Whenever I'm out to lunch and see curried chicken salad on the menu, I just have to order it! This version of Curried Chicken Salad is an at-home, slightly healthier version of my out-to-lunch favorite. So easy and wildly delicious!
I'm a huge proponent of swapping in greek yogurt for sour cream or mayo wherever possible in cooking. And especially in salads. It's an easy way to lighten up a dish without changing too much of the flavor or texture.
This Curried Chicken Salad lends itself extremely well to this swap. The curry powder itself can be a bit spicy, so the cool, tangy plain greek yogurt helps to balance out the flavors. Plus, the yogurt naturally lightens up this dish, so that it's not as heavy on a hot summer afternoon.
How to make Curried Chicken Salad
This recipe comes together really quickly! You can use any type of chicken you have, but I prefer having a mix of light and dark meat, so I most often use a half broken down chicken that includes a breast, thigh and drumstick. I boil those pieces, then remove the skin and bones and chop the meat into rough cubes (perfection not required here).
Meanwhile, knowing our salad will need a little crunch for texture, I toast up some sliced or slivered almonds and chop celery into small pieces. These elements make the curried chicken salad much more interesting.
Once the chicken is diced and the crunchy ingredients are ready, toss everything into a big bowl with some extra spices, a little scallion or yellow onion and some cilantro, if you'd like. It's not necessary, but adds a lovely fresh element at the end. I prefer to make this salad in advance and then let it sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but even overnight to let the flavors really combine.
This Greek Yogurt Curried Chicken Salad will quickly become a favorite in your house. Having people over for lunch this weekend? Prep a big batch ahead of time, then serve it up with rolls, toast, or on a bed of lettuce with crackers to dip.
Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken mix of light and dark meat
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 bunch scallions or 1 small onion chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (plus more to taste, if desired)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro , optional
Instructions
- Boil the chicken until fully cooked, about 20-30 minutes - depending on the thickness of the chicken. Remove from the pot and let it cool.
- Meanwhile, toast the slivered almonds in a dry saute pan for 5-8 minutes until slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
- If using bone in or skin-on chicken pieces, remove the bones and skin, then rough chop or shred the chicken.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, greek yogurt, toasted almonds, celery, scallions/onion, curry powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro if using. Stir well and set aside in the fridge to cool and the flavors combine for about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce, on sliced bread or in a croissant or bun!
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