Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad | Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

If you’ve read my post on how I get 5 Meals from one Rotisserie Chicken (really!), you know that Curried Chicken Salad is our favorite thing to do with leftover chicken.  In fact, sometimes I pick up that rotisserie chicken because I am jonesing for this salad!

Chicken salad is ubiquitous here in the South, but I have to say I usually pass it by when it’s on offer.  Typically chicken salad tastes meh (or worse) to me, with no flavor profile past “sad, leftover chicken”.  My Curried Chicken Salad has flavor (and texture!) for days from punchy ingredients like shallots, Madras curry powder, celery, dried dates and roasted nuts.

It’s wonderful spooned into butter lettuce cups, generously stuffed into fluffy Martin’s Potato Rolls, dollopped onto crackers, or simply tucked into with a little fruit or veggie salad on the side.  In my snaps I served it with an Apple Cider Slaw (just coleslaw tossed in a sweet-tart vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, boiled apple cider, oil, celery seed, salt, and pepper – easy peasy).

This recipe makes 4 generous servings.

Here’s What You Need to Make Curried Chicken Salad

  • 3 cups finely diced leftover cooked chicken
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably Blue Plate brand
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 6 dates, pitted and finely diced
  • 1 tsp. Madras curry powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup mixed roasted nuts, coarsely chopped

Ingredient Notes:

I love to use Costco’s Mixed Salted Nuts in this recipe.  However, you can use all almonds, cashews, peanuts, whatever you have and like.  Whichever nuts you choose, do not mix in the nuts until you are ready to eat the salad.  If you will be enjoying it over several days, chop the nuts and store them separately, to add as you eat.

If you like your chicken salad very creamy and moist, feel free to add more mayo or sour cream.

Here’s What to Do:

In a medium bowl whisk together mayo, sour cream, shallot, dates, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Taste.  Add more curry or cayenne to your liking, keeping in mind that as the dressing melds the heat will continue to develop.  We like it spicy so I usually use 2 tsp. curry powder (with some heat to it) and 1/4 tsp. of cayenne.

Fold in chicken and celery.  I like my chicken salad VERY well blended, so I tend to stir the stuffing out of it until the chicken starts to break down.  However, leave it as chunky as you like.  Just before serving (see ingredient note above) fold in most of the chopped nuts.  Sprinkle the rest of the nuts over the top of each serving.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth

PS – Don’t forget to check out this post on how I get 5 MEALS for two from one Rotisserie Chicken!

Rotisserie Chicken Recipes | Cooking for Two | Chicken Recipes

Curried Chicken Salad

This fabulous Curried Chicken Salad is chock full of chicken, celery, dates, shallots, roasted nuts and curry powder – make it as spicy as you like!
Course Entree, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken Salad, Rotisserie Chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Servings 4
Author Elizabeth at thewildolive.org

Ingredients

  • 3 cups finely diced leftover cooked chicken
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise - preferably Blue Plate brand
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 small shallot - minced
  • 6 dates - pitted and finely diced
  • 1 tsp. Madras curry powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup mixed roasted nuts - coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl whisk together mayo, sour cream, shallot, dates, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Taste.
  • Keeping in mind that as the dressing melds the heat will continue to develop, add more curry or cayenne to your liking. We like it spicy so I usually use 2 tsp. curry powder (with some heat to iand 1/4 tsp. of cayenne.
  • Fold in chicken and celery. I like my chicken salad VERY well blended, so I stir it until the chicken starts to break down. However, leave it as chunky as you like.
  • Just before serving fold in most of the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts over the top of each serving.

Notes

I love to use Costco’s Mixed Salted Nuts in this recipe. However, you can use all almonds, cashews, peanuts, whatever you have and like.
Whichever nuts you choose, do not mix in the nuts until you are ready to eat the salad. If you will be enjoying it over several days, chop the nuts and store them separately, to add as you eat.
If you like your chicken salad very creamy and moist, feel free to add more mayo or sour cream.

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