Curry Chicken Salad with Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

Simple, quick, pack-in lunches are perfect to have ready whenever the team gets hungry. This recipe puts to use leftovers from a rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs, warm curry spices, dried fruit, nuts, and more for a globally inspired spin on the classic chicken that perfect for wraps, sandwiches, lettuce cups or just spooning onto a cracker! Easy to make ahead and dish ut when ready.

This post was sponsored by GoRVing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

From foil-wrapped sandwiches, ready to be tossed on the coals, to marinating steaks ahead of time for epic tacos or nachos, prepping meals ahead of time is my trick to making sure everyone can eat when hungry and clean up is a breeze.

For this curry chicken salad, I use up leftover rotisserie chicken seasoned that tastes amazing with the warm flavors of curry powder, sweetness from chopped dried mangos, crunch and extra protein from chopped cashews, and a hit of unsweetened coconut flakes to really change up what people think of when they imagine chicken salad.

It’s hearty and yet light. The hint of sweetness from the fruit is balanced with the richness of the spice and the pop of bright fresh herbs really sets this one apart and has everyone raving about it!

Without the bread, it’s even a keto-friendly chicken salad for those looking to jazz up their menus. Personally, I love it over a bed of crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce on a hot day.

What you need for Curry Chicken Salad

Grab a rotisserie chicken from the market or one you smoked yourself at home, and a few other pantry staples like mayo, lemon, agave, salt, celery, onion, carrot, and apples. Special ingredients that make this chicken salad taste amazing are curry powder, the yellow kind like this one, not the red, roasted cashews, and unsweetened coconut flakes.

To really boost the fresh flavors I also added in fresh mint and a sprinkle of my Over Easy herb blend.

Make ahead of time

So how do you make curry chicken salad? Pretty sure it couldn’t be easier. Ok, I’m not sure how Martha or Paula make their chicken salad, but this one you can make as quick as tossing everything into your own bowl and mixing it up.

Start by whipping the mayo with curry powder, lemon juice, agave, and salt. Then fold in all of the chopped ingredients, saving the mint for last once everything is well coated and mixed.

The trick for amazing flavor is to then let the chicken salad sit for at least 2 to 4 hours to let the flavors develop. I make this before I even hit the road for the next adventure and store it in reusable jars for single servings.

Make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge or a cooler until you’re ready to use. And bonus, it can be made up to 4 days in advance. Your camp lunch menu can thank me later.

GirlCarnivore Pro Tip: Mayo-based salads can lose a bit of moisture over time. Keep an extra batch of the curry aioli on hand to stir in or smear on bread or wraps as needed if you make this ahead of time.

As for what to serve with it, I keep it simple with chicken salad. If it’s not on an easy sandwich (as shown), or scooped onto crackers, I am probably just going to pile it into the middle of an amazing salad loaded with sliced sweet peppers and radishes for crunch. Some carrot sticks and apple slices go a long way here too. If you really want to live it up, grill some potato wedges to serve alongside.

Want more global flavor inspiration? Try some of my favorite recipes

• Quick Salmon Curry
• Red Curry Coconut Pork
• Chicken Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash & Curry
• Gas Grilled Rotisserie Picanha
• Curry Chicken Kabobs with Coconut Turmeric Rice

If you’ve tried my Curry Chicken Salad Recipe or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below. I get inspired by your feedback and comments! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @girlcarnivore as well as on  Twitter and Facebook.