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.
Chancy
Made this salad this weekend. Ohmygod is it the best curried chicken salad ever! You weren't kidding.
Karen
I know! (I try to only post no-fail, this is FANTASTIC recipes I've either found or developed) The Sweet Potato fries are probably the most complicated! ~ karen
Rebecca
Holy Crap, that is good stuff!!!
Karen
Rebecca - I take it you made the recipe. It takes all the control I have not to make it every single day. :) ~ karen
sarah
made this for dinner last night---totally awesome!! I'm going to be making it all summer :)
Karen
Sarah - I know! I love it too. :) I'm glad it worked out for you! ~ karen
amy walters, aDESIGNdock
LOVE curry...esp. curried chicken. I must try this ;)
Nicole
Awesome. I am so making it this weekend.
Stephanie
I do grapes instead of raisins and add sliced green onions. One of my all time favorite things to eat!!
Sigh.
Meg
<3 Curried Chicken Salad!! You should try it with golden raisins, that's how my mom always made it and it's delicious!!! Also, I adore your prep plates. They look perfect for scooping things in to bowls :)
marilyn
i am totally making this salad sans the apples and with the cranberries yummy!
Karen
Marilyn - The fella says either you make it with apples or you don't make it at all. Um. I'm O.K. with however you want to make it. I just won't tell him. ~ karen
Lauren
I have a recipe identical to this with one small addition. It calls for green/red grapes. Delicious. The grapes, like the apples, makes this a very refreshing meal. Great for a hot day.
Charissa
I love the idea of adding curry to chicken salad...sounds absolutely divine. Thanks for the inspiration!
Btw, I love your mantra on the side...if you don't know it, you'll find a way to figure it out. So cute!
Centsational Girl
You may not add raisins to my cherry pie, capiche?
:)
Karen
Well, since you said "capiche", clearly you're a long standing member of some sort of organized crime unit. I will therefore heed your "advice" and not add raisins to your cherry pie recipe. Yours in servitude - Karen
Donna O.
I'm running home to make this on this 95 degree day. I just happen to have some chicken leftover from last night. My family recently fell in love with lettuce wraps with ground turkey, cilantro, peanuts & a few other choice ingredients. I think they'll be swoonin' over this one too.
Karen
Donna - It's a 95 degree day here too! Perhaps you're around Toronto. Anyhow ... with all the people talking about making this tonight I wanna make it too! Even though we just had it Monday. :( ~ karen
Evalyn
I make a chicken curry salad very close to this receipe. Sometimes I add grapes - dried cranberries work well - the tiniest bit of chopped onion is good - I sometimes add cooked rice for a full-meal-deal. I never, however, used it in a sandwich, but I will be trying the lettuce leaf version very soon.
Shauna
quite simply, this sounds delicious. Going into the recipe repertoire.
jen
I'm a HUGE fan of curry chicken salad! This looks delish. This may not be everyones cup of tea but I do the same with tuna sometimes. Add walnuts and granny smith apples or Tuscan peppers and almonds. I hate a bland tuna.
Diane
Gee, coulda used THAT for the 'ex' party !
Taylor
I love chicken salad. All this talk of cranberries made me think of my favorite one, which is the Trader Joe's Wine Country Chicken Salad, so I just googled around to see if I could find a recipe and guess what!
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/recipes/24196989.html
That page also includes the apricot chicken salad, which is pretty good too. Looks like I have some serious chicken salad testing to do :)
Mindy
I'm a fan of lettuce wraps. Well, depending on what's inside, but this sounds tasty and I'm adding it my to-do list. (I shall consume a loaf of bread on the side in your honor)
Laurie
wait... seriously you can freeze already cooked chicken? Mind Blown.
Tracey
I must go and grill chicken so we can have this today!
I am a fan of the lettuce wrap--once you go green you never go back.