This curry chicken salad recipe is a delicious addition to your lunch routine. With its flavorful curry powder, creamy Miracle Whip dressing, and crunchy celery, it’s a savory, creamy, and satisfying dish that will keep you coming back for more.
This curried chicken salad recipe is a curried twist on a classic. Enjoy it on toasted bread, in a wrap, or on a bed of lettuce – the choice is yours! It’s also perfect for meal prep or for packing up for a picnic or a backyard dinner.
Love our curry chicken salad? Then you’ll enjoy my other recipes made with Miracle Whip, too! Try these deviled eggs or 7-layer salad for a hearty meal, or if you’re up for another hearty vintage recipe, then you need to try this potato salad.
This recipe was found in my mom’s handwritten recipe book. She mentioned she likes to serve it on lettuce with a side of hard-boiled eggs.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is incredibly easy to put together. All you need to do is toss the ingredients together, mix the dressing, and combine. It’s as simple as that!
- Classic Flavors: The combination of chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, almonds, and green grapes gives this salad a classic, time-tested flavor that’s hard to resist.
- Budget-Friendly: This recipe uses simple, affordable ingredients, making it a budget-friendly option that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
- Family Favorite: This curried chicken salad is a hit with the whole family. It’s a recipe that everyone, from the kids to the adults, will love.
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Key Ingredients
- Diced Cooked Chicken: The star of our curry chicken salad recipe, it adds a hearty, protein-packed base. Using rotisserie chicken can save time and add extra flavor.
- Celery: This crunchy celery provides a refreshing crunch in every bite, balancing out the creaminess of the salad.
- Apple: The diced apple adds a hint of sweetness and a crisp texture, complemented by the spices in the curry powder.
- Pineapple Chunks: Drained pineapple chunks bring a tropical twist to the chicken curry salad, adding a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Slivered Almonds: These add a nutty flavor and an extra crunch, making the salad more satisfying.
- Seedless Green Grapes: Grapes add a burst of sweetness and a juicy texture, contrasting nicely with the curry flavors.
- Miracle Whip: This is the creamy base of the salad, binding all the ingredients together. It also adds a tangy flavor that pairs well with the curry powder.
- Curry Powder: The key spice in our curry chicken salad recipe, curry powder infuses the salad with a warm, aromatic flavor. It’s a blend of spices like coriander, cumin, and turmeric.
Equipment
- Large Bowl – You’ll need this to toss together the chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, almonds, and green grapes. It’s the primary vessel where all the ingredients meet and mingle.
- Small Bowl – This is essential for whisking the miracle whip and curry powder together. It’s where the dressing for the curried chicken salad is made.
- Knife – A sharp knife is required to dice the chicken, celery, and apple, ensuring they’re all in bite-sized pieces for the salad.
How to Make Curry Chicken Salad
Preparation
Begin by preparing your ingredients. You’ll need cooked chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, almonds, and green grapes. You’ll also need miracle whip and curry powder.
Step 1 – Combine Main Ingredients
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, almonds, and green grapes. This will be the base of your curry chicken salad recipe.
Step 2 – Prepare the Dressings
In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the miracle whips and curry powder. The curry powder will give your chicken salad a unique flavor and a bit of a kick.
Step 3 – Mix the Salad
Pour the miracle whips and curry powder mixture over the ingredients in the large bowl. Stir to combine, ensuring that all the ingredients are coated with the dressing.
Step 4 – Refrigerate
Keep the curried chicken salad refrigerated until serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together, enhancing the overall flavor of the salad.
Expert Tip
To make your curry chicken salad recipe the best it can be, let the flavors meld together by refrigerating the salad for at least 4 hours before serving. This allows the curry powder and other spices to fully permeate the chicken and other ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Raisins: Add a touch of extra sweetness to your curry chicken salad recipe by stirring in ½ cup of seedless raisins. This addition will complement the flavors of the curry powder and the crunchiness of the celery.
- Spice it Up: If you love a bit of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your curry chicken salad recipe. This will enhance the curry flavors and give your salad a spicy kick.
What to Serve With
- For a light and refreshing lunch, wrap the curry chicken salad in crisp lettuce leaves. The crunchy lettuce complements the creamy chicken salad, offering a satisfying contrast in textures.
- If you’re in the mood for a classic sandwich, serve this curry chicken salad between two slices of toasted bread. The warmth of the toast enhances the flavors of the curry and spices, making for a truly delicious sandwich.
- For a snack, try serving the curry chicken salad on a cracker. The cracker adds a crunchy element to the dish, and the sweetness of the grapes in the salad pairs well with the savory cracker.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, you can use any cooked chicken, but a rotisserie chicken works best. It’s flavorful and easy to dice into perfect bite-sized pieces for your salad.
Yes, if you prefer a healthier alternative, Greek yogurt can be used instead of Miracle Whip. It will still give your curry chicken salad a creamy texture while adding a slight tanginess.
The unique flavors in this chicken salad come from the curry powder. This spice blend usually includes coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, which adds a warm, earthy flavor to the salad.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: After you’ve enjoyed the flavors of your curry chicken salad, store any leftovers in a bowl, covered, in the refrigerator. This chicken salad recipe keeps well for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Unfortunately, this curry chicken salad recipe does not freeze well. The dressing and crunchy celery lose their texture, and the overall quality of the salad diminishes.
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This curry chicken salad recipe yields a generous bowl of salad, enough for about six hearty sandwiches or lettuce wraps.
- How to Scale: If you’re planning a larger gathering or simply want to have leftovers, you can easily double the recipe. Just make sure your bowl is large enough to stir all the ingredients together without spilling. Follow the rest of the instructions as directed, and enjoy this classic chicken salad with a curry twist.
Curry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 Cups cooked chicken bite-size pieces
- 1 ½ Cups celery diced
- 1 medium apple diced
- 4 oz pineapple chunks drained
- ½ Cup slivered almonds
- 1 Cup seedless green grapes cut in half
- ½ cup Miracle Whip
- 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl toss together the cooked chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, almonds, and green grapes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the Miracle Whip and curry powder.
- Mix in the Miracle Whip mixture into the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Keep refrigerated until serving.
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