Curried Chicken Salad
Curried chicken salad is an easy yet flavorful dish. Starting with half a rotisserie chicken, preparation time is minimal and no cooking is involved. It’s great in a sandwich on sourdough bread, in an avocado or hollowed out tomato, stuffed into pita pockets or served with crackers.
If you have a busy schedule, I’ve often said that a store brought rotisserie chicken is a cook’s best friend. On those days when I don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I like to use one half of a rotisserie chicken for my husband’s and my evening meal along with a couple of side dishes. I take the meat off the bones of the remaining half to make chicken salad for lunch the next day. I then use the bones to make a large pot of homemade chicken stock which I freeze in containers to use in soups and sauces. That one chicken keeps giving and giving.
Using the leftover half of the rotisserie chicken to make the savory curried chicken salad is easy to put together in 10 to 15 minutes. All that is needed is some chopping and mixing, and it’s done. It’s great any time of the year but especially during hot summer days when you just don’t feel like a heavy meal. Curried chicken salad can be used as a snack, simple lunch or dinner and it is special enough to serve as part of a brunch or luncheon party. Its fragrant, flavorful, and perfectly spiced dressing makes the chicken moist, the golden raisins add sweetness and the crunch of pistachios add to the overall texture and flavor.
While the recipe may appear long, it is just all the spices that are used to make it extra special and delicious. You can adjust the amounts to suit you own taste.
Curried Chicken Salad
Serves 2 – 4 depending on portion size and is easily doubled
- 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, skinned and removed from the bone
- 1/2 c. golden raisins
- 1/2 c. shelled pistachios* see note
- 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 1/2 c. mayonaise
- 1/4 c. yogurt (I use Fage 2% Greek strained yogurt)
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. tumeric
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste
Dice the skinned and deboned chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl along with the raisins, pistachios and cilantro. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice and all the spices. Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the chicken, mix well and taste to see if you need to add more mayonnaise or yogurt for addition moisture or flavor. You can eat the chicken salad right away but if you have time, I would suggest that you let the curried chicken salad rest covered in the refrigerator for an hour so the the flavors meld.
You can make the curried chicken salad earlier in the day as the flavors get better as it rests and the spices meld. If so, I would suggest adding the the pistachios right before serving for added crunch.
Most curry powders are usually a blend of turmeric, ground cumin, chili powder, black pepper, ground coriander, ground ginger, cinnamon and clove. Curry powder tastes a little different depending on the brand you buy.
Using a combination of yogurt along with mayonnaise makes for a lighter and very flavorful salad.
Dried cranberries can be used instead of raisins and cashews used instead of pistachios.
Instead of leftover chicken you can also buy prepackaged fully cooked chicken breast strips or use individual chicken breasts or thighs that you poach on the stovetop,
Notes from the kitchen
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If you have not tried making your own curried chicken salad, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to prepare. Of course you could eliminate all the the spices I used in my recipe and only use curry powder but I suggest using the added spices to enhance the flavor. The end result is a savory, sweet and slightly spicy chicken salad that you will love. It takes minutes to put together and the leftovers are fantastic.
I agree. A rotisserie chicken comes in handy some times! I always get one after being gone on a trip. Great recipe.
How did you know I have half a rotisserie chicken and I was planning to make chicken salad with it? Thanks for this delicious sounding recipe!
That sounds delicious! The best rotisserie cicken I ever had was from a place in Barcelona called Pollo Rico (sadly now closed). The chickens (and an occasional rabbit) roasted in the window and they had their own special seasoning, used with the juices to baste the birds.
Yes, we often use cooked chickens which are so versatile. And all these spices are my favourites, really sounds delicious. Thanks for the ideas.
I love the simplicity of a tasty chicken salad with rotisserie chicken! Great recipe.
I haven’t had curried chicken salad in ages and I don’t even know what recipe I used. I can count on your recipes so this one is going in the save pile — and will probably be used pretty soon. A great summer dish!
Sounds great. I like the pistachios and raisins idea. I love dried cranberries in chicken salad too. Whole chickens are a gift that keeps giving. I feel so thrifty when I make it to the broth stage.
I have a feeling there is a rotisserie chicken in my immediate future 😉
Curried chicken salad – lovely in every way!
I buy a very nice curried chicken salad, but how much better this recipe! I’m delighted to see the usage of the yogurt. And the pistachios and raisins are calling me. The “store bought” doesn’t add enough raisins anyway. 🙂 This will be on the menu this week for certain, Karen.
Since I’m always a chicken salad fan, this recipe looks amazing to me.
This curried chicken salad is a family favourite, since I had a billion years ago at a house party. Although I keep forgetting about it. Thanks for the reminder, it’s definitely going on the menu plan this week.
GMTA! I do pretty much the same thing with a rotisserie chicken: I eat my favorite parts as soon as I get it home, use the rest for various meals, and boil down the carcass for stock! I don’t make a fancy stock … in fact, what I make is incredibly crude: just bones and water. But I freeze it, and then when I need stock, I use it, plus some water, to rehydrate a store-bought stock reduction. It makes all the difference.
This sounds wonderful Karen and the way you photographed it is beautiful!
Jenna
A rotisserie chicken is my friend. The curried chicken salad sounds delicious, Karen! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
This looks really delicious Karen. Love the dried fruit and nuts in it.
My very first taste of curry was in a chicken salad. I had never tasted anything like it! I was fascinated to learn it was created for the British in India, and that it bore no real resemblance to Indian curries. Didn’t stop me from loving it. Or this wonderful recipe. It’s a perfect summer dish. Wish they didn’t season all rotisserie chickens with garlic powder! 🙁
By the way, I wonder if you opened one of my travel posts and let it sit for a few minutes, maybe the photos would open? There are a lot (probably too many!) … I’ll cross my fingers.
In UK we call this Coronation Chicken – developed to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. I love it. A big bowl of it used to be a standard for the buffet of every party I held, though I haven’t made it for a while. Great idea to use the rotisserie chicken and I like all the spices you’ve used – I’m often too lazy and use curry powder 🙂
This is gorgeous! I’d make it just as shown; love those pistachios! This is perfect for a hot summer day~
Mollie
Karen, this is a winner in my book. The ease of the chicken and the addition of the fruit and nuts make for an outstanding chicken salad.
Your point about its suitability for different occasions is spot-on. From a quick snack or lunch to a brunch centerpiece, this dish adapts beautifully. Plus, its light and flavorful nature makes it a great choice for warm summer days when heavy meals aren’t as appealing.