Curried Chicken Rice Salad


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 (I used 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt)
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Additional grapes and pecans for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. 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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