Made with a rich and creamy curry dressing, this curried chicken salad is the perfect balance of salty, savory, and sweet, and makes a wonderful high-protein meal. Not to mention, it keeps well in the fridge so it makes a great meal prep idea too!
What is curried chicken salad?
Curried chicken salad, also known as curry chicken salad, is a style of chicken salad made with curry powder that has roots in British royalty. The dish is traditionally known as coronation chicken salad as it was created by Cordon Blue chefs for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation luncheon in 1953 (1).
The original dish served on the menu was called Poulet Reine Elizabeth and was made of poached chicken in a curry cream sauce with wine, mayonnaise, whipped cream, and apricot purée. Modern versions of this salad are much simple and commonly include curry powder, mayonnaise, and raisins in place of apricot purée.
Regardless of the exact method of preparation and ingredients in the original version, this quick and easy coronation-inspired curried chicken salad is the perfect recipe for a simple yet flavorful lunch.
Curry Chicken Salad Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make curried chicken salad:
- Chicken: Cooked and shredded or cubed chicken. You can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or bake some chicken breasts for this salad.
- Curry Powder: To create the signature curry dressing, use any blend of curry powder that you like, mild or spicy is fine.
- Mayonnaise: To make the creamy dressing, you can use homemade or store-bought mayo.
- Yogurt: To add a bit of tang to the dressing, Greek yogurt works best, just be sure to use plain.
- Lime Juice: A bit of acid to balance the dressing, you can use lemon juice if needed.
- Celery: To add a bit of crunch.
- Green Onion: For a bit of flavor and more crunch.
- Raisins: To add a bit of sweetness. This recipe calls for raisins or sultanas, but you can use grapes if you prefer.
- Cilantro: For flavor and color.
- Salt and Pepper: To season the salad.
- Nuts: While optional, you can add some chopped almonds or cashews.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: No adaptations are needed, this recipe is gluten-free.
To Make it Dairy-Free: Swap the yogurt for more mayonnaise.
How to Make Curry Chicken Salad
- Make the curry dressing. Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper to a bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Chop the chicken. Shred or dice the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the salad. Add the chicken, celery, green onion, raisins, cilantro, and nuts to a bowl.
- Mix in the dressing. Cover the chicken mixture with the curry dressing, stirring until everything is well combined and the chicken is well coated with the dressing.
- Serve as desired! Once mixed, the chicken salad can be served immediately on its own, with bread, salad, or sides of your choice.
The detailed instructions for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
While mayonnaise has a reputation for being unhealthy, in reality, mayonnaise is merely a combination of oil, egg yolks, mustard, and lemon juice, all of which are healthy whole foods. Although some store-bought mayonnaise brands contain additional ingredients, it’s easy to find high-quality mayo in grocery stores, not to mention, you can easily make homemade mayonnaise in a matter of minutes!
What to Serve with Curry Chicken Salad
Curried chicken salad can be enjoyed on its own as a high-protein meal or served with a source of complex carbohydrates and/or fiber as a more well-balanced meal. Suggestions include:
- Bread – Turn curry chicken salad into a hearty sandwich with your favorite bread, I suggest using sourdough or sprouted grain bread.
- Wrap – Fill a wrap with chicken salad and lettuce for a quick and easy lunch.
- Lettuce Wrap – Wrap curry chicken salad in lettuce for a lower carb and calorie option.
- Crackers – Serve curry chicken salad as a high-protein dip with crackers.
- Green Salad – Top a green salad with a generous portion of curry chicken salad for a filling high-fiber meal.
If you like curry, you can also try my curried couscous and chickpea salad.
FAQs
While you can freeze curried chicken salad, freezing mayonnaise can alter the texture of the salad and, therefore, it is not recommended.
Yes! Adding Greek yogurt to curried chicken salad along with mayonnaise or in place of mayonnaise is a great way to add a boost of protein and reduce the fat and calorie content of the salad.
The calorie content of curried chicken salad depends on the recipe or the exact quantity and combination of ingredients. One serving of this curried chicken salad recipe contains 335 calories, 27 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, and 16 grams of carbohydrates.
Storage
The salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
More Chicken Salad Recipes:
PrintCurried Chicken Salad
This curried chicken salad is quick and easy to make and a great way to use up leftover chicken. It can be enjoyed on its own, on a salad, in a sandwich, or in a wrap, and keeps well in the fridge so it’s a perfect meal prep idea.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup cashews or almonds (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, lime juice, a generous pinch of salt, and a bit of black pepper, and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then set it aside.
- In a large bowl, add chopped chicken, celery, green onion, raisins, cilantro, and nuts (optional), and stir to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir until everything is well combined, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed – you can add another spoonful of mayo and/or yogurt to reach your desired texture.
- The chicken salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 335 calories
- Sugar: 9 grams
- Fat: 19 grams
- Carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 27 grams
Wilma van Biljon says
We loved this! My family doesn’t even enjoy eating celery, but I had it in the house and wanted to use it. The flavours blend beautifully. I left out the raisins, nuts and cilantro, but added diced raw carrot. So simple and easy if you have left-over chicken.
Stephanie Kay says
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy you liked it and love the additions. 🙂
Karen Parks says
Great option for days that I’m in the office, with a few crackers and raw veggies. The dressing was delicious – trying to work out where else I could use it.
Stephanie Kay says
I’m so happy you liked it, and love the pairing with crackers and veggies! Thank you so much for sharing.
Helen says
Delicious and so easy to do.
Nancy W says
Really excellent curried chicken salad. Easy to make and great flavor combinations. Delicous!
Stephanie Kay says
I’m happy you like it, thank you for sharing, Nancy!
Christy says
Wow! This is delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie Kay says
So happy you liked it, thank you for sharing!
cheryl says
Excellent ! Never made this before. Used fresh dill instead of cilantro. I really loved the raisins in it. All in all, I will be saving this recipe and hubby loved it too. We had it over lettuce for lunch.
Stephanie Kay says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing, Cheryl!