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
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.
Hi there,
So it says Curry Chicken Salad with APPLES, raisins and cashews; however, there is actually no apples listed in the ingredients list. How many apples does it call for?
My apologies! I fixed the recipe. 1 medium apple!