If you’ve ever made Waldorf salad, you know how easy yet delicious it is. But add chicken and just a touch of Indian spices, and it’s promoted to a whole new level of flavor!
The first time I ever had Curry Chicken Waldorf Salad was at The Walnut Room at the big Marshall Fields department store on State Street in Chicago, and I was hooked. And it’s so simple to make. The little bit of curry adds sweet and savory flavors, and the touch of earthy turmeric in the dressing wraps everything in a golden-yellow hue.
My only suggestion with this recipe is to prep the apples last and immediately toss them in the chicken and dressing mixture. This will prevent unnecessary browning. Alternatively, you can mist them with lemon juice.
Let’s do this one!
Curry Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
The Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 generous pinch of salt
The Salad
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup chopped walnuts toasted
- ½ cup thinly-sliced celery
- ⅔ cup raisins regular dark, golden, or a mix
- 1½ Red Delicious apple peel on, cored and cut into ½-inch bites
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange juice, curry, turmeric and salt until smooth.
- In a saucepan, cover the chicken with water and cook over medium heat until the chicken is done throughout, about 165-170° internal temperature. Remove from the water and cool it in the refrigerator.
- Once the chicken has cooled, remove all visible fat, then cut the chicken into ½-inch or so pieces. Place in a medium-large mixing bowl, add the dressing and toss until the chicken is well coated.
- Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, flipping frequently so they don't burn. This dry ingredient is great practice for flipping food in a skillet. Set them aside to cool just a bit.
- Prep the celery and set aside.
- Leaving the skin on the apples for color, cut them into ½-inch or so pieces. Immediately add them to the chicken and toss until they coated in dressing, to prevent browning.
- Now add the walnuts, raisings and celery, toss again to coat everything, and chill the salad for at least an hour. The longer the salad sets, the more the dressing will bloom and flavor the chicken and veggies.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
