Curry Chicken Salad Wraps

This Curry Chicken Salad is a delicious twist on your basic chicken salad – uniting the flavors of curry and sweet cranberry chutney. 

The Story Behind Chicken Salad

It all began with leftover chicken.

The origins of the American chicken salad, according to Wikipedia, began in the town of Wakefield, RI at a meat shop known as Town Meats in 1863. The leftover chicken was mixed with mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes and became a huge hit. Aren’t you glad they came up with it?

Additional Variations on Chicken Salad

There are so many great ways to mix and match chicken salad. Whenever we visit my inlaws we go to this chicken salad restaurant near their house – Chicken Salad Chick – that is focused on everything chicken salad. If you’re ever in Georgia or the South – check it out! There are some tasty ones:

• Lemon Basil Chicken Salad – chopped pecans, fresh basil, & lemon.
• Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad – a blend of ranch seasoning, bacon, & shredded cheddar cheese.
• Fruity Chicken Salad – Fuji apples, seedless grapes, & pecans.
• Jalapeño Chicken Salad – your regular chicken salad with tons of spicy jalapeños!
• Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad – spice it up with BBQ seasoning.

How to Make Curry Chicken Salad

Step 1: Make the cranberry – curry – mayo mixture.

You might think that curry is going to overwhelm your chicken salad. But it’s not. It’s a very subtle flavor when mixed with the sweetness of the cranberry chutney combines into the most delicious twist for your tastebuds. 

Step 2: Cook chicken or combine with rotisserie chicken.

The prepared chicken is mixed with dressing, scallions, celery and raisins. Just like your normal chicken salad recipe is made – it’s just that now we have spiked the plain mayo with delicious flavors of cranberry and curry.

Step 3: Chill chicken salad.

I won’t tell if you skip this step. Who has time to let the flavors meld. We’re hungry now!

Step 4: Add salted cashews + roll into tortillas layered with spinach.

It’s always a good idea to add nuts right before serving to keep them crunchy.

Step 5: Enjoy!

I love basic traditional chicken salad but it’s nice to change it up. When you’re ready to go beyond the traditional, give your chicken salad new dressing.

Timesaving Tips

1. If you’re short on time, a rotisserie chicken will speed up the prep.
2. This recipe is also a perfect use for Thanksgiving leftovers, use leftover turkey instead of the chicken and leftover cranberry sauce in place of the chutney.

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Curry Chicken Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

Curry Chicken Salad is a little twist on your basic chicken salad - uniting the flavors of curry and sweet cranberry chutney. 

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 550 kcal

Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts roasted or rotisserie chicken
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise add more if it needs it, but less is better!
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1/4 cup cranberry chutney
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup diced fresh celery
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions white and green parts
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 cup roasted salted cashews, chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 6 to tortillas warmed

Instructions

Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (skip this step if using a rotisserie chicken - just shred the chicken) Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub a little olive oil on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Once cool, shred the chicken into pieces.

Dressing

1. Combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.
2. Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.
3. Once chilled, add the cashews to the chicken. If you're not eating it all right away, I always add the cashews with each individual sandwich so that they stay crunchy.
4. Fill the center of each tortilla with spinach then the chicken mixture. Fold the 2 sides of the tortilla over the filling so that the sides overlap. Roll the tortilla from bottom to top, and cut in half diagonally.

Notes

adapted from foodnetwork.com

Nutrition Facts

Curry Chicken Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 550

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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