Chicken Salad with Curry & Cashews

This chicken salad with curry and cashews is one of those recipes that sounds fancy but is actually really simple to throw together.

The dressing is a mix of creamy and tangy with a nice warmth from the curry powder. It coats the chicken perfectly and brings everything together.

What I love about it is the texture. You get tender chicken, crunchy cashews, and sweet little bites of raisins all in one bowl.

It works great in a pita, on some naan bread, or just over a simple salad if you want to keep things light.

If you are looking for a lunch recipe that is easy to make ahead and tastes even better the next day, this is a solid pick.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Flavor Combo Is Incredible – Warm curry and sweet honey mixed with tangy lime create a dressing that tastes restaurant-level in every single bite.

Every Bite Has Amazing Texture – Crunchy cashews and plump golden raisins mixed with tender chicken give you the perfect contrast of textures throughout.

It Tastes Even Better the Next Day – The curry flavor deepens as it sits in the fridge so your leftovers actually taste better than the first serving.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Cooked Chicken Breast, diced
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Greek Yogurt
• 2 tsp Curry Powder
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 cup Roasted Cashews, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup Golden Raisins
• 1/4 cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, curry powder, honey, and fresh lime juice until the dressing is smooth and a vibrant golden color.

Step 2

Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Taste the dressing on its own and adjust the curry powder or honey to your preference.

Step 3

Add the diced cooked chicken breast to the bowl and toss until all the pieces are evenly coated in the curry dressing.

Step 4

Fold in the golden raisins and sliced green onions. Mix gently until they are distributed throughout the salad.

Step 5

Add the chopped roasted cashews and fresh cilantro. Fold them through the salad just until combined so the cashews stay chunky.

Step 6

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This lets the curry flavor develop and the raisins plump slightly. Serve in pita pockets, on naan bread, or over a bed of greens.

Pro Tips

Toast the Curry Powder First

Before you whisk the curry powder into the dressing, toast it in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30-45 seconds. Stir it the whole time so it doesn’t burn.

This brings out a deeper, more complex flavor from the spices inside the curry powder. Straight from the jar it can taste a little flat and dusty, but a quick toast fixes that completely.

Let it cool for a minute before adding it to the mayo and yogurt so it mixes in smoothly.

Use Poached or Slow-Cooked Chicken

The way you cook the chicken matters a lot here. Poaching chicken breasts in gently simmering water for about 15-20 minutes gives you the most tender, juicy meat for chicken salad.

If you bake or grill the chicken at high heat, it tends to dry out and get stringy. That dryness really shows up in a cold salad because the dressing can only do so much to add moisture back.

After poaching, let the chicken cool completely before dicing. Cutting it while it’s still warm makes it shred apart instead of staying in clean little cubes.

Add the Cashews Right Before Serving

The recipe says to fold in the cashews last, and there’s a good reason for that. If cashews sit in the dressing for too long, they absorb moisture and lose all their crunch.

If you’re making this ahead of time, keep the cashews in a separate container and toss them in right when you’re about to eat. That way you get that satisfying crunch in every bite instead of soft, soggy nuts.

Related Recipes

• High Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap
• High Protein Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• High Protein Greek Chicken Bowl
• Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this curry chicken salad?

Absolutely, and it is actually one of the easiest ways to make this recipe come together quickly. A store-bought rotisserie chicken gives you tender, flavorful meat without any extra cooking time – just remove the skin, pull the meat off the bones, and dice it up.

One whole rotisserie chicken will give you more than enough for the 3 cups of diced chicken this recipe calls for. You can save any leftover meat for another meal.