Nearly every deli case has a curried chicken salad and, next to egg and tuna salads, is a favorite among many. A good curried chicken salad recipe is easy to make, but we’ve made it even easier by using a deli roasted chicken or leftover chicken meat.
If you can’t find a good sweet and spicy chutney like Major Grey’s (look for it in your supermarket’s Ethnic aisle next to Indian curries or buy on Amazon.com here), you can use peach or mango jam or even canned pineapple (drained). The balance of sweet and savory flavors is what you’re looking for in this dish. We also like the addition of red grapes.
This chicken salad makes a great easy dinner or lunch either in a sandwich, salad, or served in a lettuce cup. It’s not too spicy, so kids will love it, too!
Easy Curried Chicken Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten
6 servings
We love serving this delicious salad on a bed of greens or in lettuce cups. It's great paired with a buttery Chardonnay or a dry Rosé.
1 whole roasted deli chicken (or leftover chicken meat equaling about 1-1 1/2 pounds)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Major Grey’s mango chutney
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 stalks celery, diced
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 heaping cup red grapes, sliced in half
1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews
Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces.
For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, green onions, raisins and grapes, and mix well.
Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve.
