Curried hen salad is what I make after I need lunch to really feel prefer it has a bit character. It is creamy, crunchy, savory, candy and simply heat sufficient from the curry powder to maintain the entire bowl from tasting like one other boring hen salad recipe.
What makes this model particularly good is the steadiness. The hen retains it sturdy, the apple and celery convey freshness and crunch, the raisins and honey soften the sharper edges, and the cashews had earthiness.
Why You’ll Love This Curried Chicken Salad
- Real texture and distinction. Between the tender hen, crisp apple, celery, chewy raisins, and crunchy cashews, that is the form of hen salad that really stays attention-grabbing from first chunk to final.
- Warm and balanced taste. The curry powder, lemon juice, mayonnaise, bitter cream, and honey work collectively so the dressing tastes creamy, savory, vibrant, and just a bit candy. Not such as you simply combined hen with mayo.
- Use it in a number of methods. This works for sandwiches, wraps, croissants, lettuce cups, meal prep lunches, and straight-from-the-bowl conditions with little or no effort.
Curried Chicken Salad Ingredients
You solely want a handful of contemporary elements to make this dish! A full checklist of elements with measurements for this recipe is on the market within the printable recipe card under.
- Cooked hen: This is a superb recipe for utilizing leftover hen or rotisserie hen from the shop. But if it’s worthwhile to cook dinner boneless skinless hen breasts particularly for this recipe, I like to recommend juicy baked hen breasts within the oven or poaching them on the stovetop.
- Celery: Finely diced celery provides crunch and vibrant, clear taste to this salad that lightens it up.
- Apple: Chopped apple provides an exquisite fruity ingredient and crunch that goes so effectively in hen salad.
- Raisins: The little little bit of chewiness and burst of sweetness from the raisins is implausible. Golden raisins or dried cranberries would work effectively too. Or simply depart them out altogether or sub with crimson grapes when you hate raisins!
- Roasted & salted cashews: Pecans are one other good choice when you don’t have cashews readily available. Sliced almonds are an alternative choice.
- Green onions: I like the gentle chunk of inexperienced onions in hen salad, however diced crimson onions will work effectively of their place.
- Mayo: If you need to make this dish a bit more healthy, you’ll be able to substitute half or all the mayo with Greek yogurt.
- Sour cream: Sour cream lightens the richness of the mayo and provides a bit tang that works particularly effectively with curry.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice brightens the dressing and retains the curry taste from tasting flat or heavy.
- Honey: Honey softens the sides of the curry powder and provides a refined sweetness that works fantastically with the raisins and apple.
- Curry powder: If you’re hesitant about how robust the curry taste can be, begin with 1-2 teaspoons, then style and add extra till you attain the quantity you want. I at all times use one full tablespoon of curry powder, however have even seen comparable recipes with 2-3 tablespoons of curry powder. My private desire is a middle-of-the-road strategy that even my children love. The curry taste is robust with out overpowering the opposite components of the hen salad.
How to Make Curried Chicken Salad
Making your new favourite lunch couldn’t be simpler, simply observe these easy steps.
- Prep all the elements: Cook and chop the hen into bite-size items, slice and chop the apple, celery, and inexperienced onion.
- Make the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, bitter cream, lemon juice, curry powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and whisking collectively.
- Make the salad: In a big bowl, mix the hen, chopped apple, celery, raisins, and cashews. Pour the mayo-curry dressing excessive. Toss every thing collectively till combined and all the hen is coated within the sauce.
- Chill within the fridge for not less than half-hour till able to serve.
Variations
- Add some matchstick or grated carrots for additional veggies
- Add crimson or inexperienced grapes which were sliced in half. You can use these along with the apples or rather than them. Either method, a number of folks love hen salad with the candy juiciness of grapes.
- Try curried hen salad with diced mango for a extra tropical taste!
- If you don’t like the flavour of celery however nonetheless need the crunchy textural ingredient, strive utilizing jicama as an alternative!
Chef Tips
I’ve made this curry hen salad in my take a look at kitchen to have the ability to convey you the very best suggestions and methods.
- Use hen that tastes good by itself. Since this can be a chilly salad, beginning with well-cooked hen makes a distinction.
- Chop the elements evenly. That helps each chunk really feel balanced as an alternative of awkwardly chunky.
- Use a tart apple. A sharper apple offers the salad higher distinction than a really candy one.
- Do not skip the nippiness time. That 30-minute relaxation helps the curry dressing settle into the hen and mix-ins.
- Toast the cashews if wanted. If your cashews style flat, a fast toast could make the entire salad style extra developed.
- Taste earlier than serving. Depending on the curry powder and the sweetness of the apple and raisins, you might have considered trying a bit extra salt, lemon, or honey.
What to Serve with Curried Chicken Salad
Our favourite strategy to serve this hen salad is over inexperienced leaf or butter lettuce. The taste and texture of the lettuce is the right backdrop for the daring curry taste of the hen salad. It additionally makes this dish naturally gluten-free.
You may also serve curried hen salad as a sandwich by piling it between your favourite bread or croissants. Or get some flatbread or a tortilla and make a wrap with it.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: This curried hen salad recipe is nice to make for a celebration as a result of it’s so straightforward to make prematurely, is served chilly, and holds up effectively. You can cook dinner the hen a day or two prematurely and assemble the entire salad as much as 4-5 days forward because it retains that lengthy within the fridge. It’s simply pretty much as good on day 4 or 5 as it’s on the primary day.
Freezing: This salad doesn’t freeze effectively, sadly. The dressing separates and the crunchy elements lose their crunch after being frozen and thawed.
FAQs
A normal yellow curry powder works finest for this type as a result of it offers heat and taste with out turning into overpowering.
A tart apple works particularly effectively as a result of it balances the creamy dressing and candy raisins.
Yes. Rotisserie hen is a superb shortcut right here. In truth, any leftover hen is an efficient choice.
More Fresh Salads You’ll Love
During spring and summer time, salads are my go to meals for lunch and dinner. Here are a few of my favourite salad recipes.
Curried Chicken Salad Recipe
A creamy, candy & savory sauce coats tender bites of hen on this Curry Chicken Salad. Chunks of crisp apples and celery, chewy raisins, and crunchy cashews are in each chunk!
Prevent your display from going darkish
Servings:
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup bitter cream, 1 tablespoon contemporary lemon juice , 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper. Taste take a look at the dressing and determine if you would like extra curry powder. Add 1 tablespoons at a time till you attain the specified taste.
In a big bowl, mix the cooked and lower 4 cups hen* , chopped 1 tart apple, chopped 2 stalks celery , 3/4 cup cashews, 1/2 cup raisins and chopped 1/4 cup inexperienced onions (scallions).
Pour the mayo-curry dressing excessive. Toss every thing collectively till combined and all the hen is coated within the sauce.
Cover and chill within the fridge for not less than half-hour till able to serve. Serve on a sandwich, salad or in a lettuce bowl.
If you have tried this recipe, come again and tell us the way it was within the feedback or scores.
Storage: This curried hen salad recipe is nice to make for a celebration as a result of it’s so straightforward to make prematurely, is served chilly, and holds up effectively. You can cook dinner the hen a day or two prematurely and assemble the entire salad as much as 4-5 days forward because it retains that lengthy within the fridge. It’s simply pretty much as good on day 4 or 5 as it’s on the primary day.
Freezing: This salad doesn’t freeze effectively, sadly. The dressing separates and the crunchy elements lose their crunch after being frozen and thawed.
Calories: 493 kcal, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 33 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 89 mg, Sodium: 722 mg, Potassium: 718 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g, Vitamin A: 230 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 38 mg, Iron: 2 mg
