Easy Curried Chicken Salad
When we say easy, we mean it, folks. All you need is some leftover chicken, a handful of pantry staples, and some wild rice, and you’re in business! We truly can’t get over what a flavor bomb this recipe is and we hope you agree.
Looking for the classic chicken salad?
Then try out our Healthy Chicken Salad recipe. It’s everything you know and love about chicken salads and is also a great one to meal prep.
Key Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- shredded chicken – We shredded up some leftover chicken breasts, but leftover rotisserie chicken could work too.
- mayonnaise – A mild base to distribute all of the amazing flavors throughout this easy chicken salad recipe.
- wild rice – A simple ingredient that bulks up this recipe and adds nutritional value.
- mango chutney – Depending on your grocery store, you can find this with the jams or sometimes with the marinades. It’s full of earthy spices and really compliments the curry flavor. If you can’t find mango chutney, grab a jar of major grey’s chutney, which also has a mango-base.
- lime juice – You could always sub for lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand. But this adds some much-needed acidity!
How To Make Curry Chicken Salad
Step 1: Mix together the mayonnaise, mango chutney, lime juice, curry powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl to make the dressing.
Pro Tip
If you don’t have any leftover chicken on hand, check out our post on how to shred chicken breast 3 ways where we share how to quickly cook chicken in the instant pot and easy methods for shredding.
Step 2: Then put the tender chicken, creamy dressing, wild rice, slivered almonds, green onions, and celery in a medium bowl and give it all a good stir. Now dig in!
What Goes With Chicken Curry Salad
We love to eat this delicious curry chicken salad on it’s own when we’re packing some easy lunches for the week. When we have a little more time and the forethought, we’ll eat it on a flakey croissant or our favorite whole wheat bread. And if we want something a little lighter, we’ll grab some butter lettuce leaves to make a lettuce wrap. Because this recipe is so creamy, a crispy, crunchy side salad really adds some freshness and rounds out the meal.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- How much curry is in chicken salad? – We provided a range of 4-5 teaspoons, but adjust as needed to fit your flavor preference.
- What to serve with curry chicken salad? – honestly, because this recipe has so much flavor, we view it as a complete meal on it’s own. But if you’re serving a crowd, it would go great with a cucumber salad, a fruit salad, with some crunchy pita chips on the side.
Other Chicken Salad Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds cooked, shredded chicken, (about 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup wild rice, cooked*
- 1/2 cup craisins
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/3 cup celery, diced
- 5 tablespoons mango chutney, sub. major grey’s chutney
- 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
- 4-5 teaspoons curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more if desired
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- serving suggestion: croissants, buttered lettuce, bread
Instructions
- Combine: Put all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until everything is fully combined.
- Taste: Taste and adjust any seasonings or flavors to your liking.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for later.
Notes
- *Wild Rice: learn how to cook wild rice on the stove top, make Instant Pot Wild Rice or buy canned wild rice (drained) to use for no extra cook time!
- Chicken: simply learn how to boil chicken thighs to use in this recipe, but feel free to also use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or make some poached chicken.
- Serving: there are a variety of different ways to enjoy this chicken salad – wrap, sandwich, or by itself.
- Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Lexie says
Holy moly, this was delicious. Made it exactly as written and my goodness, it is addictive and so flavorful. The mango chutney was an incredible addition and really brightened up the salad. Will be making this on repeat!
Bridget Montag says
Yes, so glad you loved it Lexie! Thank you for coming back to leave a review. It’s greatly appreciated!