Spicy & Sweet Curry Chicken Salad

This Curry Chicken Salad takes the classic sandwich filler and turns it on its head. It is loaded with flavor, from spicy curry powder to apples, raisins, cashews, cilantro, and scallions. Carrots and celery add some great texture.

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Curry chicken salad is a healthy lunch

This curry chicken salad is one of my favorite lunches. It’s easy to make and so flavorful. Scoop it into crisp lettuce leaves or use it to fill a sandwich or wrap. It has so many healthy ingredients, too!

I have to admit that I didn’t come up with this idea all by myself. It started with Trader Joe’s Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins and Cashews. The TJ’s salad is delicious, but I wanted one I could make myself to use up leftover roast chicken or turkey.

You can use leftover roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Or just grill or steam a couple of chicken breast fillets.

Add a little spice!

I love a dash of sesame chili oil for a little kick. You could use cayenne pepper or drizzle of hot sauce instead.

What’s so great about this salad is the contrast of flavors and textures—sweet apples and raisins, crunchy cashews, celery, and carrots, tender chicken, spicy curry powder, and creamy mayonnaise. I could eat this healthy combo every day.

And it’s versatile, too! You can switch out the apples in exchange for grapes, use red onion instead of scallions, and substitute almonds for cashews if you like. If you don’t have all of the ingredients, don’t stress it! Use something else or just leave it out.

More great chicken recipes you’ll love

• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Homemade Chicken Enchiladas
• Thai Chicken Satay
• Korean Spicy Chicken with Gochujang

Curry Chicken Salad with Apples, Raisins, and Cashews

Robin Donovan

This CurryChicken Salad takes the classic sandwich filler and turns it on its head. It is loaded with flavor, from spicy curry powder to apples, raisins, cashews, cilantro, and scallions. Carrots and celery add addictive texture.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces cooked chicken diced or shredded
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon curry powder or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium apple peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery finely chopped
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot peeled and grated
• ¼ cup toasted cashews
• ¼ cup raisins
• Sesame-chili oil or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

 

• In a medium mixing bowl, toss all of the ingredients
  together until well combined.
• Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for
  up to 3 days.
  
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 16gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 397mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7g

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