Simple to make curry chicken salad recipe with juicy grapes and crunchy celery. Add this to your meal prep and enjoy it all week! Serve it tucked between 2 slices of bread, in lettuce wraps, or over a bed of greens. This classic recipe is one to keep on repeat!
Curry chicken salad recipe
Growing up my mom would make a very similar curry chicken salad.
It was always one of my favorites, and to this day, I still love the flavor of curry in dishes.
I’m happy I started this flavor profile with my kiddos early too. Here’s to hoping their love of curry sticks like it did for me!
Is curried chicken salad good for meal prep?
Curry chicken salad with grapes and celery is a standard in my meal prep repertoire. In fact, it was one of the make-ahead lunch salad recipes I suggested in my 5 meal prep tips and tricks for a healthy, simplified week post.
This easy curry chicken salad is a fantastic use for prepped ahead shredded chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or any leftover chicken you find you have on hand.
My go-to mix-ins are grapes (any color) and celery, and sometimes a nut or seed for some extra crunch.
The great thing about this salad is that you can make it the way YOU like it. Maybe you are out of grapes? Sub in diced apples.
Want a different crunch instead of celery? Use jicama instead.
Add dried cranberries or currant for more sweetness, and any nuts/seeds that give you a tasty crunch.
Stick with the recipe as is, or go ahead and make it your own!
What you need for this easy recipe
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
- chicken breast
- celery
- grapes
- avocado oil mayonnaise
- curry powder
- sea salt
- pepper
How to make the best chicken salad
- In a large bowl add the chicken, grapes, and celery and mix together. Add the mayonnaise, curry powder, sea salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is combined and coated with the mayonnaise mixture.
- If time allows, let the chicken mixture chill covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This let the delicious flavors develop and the liquids from the grapes release to add more moisture.
Watch me make healthy curry chicken salad
The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
How to store it
Curry chicken salad is even better when made in advance, so definitely add it to your meal prep list.
Make the salad (you can even double the recipe!), and then store it in a large airtight container, or individual jars to grab and go when you need a quick lunch.
Pack some salad greens or crackers and you’re healthy, easy lunch is ready to go!
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this curry flavor chicken salad recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Chicken breast – A few protein options that would work well in here include chicken thighs, canned tuna, canned chicken, and lean diced pork.
Celery – Crisp celery gives this salad the best crunch. Other vegetables that would work here are cucumber and broccoli cut into small pieces. Green onions add a good flavor in here too. If you don’t have any fresh vegetables on hand to add in, try crunchy cashews or almonds!
Fresh grapes – Golden raisins, or plump regular raisins are a good sweet option here. Apple also works as a fantastic substitute and gives a bit of a Waldorf chicken salad vibe.
Creamy mayo – Need an egg free option? Use vegan mayo. You can also substitute greek yogurt for the mayo. A great way to use greek yogurt in the mix is also to go half and half with the yogurt and mayo.
Curry powder – If you don’t have curry powder on hand, you can mix individual spices to give that curry flavor. Turmeric (which gives the beautiful yellow color), cumin, ginger, and black pepper are a good mix to use. If you want a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper!
More recipes you’ll love
- Cheesy curry chicken rice casserole
- Coconut curry chicken with udon noodles and broccoli
- Dill pickle chicken salad
Curry Chicken Salad Recipe with Grapes and Celery
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast shredded or diced
- 1.5 cups celery diced
- 1.5 cups grapes halved
- 1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise (add more if you'd like it even creamier)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the chicken, grapes, and celery and mix together. Add the mayonnaise, curry powder, sea salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is combined and coated with the mayonnaise mixture.
- If time allows, let the chicken mixture chill covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This let the delicious flavors develop and the liquids from the grapes release to add more moisture.
Nutrition
If you try this classic chicken salad recipe with my curry spin, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Originally published February 2018. Updated October 2022.
4 comments
I like the amounts you specified for the add-ins. I used all the meat from a rotisserie chicken which turned out to be the right amount. I used two level teaspoons of yellow curry powder and found that it was enough for my taste. I’ll be taking it to a potluck tomorrow so I didn’t want the curry to overpower in case some folks don’t care for it. I cut the grapes and put them in a plastic bag until tomorrow. It’s really delicious.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Bet it will be a hit at the potluck too. :). Thanks for coming here and sharing, appreciate it!
Hi, I haven’t made your recipe but it’s just the recipe I’m looking for. I’m making 40 small croissant chicken salad sandwiches for a baby shower. Do you know the quantity your recipe makes? I’m trying to figure out how much I will need to make. Also, for ease I’m planning on using the 12.5 oz canned chicken from Costco.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Dolly! It makes about 7 cups of chicken salad. That’s going to make delicious croissant sandwiches!