This Healthy Curried Chicken Salad comes together in just a few minutes for an easy meal with bold flavor and a crunchy texture for a delicious and satisfying and dish.
Chicken Salad is a classic American lunch that also often shows up at brunch bridal showers and casual dinners. There are endless versions of this popular dish from those with grapes or apples or even avocado. This Curried Chicken Salad recipe adds curry powder and cilantro for a bold and flavorful twist on this classic dish. This chicken salad is grain-free, gluten-free and can easily be made low-carb, keto, dairy-free or vegetarian so it's great for a variety of dietary restrictions. Since this chicken salad stores well in the the fridge, it's also a great recipe to use to meal prep lunches for the week.
For a brunch or shower, serve a buffet with this Healthy Curried Chicken Salad as well as Little Smokies Pigs in a Blanket, Baked Cheese Chips, assorted crudites with Yogurt Dill Sauce and a mimosa bar.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Healthy Curried Chicken Salad:
- shredded cooked chicken
- celery
- green onions
- red onion
- dried cranberries
- lemon
- cilantro
- maynnaise
- sugar
- curry powder
- salt
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Healthy Curried Chicken Salad:
Juice the lemon and chop the celery, red onion, green onions and cilantro.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, curry powder, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Add the shredded chicken to the curry sauce and stir well to combine.
Then, add the chopped celery, red onion, green onions, cilantro and dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.
Hint: Serve this easy Curried Chicken Salad on a platter with your favorite crackers, with bread or croissants for a chicken salad sandwich, or over top of salad greens.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in Healthy Curried Chicken Salad? Here's how:
- Mayonnaise - use an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of the mayonnaise.
- Fresh lemon juice - use an equal amount of bottled lemon juice in place of the freshly squeezed juice.
- Dried cranberries - use an equal amount of dried cherries or chopped fresh grapes or apples in place of the dried cranberries.
- Sugar - use an equal amount of a sugar substitute such as honey or monk fruit in place of the sugar.
Variations
Try one of these variations on Healthy Curried Chicken Salad:
- Spicy - add an additional ¼-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for more heat in your Healthy Curry Chicken Salad.
- Nuts - add ¼ c sliced almonds or chopped walnuts to your chicken salad, if desired.
- Vegetarian - use canned chickpeas or crumbled firm tofu in place of the chicken for a Vegetarian Curried Salad.
- Dairy-free - use a vegan mayonnaise to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Keto/ low-carb - use an equal amount of monk fruit in place of the sugar.
Or try this Guacamole Chicken Salad.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Healthy Curried Chicken Salad:
Storage
Store leftover Healthy Curry Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Top tip
For the shredded chicken, you can either use a rotisserie chicken, follow this easy slow-cooker method of making shredded chicken from boneless skinless chicken breasts, or use leftover chopped grilled chicken.
FAQ
While it is safe to freeze chicken salad that was made with mayo, it is not recommended as the texture will change from the freezing and thawing to something that is not pleasant or appealing.
Related
Looking for other easy lunch recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve Healthy Curried Chicken Salad with one of these vegetable recipes for a balanced meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
Healthy Curried Chicken Salad
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ red onion
- 4 green onions
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder
- ½ Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
Instructions
- Juice the lemon and chop the celery, red onion, green onions and cilantro.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, curry powder, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Add the shredded chicken to the curry sauce and stir well to combine.
- Then, add the chopped celery, red onion, green onions, cilantro and dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Shannon
My favorite lunch!