Do you ever find yourself with leftover roasted chicken or turkey and don’t know what you should do with it? Want an easy meal that doesn’t require a lot of effort but is filling and delicious? This Simple Curry Chicken Salad has been my go to for years and is a staple in our house.
When I first made it for Tim, I wasn’t sure he would like it. I was pleasantly surprised that he really liked it. This is really the only kind of chicken salad that I make, and once you try it you may never make another kind again!
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The crunch from the celery and cashews add some nice texture, and the dried cranberries add a hit of sweetness. Not a fan of curry? You could always leave it out and just season with salt and pepper but I highly recommend at least trying it out once.
What kind of meat can you use?
Often times we will pick up a rotisserie chicken and any leftover chicken will be made into this salad. It takes no time at all to whip this chicken salad together when you already have the cooked meat.
You could also use any leftover roasted chicken, in the past I’ve used roasted chicken breast. If you aren’t a fan of white meat, you could also use dark meat. That’s the great thing about this recipe, you can really adjust it to your preferences and use what you like.
If I’m in a time crunch and don’t want to have to roast chicken, I will boil it. This is not my preferred method but sometimes you just want some chicken salad!
Dark or white roasted turkey also work well in this salad. I would not recommend using meat that has been brined as sometimes it can make this too salty. However if that is the route you choose to go, I would suggest seasoning after mixing up the salad to ensure it’s not over seasoned.
Generally when I make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, I will season it less than when I am using boiled chicken. You can always add more salt but you can’t take it away.
2. Add the mayo, curry powder, salt, and pepper to a bowl (see notes in the recipe)
3. Mix until combined
4. Add the chicken, celery, cashews, and dried cranberries
Serving suggestions
Depending on what you are feeling like, this Curry Chicken Salad is great as a sandwich or wrap. I like to toast my English Muffin Bread and add some chicken salad and some lettuce or spinach. Japanese Milk bread would also work great for a sandwich.
If you are the type that prefers a more snacky type lunch, you can serve this with some crackers and veggies. I prefer to use plain crackers that don’t have much flavor so the chicken salad can shine.
Want something a little lighter? Serve this as a lettuce wrap or on top of a bed of lettuce.
Sometimes I will sprinkle extra chopped cashews on top of the chicken salad if it has been in the fridge for a day or two. The cashews in the salad will get soggy if it sits too long and I like the extra crunch.
What’s in your go to chicken salad?
Looking for a different savory option? Try one of these
Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Patties
Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!
Curry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (8oz) diced chicken, or turkey
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 1/8 cup roasted cashews, or nut of your choice, chopped
- 1/8 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper (or you can add the salt and pepper at the end to taste). See notes
- Add the chopped chicken, celery, cashews, and dried cranberries. Mix until everything is evenly coated with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Serve on as a sandwich or with some crackers and veggies.
Notes
- Often times I will use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this chicken salad. I will wait to season the chicken salad until after mixing everything together since rotisserie chicken is already seasoned.
- We use light mayonnaise, but you can use what you have on hand.
- Cashews work really well in this chicken salad, but you can use any nut of your choice.
- Dried cranberries add a nice sweetness to the chicken salad. If you prefer you could use a different type of dried fruit.
- The curry flavor develops more the longer the salad sits, but be aware that the cashews will not be as crunchy the next day. You can always add the cashews right before serving.
- This salad is best consumed within 2-3 days.
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