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    Home / Recipes / Course / Salad

    5 Mar 29, 2017 Chicken  |   Jump to Recipe

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad

    If you’re a fan of curried chicken salad, then you are absolutely going to love this recipe.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad

    For the past 4 years, Jorge and I have smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving using a regular charcoal grill.  Results are stellar, but the process is far from hands-off.  Well, the good people over at Char-Broil recently sent me this Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker, and I’ll have to say, it makes smoking so easy.  Simply place meat (or fish, or fruit or whatever) on the racks, add wood chips, set a temp/time, and walk away!  The unit will regulate the heat source to maintain an even temperature, and one box of wood chips will last up to 10 to 12 hours!  You can cook by setting a time or by internal temperature (measured with an attached probe).  And the smoker even comes with a remote, so you can monitor temperature and time from inside the house.  I’m not an expert at smoking, but the chicken I smoked for this recipe came out tender and juicy with a mouthwatering smoky flavor.  So simple!   Continue reading for some shots of the smoker plus a flavor-packed recipe from one of my new favorite San Diego restaurants.

    Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker

    Here’s the smoker.  It’s kind of like a wine fridge, but hot and filled with smoke and meat.  There are even wheels on the back, so I could move the unit around my backyard to get a good photo!

    Chicken Thighs

    Chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper, sit directly on the racks.  I smoked these guys for 2 hours at 225°F, using hickory wood chips.  And here’s how they came out:

    Smoked Chicken Thighs

    Golden and glistening, these smoked thighs are so savory and succulent.  I would recommend preparing extra to enjoy as is, in a soup or salad, like the one below.

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad Ingredients

    Herb & Eatery, the latest restaurant by Chef Brian Malarkey, is one of my new favorite casual spots in San Diego.  I had my first lunch there a few months ago, and I was blown away by their Smoked Curried Chicken Salad.  Thankfully, Brian shared his recipe.

    The recipe starts with onions, garlic and ginger sizzling in hot olive oil.  Ground cumin, turmeric and curry powder are tossed into the mix, and cooked just until fragrant.  The golden aromatics are then blended with vinegar and olive oil to form a vinaigrette that’s used to dress the smoked chicken and the greens.  No mayo here!  Finished with sliced red onion, golden raisins, cilantro and chopped cashews, this curried chicken salad is bright, punchy and 100% delicious.

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad

    Smoked Curried Chicken Salad

    by Brandon Matzek
    Recipe adapted from Brian Malarkey's Herb & Eatery.
    No ratings yet
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    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 large thighs)
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon + 2/3 cup olive oil, divided
    • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
    • 1 teaspoon curry powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1/3 cup white vinegar
    • Spring mix or other tender lettuce
    • Golden raisins
    • Sliced red onion
    • Chopped toasted cashews
    • Cilantro leaves

    Instructions
     

    • Fill 1/4 of the smoker box with hickory wood chips, and preheat to 225°F. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Place thighs directly on the top rack of the smoker. Smoke for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken skin, and pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
    • While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the spices, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Transfer aromatics to a blender with vinegar, and blend until smooth. With the blender running, add 2/3 cup olive oil in a slow stream to form the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt.
    • Place pulled chicken in a medium bowl, and add several spoonfuls of the vinaigrette. Toss to combine. The chicken should be well-coated in the sauce, but not drowning in it. Season to taste with additional salt.
    • To serve, place a handful of salad greens on a plate. Place 1/4 of the chicken salad on top of the greens. Top with a sprinkling of raisins, red onion, cashews and cilantro leaves. Finish with a drizzle of vinaigrette*. Serve additional vinaigrette on the side.

    Notes

    *At the restaurant, Brian dresses his greens in a citrus vinaigrette. To keep things simple here, I decided to use the curry vinaigrette for both chicken and greens.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

    This post was written in partnership with Char-Broil. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Recipe provided by Brian Malarkey and Herb & Eatery, and adapted by me.

    5
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Categories: Chicken Tags: black pepper, cashews, cilantro, cumin, curry powder, garlic, kosher salt, olive oil, onion, raisins, red onion, turmeric, white vinegar

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. averie @ averie cooks says

      March 29, 2017 at 6:22 pm

      What a fabulous smoker and right up your alley! Wow great machine!

      Your chicken sounds wonderful and I love that you adapted it from Brian Malarkey!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie Schoch says

      March 30, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      This salad looks delicious – can’t wait to try it! Thanks Brandon!

      Reply
    3. Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says

      March 30, 2017 at 7:54 pm

      Wow! There are no words except drool. Fabulous recipe.

      Reply
    4. Jennifer @ Kirbie's Cravings says

      March 31, 2017 at 10:51 am

      I still dream about that curry chicken salad we tried! I am so excited to try the recipe. Also this smoker looks so nice. I have a tiny stovetop one but now I want one of these!

      Reply
    5. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      April 1, 2017 at 1:28 pm

      Look at that smoker. Definitely not showing this to Eric, otherwise he wont be able to stop talking about it. And now I’m thinking about all the smoked fish I could make in that thing. 🙂

      This smoked chicken salad sounds fabulous and a great spin on a classic dish.

      Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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