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This easy Curried Chicken Salad makes the perfect sandwich, wrap, or low-carb lunch on a big bed of greens. This delicious, flavorful recipe uses almonds and fresh grapes, for just the right balance of crunch and sweetness.
If you’ve been paying crazy prices for Curried Chicken Salad at Whole Foods or your local deli, you’ve come to the right place. This classic chicken salad recipe is easy to make. And thankfully, it costs so much less than the stuff at the salad bar.
Curry chicken salad has been popular for decades, and really, what’s not to love? Tender roasted chicken breast tossed with nuts, fruit, and celery in a fragrant turmeric-and-spice-scented mayonnaise dressing…yum. Add or subtract ingredients to make your version exactly the way you like it.
It will probably become your favorite lunch any day of the week.
Recipe ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Lemon juice: Or any kind of vinegar: white, champagne, or apple cider vinegar. Ina Garten uses white wine.
- Celery seed: I really like celery seed in chicken salad. But, if you don’t have it and you don’t want to buy it, it’s okay to leave it out.
- Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe.
- Grapes: I prefer to quarter my grapes for chicken salad so they are roughly the same as everything else. But, it’s okay if you just cut them in half.
- Slivered almonds: To toast your almonds, cook them in medium skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- First, make the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, celery seed, and salt and pepper.
- Add the chopped chicken, celery, grapes, scallions, almonds, and parsley. Toss everything together until well combined, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Tips and Variations:
- Leftovers: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unfortunately this recipe does not freeze well.
- No mayo: Make the sauce with plain Greek yogurt instead.
- More mix-ins: Try shredded carrots, roasted cashews, Mango chutney, diced apples, raisins or cranberries, or some cooked quinoa.
- Lettuce wraps: Serve in lettuce cups or over a salad for a delicious light lunch.
More fresh lunch ideas:
- Ultimate Veggie Wrap
- Shrimp Salad
- Baby Boy Choy Salad with Sesame Dressing
- Farro Salad with Peas and Feta
Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed optional, see notes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked chicken cubed or shredded
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
- 1 cup red seedless grapes halved or quartered (see notes)
- 4 scallions white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds or sliced almonds, toasted (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- Bread or butter lettuce leaves, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Whisk to combine.
- Add chicken, celery, grapes, scallions, almonds, and parsley. Toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve on bread or in lettuce cups.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Lemon juice: Or any kind of vinegar: white, champagne, or apple cider vinegar. Ina Garten uses white wine.
- Celery seed: I really like celery seed in chicken salad. But, if you don't have it and you don't want to buy it, it's okay to leave it out.
- Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe.
- Grapes: I prefer to quarter my grapes for chicken salad so they are roughly the same as everything else. But, it's okay if you just cut them in half.
- Slivered almonds: To toast your almonds, cook them in medium skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unfortunately this recipe does not freeze well.
- No mayo: Make the sauce with plain Greek yogurt instead.
- More mix-ins: Try shredded carrots, roasted cashews, Mango chutney, diced apples, raisins or cranberries, or some cooked quinoa.
- Lettuce wraps: Serve in lettuce cups or over a salad for a delicious light lunch.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
One of my favorite recipes. A hit with the whole family. I use a bit less mayo and put it on sourdough- so delicious!
Meggan, I love, love your tuna salad recipe. I’ve been making it for about three years now. My husband absolutely loves it. I think I’ll start adding eggs to now!! I just came across your recipe for Curried chicken salad—can’t wait to make it.
Thank you so much.
Thanks LaShurn, hope you enjoy! – Meggan
Loved this chicken salad recipe! I made it as stated in the recipe but look forward to trying some of your recommended additions. It is added to our Best Recipes file. Thanks so much