Just writing about this Curry Chicken Salad makes my mouth water y’all! I know at least half of you reading this are thinking really, why curry?? The other half are probably thinking oh my goodness, YES, sign me up for anything curry! Trust me when I say, if you haven’t ventured out to use it in a recipe then you’re truly missing out! To be completely honest, I wasn’t sold on curry until my early twenties. I then ventured to try red curry with shrimp at a Thai food restaurant. It was life-changing y’all. Once you are brave enough to try it once, you will NEVER go back! I cannot even begin to describe how good the flavor is, you’ll just have to trust me! 😉

It’s safe to say, this is a classic chicken salad with a twist! That’s seriously one of the things I love most about southern food. You can ALWAYS put a fresh new twist on old classic recipes! This recipe comes alive with the curry, ranch dressing mix, green onions, raisins, bell pepper, toasted coconut, and last but certainly not least, the salty cashews. The sweetness from the raisins and toasted coconut equals the PERFECT balance of savory and sweet. In my opinion, that’s was makes an iconic chicken salad… savory but sweet!

I feel like this recipe would be perfect for Mother’s Day lunch alongside the grape salad I posted last week! Croissants and crackers would be great with the salad as well! Side note — my husband commented the sweet tea in the photos above looks like a whiskey drink (insert laughing emoji here). While he’s got a point, it’s definitely tea but to each their own! Enjoy y’all!

Curry Chicken Salad

YIELDS 6-8 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES
CHILL TIME: 1-2 HOURS

Ingredients

Chicken:

2 large chicken breasts

coarse kosher salt

pepper

cayenne

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic

 

Salad Dressing:

1/2 mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons curry

1 teaspoon Ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1/2 cup cashews

 

Instructions

Chicken:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Season each side of chicken breast with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• Lay the chicken breast in the baking dish and pour the heavy cream over them. Coating them evenly.
• Cut the clove of garlic into 5 pieces and place around the chicken.
• Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let chicken cool to room temperature before cubing.

Salad Dressing:

• In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, heavy cream, curry, and ranch dressing mix.
• Fold in the green onions with a spatula.
• Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Once chilled, add the golden raisins and bell pepper.
• Stirring constantly, toast the coconut in a saute pan over low heat until lightly browned.
• Add the toasted coconut to the chicken salad mixture.
• Plate and top with halved cashews.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Don’t add the cashews until just before serving.

 

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