Curried Chicken Salad Cups

Hi, everyone – Alexis here! I wanted to introduce myself really quickly as you may be seeing me around here. I am Shannon’s assistant, and I will be hopping on here occasionally to share some of the recipes Shannon and I have been working on. I’m super excited to share this recipe with you – it’s one of the first we made together. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

I don’t know about you, but throwing together quick, healthy and tasty lunches is something I struggle with. Most days I’m either packing a quick lunch of hummus, veggies and pretzels or throwing a protein bar and a snack bag of fresh veggies in my purse and calling it good. These curried chicken salad cups are one of the first things Shannon and I made together, and I remember thinking they would be perfect for lunches on the go!

Chicken salad is one of my favorite foods. In fact, if I am eating at a new restaurant or sandwich/salad place, I will usually order the chicken salad because I know it is a safe bet. I’ve never met a chicken salad I didn’t like. With that said, this curried chicken salad is one of my favorites. I went home that night wanting to make the recipe right away for lunch the next day!

One of the things I love about this chicken salad is how easy it is to make. The chopping is minimal (just chop up the Medjool dates and almonds), and clean up is simple (only two bowls!). Using precooked chicken is a huge time saver. I like to either purchase it already cooked and shredded from HEB or cook it ahead of time in an Instant Pot or the oven. With precooked chicken, this recipe takes only 10 minutes to throw together. It can also be made ahead of time the night before to save you even more time if you are running out the door in the mornings.

KISS Tip: Don’t have Medjool dates on hand? Try substituting dried cranberries for the dates to add a bit of sweetness.

The curry and turmeric give this chicken salad so much flavor, and the almonds and lettuce add such a satisfying crunch. The addition of the Medjool dates give it just the right amount of sweetness. I’m ashamed to admit that this was the first time I’ve ever tasted a date, but I was quickly converted into a fan! If you’ve never had a Medjool date and are hesitant to try them, this would be the perfect recipe to try them out. The flavor is subtle and complements the spices in the chicken salad perfectly.

KISS Tip: These curried chicken salad cups would be the perfect picnic food! Pack the chicken salad in a sealed container and bring the lettuce leaves in a separate container or bag for quick and easy assembly.

I hope you enjoy these super simple curried chicken salad cups are much as we did!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

KISS Curried Chicken Salad Cups

Time10

Servings:

Ingredients

3 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup avocado mayo
1 1/2 cups almonds, roasted and salted
3/4 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Medjool dates
12 lettuce leaves

Instructions

Coarsely chop almonds.
Remove pit from dates and coarsely chop.
Combine almonds, Medjool dates, and shredded chicken in medium bowl.
Mix avocado mayo, curry powder and turmeric together in a separate small bowl.
Stir mayo mixture, salt and pepper into the chicken mixture until well-combined.
Spoon chicken salad into lettuce leaves. Enjoy!