Salads never need to be boring, especially when you top them with your favorite flavor combinations. Curried chicken and apple make a great combo.
Sometime last year, I was experimenting with some Indian ingredients. It’s not a cuisine that I’m super-duper familiar with, but my cookbook editor has urged me to learn some more. I tried out an Indian faster food restaurant nearby and loved it!
That gave me courage to experiment and explore a little bit.
I love curry and knew that it would pair well with chicken. I wanted a salad; I love salad with fruit. So, I did some research to see what fruits are native to India: apples, grapes/raisins, and cashews are all found there. Cool deal.
Out of that research, this Curried Chicken and Apple Salad was born. My husband was skeptical the first time I made it, but he’s now a believer. You will be, too.
One of my favorite things about this salad is that it is dairy- and grain-free, making it perfect for the Whole 30.
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Curried Chicken and Apple Salad
Salads never need to be boring, especially when you top them with your favorite flavor combinations. Curried chicken and apple make a great combo.
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cook time:10 minutes
Total time:20 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 6 ounces baby greens
- 2 apples, such as Braeburn, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder and curry powder. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken tenders. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and sauté until the juices are clear, about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and lime juice until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Divide the greens among four serving plates. Divide the apples, raisins, cashews, and scallions among the plates. Add the chicken, and top with the cilantro. Serve with the dressing on the side.
- To make ahead: the chicken and dressing can be stored in separate covered
containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chicken is great served cold,
but if you’d prefer, warm it quickly in the microwave.
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Looks amazing!
My husband would love this all wrapped up in a tortilla for a work lunch. He’s not into ‘meal salads’, they take too long to eat at work.
THAT sounds like a fantastic idea!
Finally got around to making this for lunch today. I used cooked chicken and mixed the spices with the dressing. Substituted romaine lettuce for the greens and apricots for the raisins. No green onions or cilantro 🙁 they would have been great. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for pointing out that fix. One of my testers did that: used cooked chicken and added the spices another way.
Hi Jessica,
This looks really good and I want to try it! I just have a question: Are “chicken tenders” the same thing as chicken breasts? Are they something you get from the frozen section or the regular meat section? I’m kinda new to the whole cooking thing… Thanks!!!
Yes, chicken tenders are just this thin narrow piece that is usually cut off the breast. You can buy chicken tenders or you can buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts — both work well in this recipe. Good question!