Inspired by my friend Amy Bishop with Greenbrier Farms (an organically run farm in S.C.), I am excited to share this tasty curry chicken salad recipe with you today. Chicken salad is traditionally made with mayo and unfortunately mayonnaise isn’t exactly a real food. The store bought versions are typically made with refined oils and also contain more than 5 ingredients. The homemade versions are more “real food approved” but oftentimes call for raw eggs, which I am on the fence about, plus we eat mayo so infrequently I don’t feel (for me personally) it’s worth the time to make it from scratch. So I’ve tried substituting plain yogurt in dishes like chicken salad, egg salad, and deviled eggs without much success because, frankly, I think plain yogurt is rather plain tasting and the flavor – or lack thereof – was a little too overwhelming in these dishes. So I was thrilled to be introduced to the idea of adding curry to chicken salad, because curry has such a wonderful flavor it totally makes up for what the yogurt is missing.
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Curry Chicken Salad
Inspired by Ellie Krieger and Amy Bishop of Green Brier Farms
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cilantro, loosely packed, just the leaves
- 3 tablespoons almonds, toasted, slivered, or sliced (optional)
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Serve on crackers (ak mak crackers pictured above) or bread and store leftovers in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Check out The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot for a great way to get cooked chicken for this recipe!
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Ooh this sounds yummy! I have been using curry when I make tuna salad for about a year now, but it never dawned on me to use it when making chicken salad. Can’t wait to try this!
When you do use mayo, do you have a preferred brand? I’m like you – I use mayo so infrequently that I’m more concernd with making the best choice than finding a substitute for the rare times I use it. I’ve been buying Duke’s – seems to have a simpler ingredient list (and less sugar) than other brands I could find on the shelf.
Hello Mary Beth. This will answer your question about mayo:https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/04/17/real-food-condiments-do-they-exist/. ~Amy
Looks yummy! I have been using the eMeals Clean Eating menu for about 3 weeks now and I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. The recipes (with the exception of maybe 2) have been a hit. Especially with my husband who was seriously doubtful that ANYTHING would taste good. The recipes have even allowed for some leftovers for lunches. Looking forward to making this chicken curry! I was planning on roasting a chicken tomorrow for dinner (eMeals recipe from a couple of weeks ago), so this will be perfect with the leftovers!
Use plain Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt. Much creamier. I know you buy Organic but Fage Plain Greek Yogurt is about the best you can get. I use regularly and no body knows.
My friend, the crock pot! And I had a wild idea to try a tofu version (no crock pot :)) for my husband, the Vegan. Just the right idea for tonight. Thanks!
Try using hummus to make chicken salad. I prefer it taste wise to mayo and yogurt. It’s got a little creaminess and holds everything together and has just the right amount of flavor. Best chicken salad in the world: shredded chicken, halved grapes, diced apples and hummus. Seriously, give it a go!
Brianne – I love that idea…never thought to use hummus!
I have a lot of dried cilantro on hand that I dehydrated last summer from our garden. Any ideas of how much of this to use instead of the 1/3 cup of fresh leaves? Thanks!
The traditional fresh herb to dried conversion is 3 to 1. i.e. 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried. So you need 1/3 of 1/3 cup, ha ,ha. Since 1/3 cup = 5 tbs + 1 tsp, 1/3 of that would be 5 1/3 teaspoons dried cilantro. Though the recipe does call for loosely packed cilantro, and that 5 1/3 teaspoons seems like quite a lot, so perhaps start with a teaspoon, taste and add another up to 5 1/3 teaspoons until desired seasoning level is reached.
Missed the Dr. Oz appearance, but you were awesome on CNN this morning!
I don’t eat meat any more, but when I did, I made chicken salad with celery, sliced almonds and grape halves, and used sour cream instead of mayo. I agree with Amanda that Greek yogurt would be better than regular yogurt. Perhaps the sour cream could be mixed with the Greek yogurt for my version.
I rarely eat tuna, but mix it with curry or turmeric to mask the tuna flavor. I know it would be great with chicken.
I used to make a Pampered Chef version that also had mayo, but included apples. Made it with lemon yogurt, which was really good. I’m going to have to try greek yogurt and lemon juice and zest and see how it is! Letting it sit in the fridge a few hours or overnight made it the best.
After, going halfway to “Real Foods” last January when I put my family on the Feingold diet (no artificial anything and no preservatives), I myself have been eating the Whole 30 diet since the end of last year. Because the only oils allowed are coconut oil and olive oil, I have been making my own mayo. I have a Bosch mixer/blender and I can make it in 2 to 3 minutes. Completely worth the effort! I do not have everyone completely on the the Whole 30 (kids and hubby are allowed grains) but I am seeing even further improvement in the kids’ behavior as I go more and more natural. I use organic, pastured eggs and don’t worry about them being raw. The risk of salmonella is low if you know your source and know the farmer cares for the hens well and doesn’t cramp them together. But then I do raw milk too! My kids HATE it now whenever I miss a pickup because we are out of town or something.
About chicken curry salad – try it on top of cantaloupe! Absolutely scrumptious blending of flavors.
Finally, as my teenage kids say “You were boss on Oz yesterday!” :-) So sorry I missed you on CNN today. I may go to their website to see if the clip is there.
Try using whipped cream for your base. It gives your chicken salad a slightly sweeter taste and it keeps it lighter. That’s how we made it when I worked in a Victorian tea parlor. Just make sure your chicken is chilled. It was delish and a big hit!
Nice. I like to add apples and/or raisins too….Mark Bittman’s recipe has that and it’s lovely.
I add curry to egg salad too – it’s so good!!
Hi, what brand of crackers?
Thank you!
Ak Mak, which we buy from our local Earth Fare but they can also be ordered from Amazon.
I love how simple this recipe looks and how few ingredients you actually need to make it with too. Looks yummy and one ill be adding to my list to try.