Curry Chicken Salad

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Curry chicken salad is super easy to make and totally delicious! It’s a really flavorful version of classic chicken salad. Mix up your meal prep and give this easy chicken salad recipe a try for lunch this week!

Why This Recipe is a Favorite

Repeat after me: Meal Prep. It’s important anytime, whether you’re just trying to plan meals for your family, save money, be more efficient, or whatever. You definitely don’t want to be caught unprepared when life happens!

That’s why we love meal prep recipes like this curry chicken salad! Also called Coronation Chicken Salad (because it was served at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953!).

It’s a classic chicken salad, but with a sweet curry flavor and the crunch of carrots and almonds. You can customize it however you like, too!

Ingredient Notes

You can easily make this chicken salad recipe with a really fun spin! Just add a few simple ingredients.

• Cooked Chicken
• Curry powder
• Carrots
• Chopped almonds
• Mayo
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

Variations

You can easily switch up this recipe!

• Fresh fruits like grapes or pears (try this Apple Chicken Salad too!) for extra zing.
• Dried fruits like apricots, raisins or cranberries for a juicy, sweet note.
• Other nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts — or even sunflower seeds if you have a nut allergy.
• Vegetables such as chopped celery or a little diced bell pepper.

How to Make Curry Chicken Salad

Making this salad is super simple! Trust me, when you mix it all up, it gives regular old chicken salad new life. Seriously, don’t knock it till you try it! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to four days. Serve over mixed greens and fresh veggies with a few lemon slices on the side. 

Meal Prep Instructions

Meal prepping is a must! Get a few things ready, portioned in containers, so I can whip up a meal for myself or for the family on the fly. You can also cook a double batch of something you love and freeze half of it for another day. (My Whole30 Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs is a great one for that!)

To meal prep this salad: Start by cooking a pound of chicken breasts in the instant pot (I love it so much!) or air fry a whole chicken. You can make a big batch of this curry chicken salad, or use the chicken in other recipes.

Once the chicken is cooked, shred it and let it cool. Then it’s ready to make chicken salad with! You can also cut the carrot (or buy pre-shredded) ahead of time. Then make the salad! Once it’s all mixed up, cover and refrigerate up to four days.

Serving Suggestions

Wash some mixed greens to enjoy later, or cook fresh veggies like Air Fryer Roasted Green Beans to eat on the side. I also like to cut up a few lemon slices to serve with this salad!

You can also eat it on a brioche bun, spread it on toast for an open-faced sandwich or spoon it into a wrap for an easy lunch. It's a great dish to serve for a luncheon with things like Deviled Eggs and Broccoli Bacon Salad.

You can eat the curry chicken salad over a bed of greens, on a sandwich bun, or inside of a wrap. It's a great meal-prep lunch or big-batch cold salad to serve at a lunch-time gathering.