This mild curry chicken salad features tender shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in a creamy, golden dressing that brings all the aromatic warmth of curry without the fiery heat. Paired with the sweet, crunchy snap of diced red apples, it’s a light, flavorful chicken salad perfect for serving on crispy wheat crackers or for making sandwiches. Whether you stir in a handful of fresh cilantro for an herbal pop of bright color or opt for scallions, parsley, celery, or onion instead, this chicken salad is sure to be an instant favorite.
If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you know that we tend to stick to classic country, home-cooked, and southern-inspired recipes, leaving other cuisine varieties to the experts. But with recipes like this one, we sometimes make an exception. So, it shouldn’t come as any great surprise that this is only our fifth recipe using curry as an ingredient. Throughout the years, we’ve made this Scallop & Kale Salad with Yogurt Curry Dressing, this Slow-Cooker Spinach & Potato Sweet Curry Soup, this Pink Peppercorn & Curry Leaf Chicken Salad, and this Crockpot Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Curry Soup.
So I’m fairly certain that almost every single one of you knows dang well, just by looking at those recipe titles above, that not a single dang one of them is a traditional Indian recipe. Even I know, without a single wee doubt, that just because you throw a little curry powder into a dish doesn’t make it an Indian dish. Can it be Indian-inspired? Possibly. But realistically, nine times out of ten, when I have used curry powder, it’s simply because I like the flavor it adds to a dish. It’s not because I’m pretending to know how to use it in any sort of traditional way. Simply put. I know zero, zip, zilch when it comes to curry.
Thus, when I first decided to make this curry chicken salad for dinner, I wasn’t quite sure what B.O.B. Bob would think of it. Partly because I knew it was something that he had never eaten before, partly because I was just “winging” a recipe that I had only ever eaten a time or two, partly because it was made with curry, which I hardly ever use, and partly because he would most likely take one look at its odd color and instantly say, “What the heck is this? And why can’t we just have our normal cheese and crackers for dinner instead?” But color me shocked and speechless when B.O.B. Bob instantly dug in and immediately said that it was absolutely amazing.
Just when I think I’ve got that man figured out, he goes and switches things up. So, yeah, now that I have B.O.B. Bob’s blessing, maybe you’ll be seeing more sweet curry powder recipes here in the near future. But rest assured, I’ll leave the actual specialty Indian cuisine recipes to the real experts and stick with subtle non-spicy “Indian-inspired-ish” recipes for the time being. Thank goodness I have so many fellow food bloggers to draw inspiration from. The amazing women in the “Alphabet Challenge” group are prime examples. Their amazing recipes constantly embolden me to branch out and try new things.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Sweet Curry Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 4 Cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken (White & Dark Meat)
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro, Finely Chopped (See Suggestions for Alternatives)
- 2 Red Apples
Directions:
- In a large glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, curry powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and finely chopped cilantro; mix to combine.
- Chop the apple into quarters, remove the core, and then dice into bite-sized pieces. Add the apple to the chicken salad and mix to combine.
Suggestions:
- I purchase my sweet curry powder from Penzeys. It’s mild, yet still flavorful. Perfect for anyone who wants lots of flavor without extreme spice. If you like spice, you can always use traditional curry powder and adjust the amount to taste.
- An average-sized rotisserie chicken should yield approximately 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Shred the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces. Use both the white and dark meat.
- Since this recipe includes vinegar, use a glass, ceramic, or non-reactive metal bowl to make and store it in.
- Not a fan of cilantro? Replace the cilantro with fresh parsley, celery, scallions, red onion, or sweet yellow onion.
- Use crisp, firm apples for this recipe. Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Cortland, or Gala apples will all work well for this recipe.
- You can serve this chicken salad immediately or refrigerate it for a few hours to let the flavors meld.
- If you are making this chicken salad several hours to a day or two ahead of time, wait until just before serving to add the cilantro and apples.
- Serve with wheat crackers or use for sandwiches.
Improvements:
- Don’t throw away the bones and skin from the rotisserie chicken. Use them to make a broth for this Budget-Friendly Chunky Potato Soup with Thyme or this Budget-Friendly Potato Soup with Fresh Dill.
- Fold in a handful of roasted salted pepitas or chopped pecans.
- Add a few dried, roughly chopped cranberries, cherries, raisins, or apricots to the chicken salad.
- CLICK HERE to find more delicious chicken salad recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Sweet Curry Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 4 Cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken (White & Dark Meat)
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro, Finely Chopped (See Suggestions for Alternatives)
- 2 Red Apples
Directions:
- In a large glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, curry powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and finely chopped cilantro; mix to combine.
- Chop the apple into quarters, remove the core, and then dice into bite-sized pieces. Add the apple to the chicken salad and mix to combine.
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Creamy Cabbage & Carrot Coleslaw with Apple
Homemade Apple & Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
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CLICK HERE to see all of our amazingly fresh and delicious salad recipes. We’ve included a list of every salad recipe we’ve ever shared with our readers. If you scroll down, you’ll also find lists that break these recipes down into even more categories, such as potato salad, pasta salad, quinoa salad, coleslaw, chicken salad, egg salad, corn salad, pea salad, bean salad, tomato salad, cucumber salad, asparagus salad, broccoli salad, cauliflower salad, dinner salad, fruit salad, and salad dressing recipes. Whatever kind of salad you’re craving, we’ve got a recipe for it, and hopefully, these lists will make it easier for you to find the exact recipe you are searching for.
In 2024, we cooked and baked our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, we shared a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December. CLICK HERE to find all of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge recipes.
In 2025, we cooked and baked our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, we shared a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December. CLICK HERE to find all of the 2025 Alphabet Challenge recipes.
Cheeseburger Broccoli Rice Soup Casserole
This one-pot recipe seamlessly combines the rich flavors of a cheeseburger with the creamy goodness of broccoli cheddar soup and the heartiness of a rice casserole, blurring the line between soup and casserole with its thick, rich, and creamy rice texture. Featuring savory ground beef, melted cheddar cheese, decadent heavy whipping cream, and a generous amount of chopped broccoli, this recipe is perfect for those nights when you’re craving something indulgent yet almost effortless.
Cinnamon Raisin Vanilla Zucchini Bread Muffins
Got zucchini? Get ready for the best breakfast treat ever. These zucchini bread muffins aren’t just good, they’re incredibly soft and moist, thanks to the perfect combination of fresh grated zucchini and a box of vanilla instant pudding mix. Every soft, tender bite is full of warm, comforting ground cinnamon and sweet golden raisins, making these muffins the perfect way to start your morning. Seriously, if you have zucchini and love raisins, this is the muffin recipe you need to try.
In 2026, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Homemade Apple & Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
“B” – Small-Batch Blue Cheese Dip with Dried Herbs
“C” – Dill Pickle & Mustard Seed Cream Cheese Spread
“D” – Parmesan & Cheddar Pimento Corn Chip Dip
“E” – Whipped Feta Lemon Zest & Basil Deviled Eggs
“F” – Lemony Potato & Fennel Rotisserie Chicken Soup
“G” – Chunky Garlic Stuffed Olive Deviled Eggs
“H” – Creamy Cilantro Herb Caribbean Potato Salad
“I” – Sun Dried Tomato Italian Dipping Oil for Bread
“J” – Jerk Seasoned Caribbean Honey Mustard Sauce
“K” – Spicy Cheddar Krispies Crackers (Rice Krispies)
“L” – Deviled Eggs with Lemon Caper Remoulade
“M” – Mexican Green Chile Pimento Cheese Dip
“N” – Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (No-Salt)
“O” – BBQ Deviled Eggs with Crispy Fried Onions
“P” – Southwestern Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin
“Q” – Fresh Summer Corn & Zucchini Sausage Quiche
“R” – Mild Curry Chicken Salad with Diced Red Apples
Please make sure to check out the other great “R” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2026 Alphabet Challenge event.
- A Rocky Road Deep Dive by Culinary Cam
- Ginger Grilled Chicken and Radishes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Homemade Ricotta Cheese by Sneha’s Recipe
- Migliaccio (Italian Ricotta and Semolina Cake) by A Messy Kitchen
- Mild Curry Chicken Salad with Diced Red Apples by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Mysore Rasam by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Radish Pickle with Green Chillies by Sizzling Tastebuds
- Ricotta Basil Rolls by Magical Ingredients
- Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels by Food Lust People Love
- Spicy Slaw with Red Cabbage and Mango by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping by Blogghetti
