Chicken curry salad should be creamy, but it shouldn’t taste like a bowl of mayonnaise. After one too many deli versions that were bland or overloaded with add-ins, I started making it with Greek yogurt, a little mayo, curry powder, crisp celery, juicy grapes, and slivered almonds. It’s fresh, gently spiced, and easy to pile into sandwiches and wraps or serve with greens and crackers.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¾ cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, nonfat or whole-milk
- ⅓ cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a large saucepan and cover them with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 15–25 minutes, depending on thickness, until the center reaches 165°F.
- Cool and chop: Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool until easy to handle. Cut it into approximately ½-inch pieces.
- Prepare the dressing: Whisk the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Combine the salad: Add the chicken, celery, grapes, and green onions to a large bowl. Pour in the curry dressing and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can settle.
- Add the almonds: Stir in the slivered almonds just before serving to keep them crunchy.
Make Ahead & Storage
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Make Ahead: Prepare the salad (without almonds) up to 24 hours in advance. Add almonds just before serving to keep them crunchy.
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Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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Freezer: Not recommended, as yogurt and mayonnaise do not freeze well.
Tips for the Best Curry Chicken Salad
- Let the chicken cool before adding the dressing. Warm chicken can make the yogurt and mayonnaise mixture thin.
- Dry the grapes well after washing, then halve or quarter them depending on size. Extra water on the grapes can loosen the dressing.
- Curry powders vary in strength, so taste the salad after it has chilled. The curry flavor becomes more noticeable as it sits.
- Toast the slivered almonds briefly in a dry skillet for better flavor, but add them just before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Whole-milk Greek yogurt creates a richer dressing, while nonfat yogurt gives the salad a lighter, slightly tangier finish.
