O.K. everybody calm down. It's a bold claim, I know. But this really is a great recipe. Perhaps the best curry chicken salad recipe in the land. Chicken, apples, mayo, curry, toasted pecans, celery and raisins. I know. You don't like raisins, right? You can use cranberries if you want.
The first time I made this curry chicken salad, I dreamed about it for the next 3 days. The same way I dream about french fries and having a big toe that isn't plagued with a bunion.
I originally got the recipe years ago from a guy who was a Crossfit super-enthusiast. And by Crossfit super-enthusiast I mean any person who has ever done more than one Crossfit class. If a person takes one class and THEN they think it's a good decision to go back for a second Crossfit class, they're automatically a deranged Crossfit enthusiast who will commit to it with a cult-like fervour.
The same guy is where I got my No Cook Hippie Dippy Cookie recipe from. I took one Crossfit class about a decade ago and the best things I got out of it were these two recipes from the gym owner.
I serve this chicken salad cold on a leaf of romaine lettuce (like a leafy pita) which is a habit I got into after the crossfitting lunatic nice guy from the gym, decided limiting carbs was a great idea.
Because of how blindly I follow the instructions of someone with a 6 pack, I don't ever eat this salad on bread. Only lettuce. Usually.
Gather your ingredients Martha Stewart-style. Get everything ready to go. You're going to be working with apples, celery, grilled chicken, and lots of other good stuff. The full printable recipe is at the bottom of the post.
Curry Chicken Salad Ingredients
- chicken
- celery
- apples
- raisins
- pecans
- mayo
- cayenne
- curry
- s&p
This chicken salad is filled with everything good. Things that are crispy, chewy, sweet, tart, creamy and crunchy.
It's the easiest recipe to make because there's no cooking, it's a dice and dump recipe.You dice your apple, celery, chicken and pecans then mix everything together and that's it, it's done.
Adjust the spices so they're how you like them. Love curry? Add more curry. Love heat? Add more cayenne. Like it creamier? Add more mayo. Watching calories? Add less.
Now let's talk about raisins. Apparently some of you don't like them. I don't know why, but I'm not here to judge.
If you don't like raisins use dried cranberries.
Add salt & pepper. You know. To taste.
Serve and enjoy.
Only 500 calories per meal if eaten on lettuce leaves.
The Best Curry Chicken Salad You'll Ever Eat
Ingredients
- 1 cooked chicken breast chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- ½ a red apple diced small
- ¼ cup toasted pecans chopped
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup mayonnaise to start
- ¼ tsp. curry powder
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix.
- Add additional mayonnaise or spices to taste.
Nutrition
Now before you go squinching your nose up at chicken salad wrapped in a lettuce leaf as opposed to a pita or bread, I have to say, in the lettuce's defence, that the crunch it has makes up for the lack of carbs. I honestly prefer it this way now. Also because you're eating this on a lettuce leaf instead of two hunks of bread, you feel full but not as grossly full after eating it. Which means you have room to eat ice cream for dessert.
Honestly. The crispness of the lettuce against the creaminess of the mayonnaise is wonderfully delicious. The flavours of the salad are all very distinct. The slight hints of curry and cayenne pepper are met with the odd sweet burst of apple and raisin. Add in the freshness of the celery and the crunch of the toasted pecans and you have the perfect Curry Chicken Salad.
Sweet dreams.
Cheryl
At one of my recent "sans forks" dinner parties, one of my good friends brought an appetizer dip which consisted of goat cheese and onion and roasted red peppers - I forget all the ingredients but it was blissful, and she paired it with little tiny frilly lettuce leaves instead of crackers. It was one of the first things to be completely consumed by the guests. Yum yum yum.
Karen
Cheryl - I do an dinner salad (main meal) similar to that. Maybe up put the recipe up next week. It's GREAT. So long as you love goat's cheese and roasted red peppers, that is. ~ karen
B.J.M
Yum. This looks great.
I was going to say how much I loved the bowl and here you go and mention it anyway. Aint that somethin'?
Karen
B.J.M. - Hah! Yes, leave it to me to mention how great something I own is, LOL. ~ karen
Liz S.
I am imagining this in a half of a red pepper instead of a lettuce leaf. YUM!
Anna
Liz, that sounds amazing! I might just go halfsies by splitting the recipe between lettuce leaves and red peppers.
Margaux Milchen
omg what a great idea for the "Crazy Old Bats" picnic I'm going to! need to stuff some peppers :)
sandra
I made a huge bowl of Chicked Salad two nights ago that is very similar to yours except ... I made my own olive oil mayo, added two kinds of apples (grannies and gala), chopped red and green onions, and a whole bunch of red grapes. I serve with cashews sprinkled on top. Perfect meal for those of us with celiac or other dietary issues. Who needs bread?
susan w
Lovely salad lovely bowl lovely prose.
I use mayo and yogurt in equal parts and add a bit of chutney to the dressing. Hmmm I haven't made chicken salad in a long time...
Off to look for chicken to grill(or one sitting in the store rotisserie...)
Thanks for the inspiration as always
Megan
Will definitely try this -- and have been making a similar version with ripe nectarines. Last night I was out of those, so I improvised with some apples and threw in some bacon. (Why not?) I love bread but am a grain-free eater -- and can honestly say I prefer it on lettuce or over mixed greens. Unbelievably good.
Lydia
I love that the bowl is even the signature Martha "robins egg blue" color! You are so Martha :-)
My aunt had a working dairy farm with chickens, and we had to collect the eggs. I got pecked in the forearm so many times I still have scars, and once chased out by an ornery rooster. So I eat chicken with GUSTO :-)
Diane@InMyOwnStyle
I ususlly buy this at my local Whole Foods, but it is EXPENSIVE - like 18 bucks for a small container. I have tried making it on my own, but it never tastes as good. I am going to try yours. Thanks
My best- Diane
Elise
I found a recipe similar to this one, and it's soooo yummy! I am not really a fan of mayo so I used a recipe that called for Greek yogurt instead. OMG Delish!
myhonestanswer
You make it sound so good! But I must admit, I'm still suspicious of the lettuce leaf. Plus, knowing me, I'll buy an entire lettuce just to use one leaf, then it will end up going brown and slimy in the refrigerator. Any tips for stopping that?
Karen
Yes. Eat more salad. ~ karen
susan
I'm going to try that recipe...sounds delicious..I get my burger on lettuce instead of a bun at In N Out burger....protein burger they call it...don't miss the bun a bit!
Sharon
This looks delicious! Just curious how many servings this would make? Just so I'm not tempted to eat the whole bowl when I do make it!
Thanks Karen!
Karen
Sharon - Think of this as one serving with a bit left over. Basically count on a little less than one chicken breast per person. 3 chicken breasts would probably serve 4 people, but to be safe use the one piece of chicken per person rule. Any leftovers can be used for lunch! ~ karen
Holly
What is weird is that I woke up thinking about making a curry sauce for a vegetable mixture, and then I find that you wrote this(I don't always wake up thinking of food). I will have to try this! I'm always looking for a good chicken salad! And I love lettuce wraps!
Jen
This looks delicious. Minus the raisins. Raisins alone? Yummy. Raisins jumping in on food and baked goods?!? EW!
I'm def gonna make this....minus the raisins.
Karen
Jen - Try what Centsational Girl is going to do ... dried cranberries. If you want, that is. :) ~ karen
Tracey Parker
I love apples, pecans & in my chicken Salad. The curry would be a new addition & I am thinking how it would taste with some dates in place of the raisins? Will let you know.
Karen
I think dates will be a great addition! ~ karen
Perfecting Pru
I love how you did the bowls all Martha Stewart-ish. I wouldn't have the patience - but it did look pretty. And I'm trying this recipe at the weekend. Food from a gym guy that's healthy and tasty? It must be a miracle!
Julie shinnick
omg I love love love that bowl!
Will try this one when the weather warms up! Glad you have archives!
SK Farm Girl
I covet, covet, covet your $2.00, found-on-fishing-trip-bowl! I know it's a sin to covet thy neighbour's bowl, but if that's the only sin I commit, I'm doing pretty good - eh? Can't wait to try your delish-sounding salad! Give the chickens a "peck" for me :)
Karen
SK Farm Girl - Thanks! Oh .. and one of my chickens is turning into a real peckerhead. Must have tried to randomly bite my arm 10 times last night. And not in a cute way! ~ karen
Centsational Girl
"The crispness of the lettuce against the creaminess of the mayonnaise is wonderfully delicious. The flavours of the salad are all very distinct. The slight hints of curry and cayenne pepper are met with the odd sweet burst of apple and raisin. Add in the freshness of the celery and the crunch of the toasted pecans and you have the perfect Curried Chicken Salad."
You could write for a food magazine, and this looks delicious! I would totally make it with lettuce too, you know, to justify my extra mayo which I'm sure to add, but would you still love me if I left out the raisins? Or could I use dried cranberries? Would that disrupt the entire physics of the universe and this salad recipe if I were to substitute them cause I really like cranberries. A lot.
And this recipe.
xo
Kate
Karen
Kate - It never occurred to me to use dried cranberries. Probably because I was being led down a path of good eating, which has, in all probability caused my brain to shrink. YES add cranberries!! Good thinkin'. ~ karen
Alissa
BRILLIANT, Kate! I do not like raisins and was wondering if I could leave them out without disrupting the delicate balance of "the best curried chicken salad you'll ever eat". The subbing in cranberries idea is - to reiterate - brilliant. :)
Karen
Yeah, whatever. "Kate's so great". What about me? Kate. Kate, kate, kate. OOO! Did you see? She did mini cherry pies with cherries from her own tree today! http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2011/06/mini-cherry-almond-pies/ ~ karen
Alexandra
YES! I was totally going to leave out the raisins (nothing against them, I just don't like their taste and texture! :D) and either put nothing else in or cranberries. Now that I think of it, I might even replace them with dried sour cherries! :D
rachel
i'm not trying to incite an argument or anything...i really am just curious about your answer. i absolutely love your blog and your attitude and your humor and your art of doing stuff. so here's my question...do you wrestle with having chickens as pets, as well as eating chickens? i mean, i know you're not eating your own chickens, but i'm just curious what you think about this. full disclosure...i am a happy vegetarian, but i don't care what people around me choose to eat. i just love the discussion.
Karen
Rachel - My neighbours just asked me this very question today. And yes. It does make me ponder. However, I don't believe in the argument that some use which is, if you're going to eat it, you should be able to kill it. No thanks. I drive a car but certainly don't have what it takes to build one. These chickens are exactly what you said. Pets. I have saved more animals than I can count. I raise butterflies from egg, spent 3 months and many dollars saving my pond fish and love every animal that walks the earth. But for now, I still eat them and am happy to do so. Once you make friends with animals like chipmunks and chickens though, it does give you an appreciation for the fact that all animals, even something as tiny as a chipmunk has a personality. So in answer to your question, there's a slight wrestle, but I'm still a full fledged meat eater and don't see that changing in the immediate future. Immediately. I don't think. :) ~ karen
Ann
I am in the same spot as Karen....a chicken owner/lover and I also eat chicken. I raise my hens for eggs, not meat. But if this were a different world, I could raise them and process for meat. Because to me it is more important that what I eat lives a good full proper life before becoming my food. Whether I raise the animal or another person does, I want to know that it was happy, healthy, ate what it was meant to eat, got to raise at least a baby or two....just like was intended for that animal. Otherwise if one can not come to grips with the fact that someone does have to process any animal you eat, then maybe you should actually be a vegetarian.
amy
I don't quite believe you yet, but your writing is so good, I think I might have to try the lettuce wrap :)
Karen
Amy - It's true! It's true, it's true, it's true! And I love a big hunk of bread, trust me. ~ karen
amy
trusting...going to try it out today :)