crave-worthy! Raisins, celery, carrots and red onions add varying flavors as well as textures that make every bite so satisfying. The way they all compliment the tender bites of chicken is the best! Plus, since you’re making it at home, you can add and omit ingredients as you see fit. It’s very easy to customize.

Speaking of easy, this chicken salad really couldn’t be easier to make! In just a few minutes you can have it ready to serve. You just have to toss everything together and either serve it on bread, with crackers, or all by itself! It’s even easier to make it you use already cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Leftover chicken breast also works well!

A curried chicken salad sandwich is on a white plate.

How to Make Curried Chicken Salad

Curry chicken salad is so quick and easy to toss together! For more details on the ingredients and step by step instructions just scroll on down to the recipe card.

  1. Combine. Add the chicken, celery, carrots, raisins, cilantro and red onion to a bowl. Toss everything together and set aside.
  2. Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayo, greek yogurt, honey, curry powder and cayenne.
  3. Toss it all together. Add the dressing to the chicken salad and toss it all together to combine. Gently fold in the cashews and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste.
A bowl of chicken salad is placed next to a sandwich.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving curried chicken salad on bread as a sandwich! It also works perfectly as an appetizer with dippers like crackers, pita bread or crisp veggies (think cucumbers and bell peppers). Or, you could just dig in and enjoy it all by itself in a bowl.

Storage

Store curried chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you use a spoon to remove any from the container, make sure it’s nice and clean! Any new bacteria introduced to the chicken salad could cause it to spoil rapidly. I don’t recommend freezing curry chicken salad.

Variations to Try

Here are just a few ways you can easily customize this chicken salad:

  • Make it dairy-free. Greek yogurt is my favorite ingredient used to make this chicken salad delightfully creamy. Luckily, there are plenty of dairy free yogurt options at the grocery store these days to choose from! Just make sure it’s plain and has no added flavors.
  • Omit the raisins or cilantro. I can already see the comments now – “what do I do if I don’t like raisins/cilantro?” Omit it! This chicken salad will still be totally tasty without those ingredients.
  • Add a spicy kick. While I like just a tiny pinch of cayenne for flavor, you can feel free to sprinkle in as much as you can handle! Just be careful because a little bit goes quite a long way.
A bowl of chicken salad is garnished with fresh cilantro.

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A bowl of chicken salad is garnished with fresh cilantro.

Get the Recipe: Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Warm spice makes this Curried Chicken Salad a new favorite twist on a classic. With crunchy celery, carrots and sweet raisins, this is as great in a bowl with a fork as it is in a hearty chicken salad sandwich.
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped cashews

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, carrot, raisins, cilantro and red onion. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, honey, curry powder and cayenne.
  • Add the dressing to the chicken and toss to combine.
  • Fold in the cashews and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 297mg, Potassium: 317mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1562IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 2mg