This Madras Chicken Salad is a great way to punch up a traditional chicken salad!
Whipping up some chicken salad? Don’t you dare make a bland-tasting version tossed with plain old mayonnaise. Instead, punch it up with smoky, aromatic curry powder, crisp apples, fresh herbs, and toasted almonds. With just a few pantry items, you can radically transform a ho-hum dish into an elegant and flavorful meal.
Although this South Asian-inspired chicken salad is making its debut on my blog today, it’s been one of my favorites for years. In fact, this recipe first popped up in our iPad app almost three years ago, before making its second appearance in our first cookbook. When I’ve had a long day, I just throw this salad together and serve it on a giant bed of organic lettuce mix. Hosting a party? Spoon it into cucumber cups or on endive spears for a fancy hors d’oeuvre. No one’ll guess how little time it took!
If you made an extra roast chicken like I told you to yesterday, your main ingredient’s all set to go. Of course, if you don’t have any cooked chicken on hand and decide to purchase a rotisserie chicken instead, don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone. Confession: in a pinch, I’ll pick up Whole Foods Market’s Classic Organic, Salt and Pepper, or Perfectly Plain rotisserie chickens (prioritized in that order). These birds are minimally seasoned (if at all); in fact, according to my buds at Whole Foods, they’re roasted at the top of a vertical rotisserie oven so that the non-Paleo seasonings on the birds at the bottom of the oven can’t drip on ’em. (Still, a word of caution for allergy sufferers: because the birds are cooked in the same oven, wheat and soy contamination is nonetheless possible.)
So grab your cooked chicken, your Paleo Mayonnaise, and the rest of the ingredients, and let’s do this!
Time to make Madras Chicken Salad!
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Paleo Mayonnaise (if you don’t feel like making it, buy Primal Kitchen Mayo)
- ¾ teaspoon Indian curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- Juice from ½ medium lime
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast or thighs
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup almond slivers, toasted
- 1 lime, sliced (optional for garnish)
Equipment:
- Bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Small whisk
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Small silicone spatula
- LunchBots Clicks Salad Container
Steps:
First, make the curried mayonnaise. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
Yes, folks—whenever possible, it’s important to taste your food so you can adjust the seasoning as needed.
In a separate bowl, toss the apple chunks with the lime juice. This will ensure that your apples won’t oxidize into brown, splotchy cubes—and the acid adds a nice zing to the salad, too. Shred the chicken by hand, and toss it into the bowl with the acidulated apples.
Add the cilantro, scallions…
…and curried mayonnaise.
Mix well.
Plate it up! (I like to plop it on a bed of lettuce leaves because I’m fancy like that.)
Top with toasted almond slivers.
Done! How easy was that? If desired, you can serve with lime slices for a bit of extra zing!
(Psst! You should pack it up for lunch in these amazing LunchBots stainless steel, leak-proof salad containers. Not a sponsor. I just love them!)
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Madras Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup Paleo Mayonnaise if you don’t feel like making it, buy Primal Kitchen Mayo
- ¾ teaspoon Indian curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small Gala Fuji, or Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- Juice from ½ medium lime
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast or thighs
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup almond slivers toasted
Instructions
- First, make the curried mayonnaise. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Yes, folks—whenever possible, it’s important to taste your food so you can adjust the seasoning as needed.
- In a separate bowl, toss the apple chunks with the lime juice. This will ensure that your apples won’t oxidize into brown, splotchy cubes—and the acid adds a nice zing to the salad, too.
- Shred the chicken by hand, and toss it into the bowl with the acidulated apples. Add the cilantro, scallions, and curried mayonnaise, and mix well.
- Top with toasted almond slivers and serve. The salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Debbie says
My family loves this salad. Thanks for the recipe. We have made it several times.
Angela Ledgerwood says
The salad will keep in the fridge for about an hour, by which time I will have gone back into the fridge & finished it off. Sooooo tasty.
MyThreeSons MKE says
This is the BEST chicken salad recipe, yes, even though its Paleo. I have 3 teenage boys, one of which hates chicken, one of which hates curry and one of which who hates mayo. I cannot keep this in my frig – they ALL love it! Make ahead tips: keep shredded chicken on hand in glass freezer container and don’t forget to put a little chicken broth in there to keep chicken moist when you bring it out to defrost (in micro or frig); when ready, warm chicken and juice so chicken is ready to absorb flavors; add all ingredients and you are all set in 15 minutes.
Sophie Krich-Brinton says
So good! Easy and delicious!
Linda S says
Soooo delicious! I can’t believe I waited so long to try this! Now I’ll be making it all the time. Thanks for another great recipe!
MG says
This salad is the best and very easy to fix. As others have noted, it doesn’t last long because it is so tasty!