Curried Chicken Rice Salad
A few key ingredients join the usual chicken salad components for a filling meal that hits all the right flavor notes.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast halves (bone in and skin on)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup cooked rice (from 1/2 cup uncooked; I used brown rice)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 cup mayonnaise (may use 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Additional grapes and pecans for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Gently simmer chicken in water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt until tender and no longer pink in the middle. Drain and save the broth for another use. (See notes) Remove the meat from the chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Combine chicken, rice and the next 4 ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the mayonnaise, yogurt if using, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Add to the chicken mixture. Stir well. Chill. Garnish with pecans and grapes.
Notes
As an alternative to poaching chicken, I often sprinkle bone-in, skin-on breasts with salt and pepper and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove meat, and proceed as directed. This method yields tender, juicy chicken for use in salads or any other recipe that requires cooked chicken.
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