Curry Cashew Chicken Salad (Quick and SO Flavorful!)

Kat Ashmore

4.80 from 10 votes

Jan 19, 2024, Updated Oct 14, 2024

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Some days you just need a lunch that’s hassle-free, flavorful and will keep you satisfied all afternoon long. Hungry Lady Salad Episode 47 – my Curry Cashew Chicken Salad – ticks all of those boxes! It’s high in protein thanks to both the yogurt base and chicken; it’s salty, sweet, chewy and has just the right amount of crunch with raw vegetables like celery and red onion, plus the cashews of course! This salad is ideal for meal prepping on a Sunday because, like so many of my salads, you can make it on the weekend and enjoy it all week long. I also love that I can grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store making it super-fast to put together. It can be enjoyed in so many different ways, but some of my personal favorites include in lettuce leaf cups, tucked into a sandwich, scooped up with crackers, or on its own with a spoon!

Table of Contents

How To Make My Curry Cashew Chicken Salad

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Various ingredients for Curry Cashew Chicken Salad are arranged in small glass bowls on a white marble surface, including chopped red onion, cashews, celery, herbs, yogurt, mayonnaise, spices, salt, oil, and a golden-colored chutney.
A hand holds a clear glass bowl filled with shredded cooked chicken, ready to become a delicious Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, placed on a white marble surface.

Step 1. In a large bowl, whisk the curry powder, yogurt, mayonnaise, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, apricot preserves, and salt.  

Step 2. To the bowl of dressing, add the shredded chicken.

Step 3. Add the onion and celery and toss to combine. 

Step 4. Arrange the lettuce leaves on plates and scoop the chicken salad onto each one.  Top with the cilantro and cashews and serve. 

Step 5. Enjoy!

A person holds a small jar of jam above a metal mixing bowl containing yogurt or cream, scooping out some jam, as if preparing an ingredient for Curry Cashew Chicken Salad. The scene is set on a white marble surface.
A hand holds a large metal mixing bowl containing dollops of yogurt, a mound of ground spices, salt, and a small amount of honey—key ingredients for preparing Curry Cashew Chicken Salad—on a marble countertop.
A person whisking a creamy batter for Curry Cashew Chicken Salad in a large stainless steel mixing bowl on a white marble countertop.
A hand is adding shredded chicken from a glass bowl into a metal bowl containing a creamy mixture for Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, all on a white marble surface.
A metal mixing bowl filled with chopped celery, cashews, red onion, cilantro, and shredded chicken for a Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, topped with creamy dressing. A hand holds the bowl on a white marble surface.

What Else Can I Use?

  • You can use any curry powder you like, or even curry paste.  Be mindful that curry powders range from mild to very spicy in heat so choose according to your tastes.
  • If you don’t have apricot or orange preserves and don’t want to buy some, a tablespoon or two of honey will serve a similar purpose.
  • The cilantro and cashews act as a garnish component, so if you’re not a fan of cilantro just replace with parsley or leave it out.
  • If you have a nut allergy, just omit the cashew garnish.
A person stirring a bowl of Curry Cashew Chicken Salad mixture with chopped vegetables using a fork, in a large metal mixing bowl on a white marble surface.

This Curry Cashew Chicken Salad is special because:

It’s salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy – lots of flavor and texture going on here!
It’s fast and easy to put together, especially if you grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store!
It can be enjoyed in so many different ways: in lettuce leaf cups, tucked into a sandwich, scooped up with crackers, or on its own with a spoon!

A plate with green lettuce leaves sits next to a large metal bowl filled with creamy Curry Cashew Chicken Salad on a white marble surface.
A white plate with five lettuce leaves topped with Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, garnished with chopped herbs and cashews, arranged in a circular pattern on a marble surface.

Salads That Make Meal Prepping Easy

Kimchi Tuna Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
The Best Mayo-Free Tuna Salad (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
10 Minute Salmon Salad with Capers, Dill and Lemon (Gluten Free)
Rainbow White Bean Salad (Gluten Free)
Crunchy Kale Chopped Salad with 3-Ingredient Hummus Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

If you make my Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

If you like full recipe videos, you’ll want to follow me on Facebook and Youtube as I publish new videos daily!

Four lettuce leaves topped with our creamy Curry Cashew Chicken Salad, garnished with chopped herbs and cashew pieces, arranged on a white plate.
4.80 from 10 votes

Curry Cashew Chicken Salad (Quick & So Flavorful!)

By Kat Ashmore
This high-protein salad is salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy and perfect for meal prepping on a Sunday for the week ahead!
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons curry powder
  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons apricot or orange preserves
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

To serve:

  • 2 heads of Little Gem lettuce or romaine hearts, leaves separated
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ⅓ cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, whisk the curry powder, yogurt, mayonnaise, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, apricot preserves, and salt.
  • To the bowl of dressing, add the shredded chicken.
  • Add the onion and celery and toss to combine.

To serve:

  • Arrange the lettuce leaves on plates and scoop the chicken salad onto each one. Top with the cilantro and cashews and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1166mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5075IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Kat Ashmore
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 550
Keyword: cashew, chicken, Curry, high protein, Hungry Lady Salads
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4.80 from 10 votes

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22 Comments

  2. 4 stars
    I’ve made this several times and can honestly say that 3 tablespoons of curry powder is way too much! One tablespoon is enough for me. The dressing is also a very generous portion for only 3 cups of chicken, 4 cups of chicken is perfect for me. Other than these changes, it’s a delicious salad.

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