Description
Ina Garten’s curry chicken salad blends tender chicken with a creamy, spiced dressing. Balanced flavors and fresh herbs make this classic recipe perfect for quick lunches or elegant gatherings you’ll want to savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
- 340 g (12 oz) good mayonnaise (Hellman’s recommended)
- 3 tbsps curry powder
- 200 g (7 oz) medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)
- 60 g (2 oz) chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
- 80 ml (2.7 fl oz) dry white wine
- 60 g (2 oz) chutney (Major Grey’s recommended)
- 40 g (1.4 oz) raisins
- 140 g (5 oz) whole roasted, salted cashews
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roast Chicken: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Drizzle chicken breasts with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 35-40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Prepare Chicken: Let roasted chicken cool, then dice into uniform bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones.
- Create Dressing: Blend mayonnaise, white wine, mango chutney, curry powder, and salt in a food processor until smooth and well-integrated.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix diced chicken with prepared dressing, then gently fold in chopped celery, scallions, and raisins until evenly distributed.
- Chill and Finish: Refrigerate salad for 2-3 hours to enhance flavor complexity. Just before serving, incorporate roughly chopped cashews to add a satisfying crunch and textural contrast.
Notes
- Master Chicken Roasting: Ensure chicken reaches exact 74°C internal temperature for perfectly cooked, juicy meat without dryness.
- Flavor Infusion Technique: Allow salad to rest in refrigerator for 2-3 hours, enabling spices and condiments to deeply penetrate and enhance overall taste profile.
- Texture Preservation Trick: Add cashews right before serving to maintain maximum crunchiness and prevent soggy nuts.
- Chutney Transformation Secret: Mango chutney acts as flavor amplifier, balancing curry’s warmth with sweet-tangy undertones for complex, sophisticated taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 445
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg