Enjoy a lunch or dinner packed with flavor with these Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps. This meal is delicious, make-ahead, and Whole 30 compatible.
I have come to rely on Trader Joe‘s frozen chicken tenders in a big way. I use them in Greek Salad with Chicken as well as this Spinach Salad with Chicken and Strawberries.
I cannot tell you how convenient it is to pull out as many pieces as I need (1 or 20) and cook them up quickly for a lean protein to add to anything. Currently we are all out. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but as soon as the rain lets up, I’m heading to TJ’s.
(YES! We’ve had a very rainy, thunderstorms and lightening kind of weekend in the middle of a drought in summer!)
My mom was here this weekend; she eats paleo since her Whole 30, so I wanted to make good food for her. I kinda failed on that, in part because of my chicken tender shortage. I’ve had such bad luck buying chicken at my local grocery stores, I kinda won’t veer from my Trader Joe’s freezer section.
That said, whatever weird chicken quirks you have going on, these Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps are super good, and you should make them the next time you’ve got chicken in the house. (Mom, I promise — next time!)
Serving chicken salad in a lettuce cup is a great way to go gluten-free or switch up that traditional chicken salad on a bed of lettuce thing. This particular rendition gets inspiration from India with its generous amounts of curry and sweetness from golden raisins and apples. This recipe is perfect for anyone who thinks the Whole 30 is boring.
I took some to my neighbor last week who really didn’t think she would like it. She loved it. So there you go. Make these Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps soon. You won’t be sorry.
Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lime (the juice from one lime)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 rib celery chopped
- 1 apple chopped
- 2 green onion chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 head romaine lettuce or cabbage leaves for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning frequently. I rarely thaw the chicken tenders if frozen, I just add a few minutes cooking time. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan to a cutting board to cool. Once cool, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, and curry powder. Add the chicken, celery, apple, green onion, and raisins. Fold gently. Chill until cold.
- Serve the chicken salad with the lettuce leaves. You can also serve the salad on naan or in your favorite rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Jenna
Craisins instead of raisins?
Jessica Fisher
Sure. That would probably be very tasty.
Joshua Hampton
This chicken salad looks amazing. I love chicken curry so I’m happy to see curry flavor in chicken salad.
Jeannie
What do you think of trying to sub in Greek yogurt for the mayo? Would it totally taste sour and off?
It sounds so good!
Jessica Fisher
I think it would work. Let us know how it goes.
Jeannie
Alright, I tried it with yogurt (Fage 2% because they didn’t have full fat) and it was GREAT! My husband does not like grapes and apples in his savory foods but he ate half it in one sitting. It was good for lunch today. Thanks for sharing this and all your other recipes, Jessica. Next time I come across full fat Fage you can bet I’ll be trying it with this recipe.
Jessica Fisher
Glad to hear it! Thanks for updating me.
Tami
We love this chicken salad! We also add cashews- yum!