This zesty curry chicken salad recipe is full of protein and perfectly balanced with sweet and savory flavors.
Trader Joe’s curry chicken salad has long been a favorite in our house. But when we moved to Barcelona seven years ago and found ourselves an ocean away from TJ’s grab-and-go option, I quickly figured out how to make my own homemade version from scratch, which honestly couldn’t be easier and (bonus) was just a fraction of the cost! ♡
Many years later, this recipe is still one of my go-to’s for a protein-packed lunch. It comes together quickly with cooked chicken (diced or shredded), toasted cashews, shredded carrots, cilantro, red onion, and a simple Greek yogurt curry sauce. I also like to add in lots of fresh red grapes for extra texture and sweetness (versus the raisins used in the TJ’s version), and prefer to lighten up the curry sauce with plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Together, the ingredients combine to create the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, crunchy and tender textures, with a perfectly spiced creamy dressing. And the leftovers taste even better the second day after the the flavors have had a chance to meld. So good!
Feel free to serve this curry chicken salad up between slices of bread to make a sandwich, roll it up in a tortilla to make a wrap, scoop it into lettuce wraps, serve it with crackers for dipping — there are so many ways to enjoy this delicious and versatile salad. So enjoy, enjoy!
Curried Chicken Salad Ingredients
Here are a few brief notes about the ingredients needed to make this curry chicken salad recipe:
- Chicken: Cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts are the lean and protein-packed base for this salad, which you can either dice or shred. I usually use my baked chicken breasts recipe or shred a rotisserie chicken.
- Grapes: Fresh grapes add a delicious burst of juicy texture and sweetness.
- Cilantro: Chopped cilantro adds a pop of fresh flavor and vibrance to the salad. (Or if cilantro isn’t your thing, feel free to add some chopped mint!)
- Carrots: Shredded carrots add crunchy texture and an extra layer of sweetness to the salad.
- Cashews: Chopped toasted cashews and a delicious depth of nutty, salty flavor and protein to the salad.
- Red onion: Finely-diced red onion balances out the other ingredients with a mild hint of sharp flavor.
- Greek yogurt curry sauce: Then finally, we’ll toss everything with a simple curry sauce made with plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, honey and spices (garam masala, ground ginger, ground turmeric, salt and pepper).
Chicken Salad Tips
Full instructions for how to make this curry chicken salad are included in the recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips to keep in mind:
- Cool the chicken before mixing. If you are cooking the chicken before making this recipe, be sure to give it a chance to cool (which happens more quickly once the chicken has been diced) before mixing it with the other ingredients so that they stay crisp and do not wilt.
- Let the flavors marinate. If you have an extra 30 minutes to spare, this salad gets even tastier after it has been refrigerated for 30 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to meld together.
- Don’t forget to season. I recommend giving the curry sauce a taste before adding it to the salad to see if it needs more salt or pepper. But then be sure to test test the salad after it has all been mixed to see if you need to adjust the seasonings once again.
- Customize to your liking. Please don’t hesitate to tinker around with the ingredient ratios here and customize them to your liking! For example, you’re more than welcome to add extra grapes or carrots if you prefer a sweeter salad, or you can add extra chicken or cashews for more protein, or see below for even more variations to try.
Chicken Salad Variations
Here are a few yummy variations that you’re welcome to try with this easy chicken salad recipe:
- Add extra fruit: Add diced mango, apple or pineapple for extra sweetness.
- Add avocado: Add diced avocado to make the salad even creamier.
- Add quinoa: Add cooked quinoa to make the salad even heartier.
- Add fresh mint: Add chopped fresh mint, which always pairs deliciously with curry.
Ways To Serve Chicken Salad
Looking for different ways to serve chicken salad? Here are a few we would recommend with this recipe:
- Sandwiches: Serve between two slices of your favorite bread to make a classic chicken salad sandwich.
- Melts: Top slices of bread with a scoop of chicken salad, a slice of cheese, and broil until the cheese is melty.
- Wraps (or pitas): Serve wrapped up in a tortilla or pita to make a chicken salad wrap.
- Lettuce wraps: Serve in large lettuce cups to make chicken salad lettuce wraps.
- Stuffed bell peppers: Serve in hollowed-out bell peppers to make chicken salad stuffed bell peppers.
- Crostini (or crackers): Serve on crostini or crackers for a simple appetizer.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
Looking for more chicken salad recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Lightened-Up Chicken Salad
- Tahini Ranch Avocado Chicken Salad
- Blueberry Chicken Chopped Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Crispy Coconut Chicken Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Healthy Curry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Salad Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup roughly-chopped fresh cilantro, lightly-packed
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted cashews
- 1/4 cup finely-diced red onion
- 1 batch Greek Yogurt Curry Sauce (see below)
Greek Yogurt Curry Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- pinch each of salt and pepper
Instructions
To Make The Chicken Salad:
- Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl until combined.
- Serve immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
To Make The Greek Yogurt Curry Sauce:
- Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Taste, and season with extra salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice if needed.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Could I make this dairy free? I’m on the whole 30 and everything else is a go. Any Greek Yogurt substitutes you would recommend?
If you make your own mayo you could make it whole30! I also think that there are a few whole30 mayo options available at places like whole foods
Just so you know, they stopped making the chicken salad at TJs, I loved it so much too! So you aren’t missing out ?. Can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you!!
Ina Garten’s curried chicken salad is seriously so good — I highly suggest trying it some time. This one looks much less indulgent so I will definitely be giving it try soon!
Ali, this sounds really great! Updated my shopping list already to make this tomorrow for the family.
Can not wait to make this! I’m doing Weight Watchers and this is only 3 points! Without the tortilla though. I will be having mine in a lettuce cup or on top of a fresh tomato during summer! Thank you!
This sounds like everything I would want in a lunch! I love making chicken salad with Greek yogurt instead of mayo. But love the addition of the extra spices. I’ll definitely be trying this one out!
We used to have something similar to this all the time as kids during the summer, but my mom added diced Granny Smith apple to it as well, then served it up in lettuce cups. I ended up bringing the recipe to my college food service job it was always our fastest seller the weeks I made it as well. Can’t wait to try it with the cilantro – I never thought of adding that! Thanks, as always, for the great recipe!
Hi Ali – if you can’t find scallions (what we Brits call Spring Onions!) and are making a cooked Asian dish (or you’ve got a few precious scallions but want to keep them for salads), finely shredded leeks make a really good substitute in any kind of stir-fry recipe, though they’re not good in a salad. I guess they are really a much larger version of nearly the same thing. Leeks tend to be easier to find than scallions in Europe in the winter, but we can usually still get scallions in Asian markets even when they are missing from the supermarket. I didn’t realise until recently that leeks are not so commonplace in a lot of parts of the US as they are here in Europe – we so take them for granted.
The chicken salad looks delicious – especially good that it is not smothered in mayonnaise after the last few weeks of too many treats! I’m going to have to start making a list of all the things from your blog that I want to cook, and then stick it on the fridge door, so that I can start ticking things off.
I keep kosher so cannot use yogurt with chicken. I will substitute mayonaise for the yogurt unless you have another suggestion.
I’ve seen Greek-style yogurt made from coconut milk and other plant-based milks. I’ve used that in conjunction with green bell peppers to make an ersatz guacamole without avocados….which might also work since avocado flesh is creamy.
The lemon juice ruined this for me. The recipe didn’t need it, and the flavor overwhelmed everything else. I had to add a lot more salt, pepper, and garam masala to overcome it. I will make it again, but at least halve the lemon juice if not omit it completely.
Ohhh this sounds great. Planning to make with chickpeas instead of chicken!
Awesome. I just made it with chick peas. It was lovely.
If you make the recipe with chick peas, double the ounces called for when replacing the chicken with chick peas. I used toasted pecans instead of cashews. I used mint in place of cilantro. I did use the garam masala as called for as well as the turmeric. I felt the garam masala added more bitterness than desired so I bumped up the honey a little bit. We went less on the lemon juice but honestly, I think it needed it. Some critiques of the recipe claimed the amount of lemon juice wasn’t necessary – my guess is their yogurt may have been more tart than mine. Definitely use Greek yogurt for a good thickness for the sauce.
Very light and tasty recipe and perfect for this summer heat!