By: Honey & Habaneros

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30-40 min | Makes: 4–6 servings

This Curry Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor! Juicy roasted chicken is tossed in a creamy coconut curry yogurt dressing, then topped with fresh vegetables, fruit, and nuts for the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and crunchy. It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that works for everyday meals or gatherings.

Why We Love Curry Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my go-to meals, and I have plenty of versions on rotation. This one is a favorite because:

The dressing is creamy, tangy, and packed with garlic, turmeric, curry powder, and fresh ginger.
It’s versatile — serve it with a variety of vegetables, fruits, and nuts so everyone can customize their plate.
It’s perfect for entertaining, quick lunches, or make-ahead meals.

How to Make Curry Chicken Salad

Step 1: Roast the chicken

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In an oven-safe roasting pan, add your favorite chicken broth or stock. Toss in a few smashed garlic cloves, a few slices of fresh ginger, black peppercorns, and sea salt.
Place chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer dark meat) into the broth mixture. Roast until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cooking time will vary depending on the cut.
Once cooked and cooled, cut the chicken into cubes (or shred if you prefer).

💡 Kitchen Tip: Smash garlic and let it rest for a few minutes before using, it triggers the compound allicin, which is linked to many health benefits.

Step 2: Make the dressing
In a mixing bowl, whisk together:

Plain Greek yogurt
Coconut milk
Fresh or juiced ginger
Lime juice and zest
Chopped green onions
Turmeric
Yellow curry powder
Sea salt
Fresh cilantro – chopped

💡 Pro Tip

I like to start with equal parts yogurt and coconut milk, then tweak it depending on what I’m in the mood for. Some days I go heavy on the coconut milk with just a touch of yogurt for a silky texture. Other times, I lean into the yogurt for more tang and a thicker consistency. Play around with it until you find your favorite balance.

🥥 Try swapping in coconut-flavored Greek yogurt for some or all of the plain yogurt in the curry dressing. It’s a coconut flavor booster! You can also mix the two — adjust the ratio to suit your taste.

Step 3: Prep the toppings
This is where you can get creative! Mix and match your favorites, here’s a few of mine:

Veggies: cucumber, red onion, green onion, chilies (jalapeño, habanero, serrano, or your choice)
Fruits – fresh or dried: mango, papaya, pineapple, raisins, craisins, and coconut
Nuts & Seeds: roasted and salted cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds

Step 4: Assemble & serve

Add the cubed chicken, celery, and bell pepper to a large bowl and toss with the dressing until coated.
Serve in romaine lettuce boats, hollowed-out cucumbers, large pasta shells, or bell pepper halves.

Side note: In the photo above, I used Sesame-Covered Honey Roasted Cashews from Trader Joe’s — they were absolutely perfect in this salad!

Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Though, if your house is like mine, it probably won’t last that long!)

Variation: Curry Chicken Salad Bowl

Skip the lettuce boats and go with a fresh salad bowl. Place mixed salad greens in a bowl, top with roasted chicken, and drizzle with the coconut curry dressing. Finish with your favorite toppings from the list above for a lighter, fresh twist.

Curry Chicken Salad

Recipe by Linn

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Asian InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A creamy and flavorful chicken salad with a coconut curry yogurt dressing, fresh vegetables, fruit, and crunchy nuts. Perfect served in lettuce boats or over salad greens.

Ingredients

For the chicken:
2–3 chicken breasts (or thighs, if preferred)
2 cups chicken broth or stock
2-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
For the dressing:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt – adjust to taste, *see note
1 cup coconut milk – adjust to taste, *see note
1 Tbsp lime juice + 1 tsp zest
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated (or ginger juice)
1 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp yellow curry powder or to taste
Sea salt to taste
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Toppings – some of my favorites:
Celery, diced
Red onion or green onion, chopped
Cucumber – diced or sliced
Bell peppers – any color – diced or sliced
Chilies – jalapeño, serrano, habanero, or your favorite – chopped
Fresh or dried mango, chopped
Fresh or dried pineapple, papaya, or craisins/raisins
Sweet coconut
Roasted cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas

Directions

Roast the chicken:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place chicken broth in a roasting pan. Add garlic, ginger slices, peppercorns, and salt.
Add chicken and roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 30–40 minutes depending on cut).
Let chicken cool, then cut into cubes (or shred if preferred).
Make the dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice and zest, ginger, shallot, turmeric, curry powder, sea salt, and cilantro until smooth.
Assemble the salad:
Place cubed chicken in a large bowl. Add dressing and stir to coat.
Top with your choice of vegetables, fruit, and nuts/seeds.
Serve:
Spoon into romaine lettuce leaves, hollowed cucumbers, large pasta shells, or bell pepper halves.
Storage:
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Variation:
Curry Chicken Salad Bowl
Skip the lettuce boats! Serve chopped salad greens in a bowl, top with roasted chicken, and drizzle the curry yogurt dressing over the top. Finish with your favorite toppings.

Notes

For extra coconut flavor, try substituting coconut-flavored Greek yogurt for some or all of the plain Greek yogurt in the dressing. You can also use a combination of both. Adjust the ratio to suit your taste preference.
Start with 1 cup each of yogurt and coconut milk, then adjust to taste. Add more yogurt for extra tang and thickness, or more coconut milk for a lighter, creamier flavor.