• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • About Us
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe

The Allergen Free Kitchen logo

  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • About Us
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • About Us
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Meal Plans
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Subscribe
  • ×

    Home » Salads

    April 7, 2022

    Curried Chicken Papaya Salad - EF/GF, Vegan option, Top 8 Free

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Curried Chicken Papaya Salad served in a half papaya is the perfect warm weather meal. This adaptation of a restaurant dish is egg free and top 8 allergen free along with being gluten free.

    Jump to:
    • Why We Like This Chicken Papaya Salad Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient Tips
    • Instructions/Directions and Tips to Make Curried Chicken Papaya Salad
    • Substitutions
    • Variations/Adaptations
    • Equipment
    • Storage and Reheating Instructions
    • Storage
    • Top Tip
    • What To Serve With
    • Other Recipes You May Enjoy
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Food Safety
    • Latest Posts
    • 💬 Comments

    Why We Like This Chicken Papaya Salad Recipe

    This Curried Chicken Papaya Salad recipe is based on one I used to order when we went to Maui. The hotel we stayed at had the BEST chicken salad served in a half of a papaya. I would get it for lunch everyday from the restaurant or from the deli if we were going out and doing anything. When we came home I craved this salad for months. 

    This chicken papaya recipe is recreated from my memory and adapted for our allergies. It is something we make anytime we miss the taste of our holidays past and the sunshine.

    Chicken Papaya Salad ingredients

     I hope you love it as much as I do.

    Ingredients

    Salad 

    • Granny Smith Apple
    • Celery
    • Avocado
    • Onion
    • Pepitas pumpkin seeds
    • Papaya
    Chicken Papaya Salad ingredients

    The Chicken

    • Cooked and diced chicken 

    OR

    If you are cooking chicken for the recipe:

    • Raw chicken breasts
    • Olive Oil
    • Curry Powder
    • Salt and pepper

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Ingredient Tips

    Mayonnaise

    To keep this Curried Chicken Papaya Salad recipe top 8 allergens free the mayonnaise needs to be egg free and soy free. The  easiest way to replace regular mayonnaise is to use a vegan mayonnaise. Double check the vegan mayonnaises in the stores as some are made with soy, those are not safe for top 8 diet restrictions. There are some made with avocado oil rather than soy but not all of those are egg free.

    One of the other issues with mayonnaise replacements is that they usually contain mustard, which is something we cannot use in our home. We have found a top allergen free mayonnaise from Quebec that can be purchased in some stores there. The company is called Mama yo! Mayonnaise and does sell their products on their website. This is our favourite mayo replacement that is safe for us.

    Apple

    A crisp and sour apple is the best in this chicken papaya recipe as the texture of the apple helps to give the salad a firmness. The tartness helps to balance the curry flavour.

    Curry Powder

    We use a mild curry powder but a medium one would work well in this fresh tasting salad to contrast with the cooling papaya and avocado. Check with the manufacturer that your spices are safe for you. Curry powder is a blend of spices and some contain mustard.

    Chicken

    The chicken used can be either already cooked from another meal. Mildly flavoured cooked chicken will work best. The oil, extra curry powder, and salt/ pepper are only needed if the chicken is raw.

    Instructions/Directions and Tips to Make Curried Chicken Papaya Salad

    To use already cooked chicken skip the chicken cooking phase of the directions and omit the extra curry powder.

    How to cook the chicken:

    1- Trim chicken breasts and cut into tenders or chicken finger sized bits.

    2- Place cut chicken in an oven proof casserole dish.

    3- Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon of curry powder from the chicken ingredients. Mix well to coat the chicken on all sides and use your hands to massage the spices and oil into the chicken.

    4- Cook the chicken for 15 minutes. Then flip the chicken and return to the oven for 7-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F.

    5- Let chicken cool, dice into ½ inch cubes and store in the fridge until ready to use. Add into salad as per cooked chicken directions.

    Chicken Papaya Salad mixed in a bowl

    After the chicken has been cooked:

    1- Chop chicken, celery, onion, apple, and avocado to a medium dice, or bite size.  Place cut ingredients in a large bowl.

    2- Add in vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, and spices to the bowl. 

    3- Mix well with a spoon until all is combined well.

    4- Cut a papaya in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and scrap away the stringy bits from the seed area. 

    5- Put the papaya on a plate or in a bowl to fit it.

    6- Fill the hollowed out seed area of the papaya with 1 -1½ C of the chicken salad.

    7- Garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge.

    Hint: This salad is best when it has chilled for at least 2 hours.

    Substitutions

    Vegan Mayonnaise-

    If Vegan mayo is not your thing or you cannot find one safe for you try making your own egg free mayo. Most recipes usually call for the mix to be made from aquafaba, rather than soy. Aquafaba is the water from the can of chickpeas. Making vegan mayonnaise usually requires a good electric mixer for ease, like a stand mixer or hand held electric mixer.

    The Minimalist Baker has an easy recipe on how to make your own vegan mayonnaise. We cannot have mustard powder so we substitute in turmeric powder instead of mustard powder.

    Chicken Papaya Salad

    Variations/Adaptations

    How can curried chicken papaya salad be made vegan?

    To make the Curried Chicken Papaya Salad a vegan friendly bake chickpeas in the curry seasoning instead of chicken. Cook the chickpeas for half the time of the chicken so they are soft and not roasted to crunchy. This adaptation keeps a fair amount of protein in the meal without meat.

    Can this curried chicken salad recipe be made without mayonnaise?

    We understand that not all mayos work for all people and to keep this dish less processed we recommend using an additional half an extremely ripe avocado in place of the mayo. Mash this extra avocado well, so that the texture is creamy and resembles mayonnaise. Add an extra  pinch of salt, turmeric, and garlic powder to the smooth and creamy avocado.

    Equipment

    All that is needed to make this recipe for chicken papaya salad are four pieces of equipment. A knife and cutting board for chopping the ingredients. A large bowl for mixing the whole salad. An ovenproof dish to cook the chicken in. If using already cooked chicken you will not need the oven dish.

    Storage and Reheating Instructions

    Storage

    -Fridge

    To store, put papaya and salad in separate sealed containers. In a sealed container the chicken salad portion will keep for 3 days. The papaya will keep longest whole and uncut.

    -Freezer

    The Curried Chicken Salad doesn’t stand up well to freezing.

    Reheating

    This dish is best served chilled. No reheating needed.

    Top Tip

    Use the leftovers from a roast chicken dinner to make this a quick meal. It is the perfect way to jazz up leftovers and flavour them in a different way.

    Chicken Papaya Salad

    What To Serve With

    This chicken papaya dish is a fantastic meal on its own. However, if looking to serve the curried chicken salad as a side or a more substantial meal, it pairs well with our chilled cucumber soup. This pairing is especially great for hot weather days. 

    The curried chicken salad is the perfect picnic or BBQ food. Keep cold in a cooler with ice for easy transport to a park picnic. Made easily in large batches for a BBQ or large backyard gathering this salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Serve in gluten free bread rolls or gluten free wraps to make a delicious sandwich, as well.

    Other Recipes You May Enjoy

    Fig and Kale Salad

    Chilled Cucumber Soup

    📖 Recipe

    Chicken Papaya Salad

    Curried Chicken Papaya Salad - EF/GF, Vegan option, Top 8 Free

    Curried Chicken Salad served in a half papaya is the perfect warm weather meal. This adaptation of a restaurant dish is egg free and top 8 allergen free along with being gluten free.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Course: Egg Free
    Cuisine: Easy
    Keyword: Chicken, curry, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, meal, papaya, Salad, Top 8 free
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 439kcal
    Author: The Allergen Free Kitchen - Katherine

    Ingredients

    • Salad
    • 1 Granny Smith Apple cored and medium diced
    • 2 Ribs of Celery medium diced
    • 1 Avocado medium diced
    • ½ Medium Onion medium diced
    • 2 Tbsps Pumpkin seeds the pepitas work best
    • 2 Papayas deseeded and cut in half lengthwise
    • The Chicken
    • 2 C of cooked and diced chicken
    • OR
    • If you are cooking chicken for the recipe:
    • 2 raw chicken breasts
    • 2 tsps Olive Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Curry Powder
    • Pinch each of salt and pepper
    • Dressing
    • ¾ C Vegan Mayo
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
    • 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Paprika Smoked works really well
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Instructions

    If cooking chicken for the recipe:

    • Preheat the oven to 350F
    • Trim chicken breasts and cut into tenders or chicken finger sized bits
    • Place cut chicken in an oven proof casserole dish.
    • Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon of curry powder from the chicken ingredients. Mix well to coat the chicken on all sides and use your hands to massage the spices and oil into the chicken.
    • Cook the chicken for 15 minutes. Then flip the chicken and return to the oven for 7-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F.
    • Let chicken cool, dice into ½ inch cubes and store in the fridge until ready to use. Add into salad as per cooked chicken directions.

    If using already cooked chicken of for after the chicken has been cooked:

    • Chop chicken, celery, onion, apple, and avocado to a medium dice, or bite size.  Place cut ingredients in a large bowl.
    • Add in vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, and spices to the bowl. 
    • Mix well with a spoon until all is combined well.
    • Cut a papaya in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and scrap away the stringy bits from the seed area. 
    • Put the papaya on a plate or in a bowl to fit it.
    • Fill the hollowed out seed area of the papaya with 1 -1½ C of the chicken salad.
    • Garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge.

    Notes

    Replace the chicken with 1 ½ C canned chickpeas (cooked for 15 mins) for a vegan option.
    Do not eat the rind of the papaya.
    Check that your mayo is soy free. Our favourite vegan allergen free mayonnaise is Mama Yo! Mayonnaise because it is egg, soy, and mustard free.
    Times are based on using raw chicken. For a quick lunch or light dinner use leftover roast chicken stripped from the carcass.
    Is an excellent easy to transport picnic meal.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 277g | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22.4g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 307mg | Fiber: 4.9g | Sugar: 10g
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Recipe inspired by the Royal Lahaina Hotel Restaurant

    Food Safety

    We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Always verify food is allergen safe when purchasing, putting away from the store, and once again before cooking
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Verify spices are safe for your allergies with the manufacturer
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Latest Posts

    • Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
    • Budget Friendly Chicken Stock
    • Cold Asparagus Salad with Dill
    • Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes
    • Allergen Friendly Lebanese Chicken Shawarma Recipe
    « Dairy Free Carbonara Pasta - GF/DF, Vegan Option, Top 8 Free
    Chicken Fajita Tray Bake - GF/DF, Vegan Option, Top 8 Free »

    Reader Interactions

    Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment and us know how much you liked it. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Footer

    Let's Stay In Touch

    Privacy Policy| The Allergen Free Kitchen
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    RSS TheAllergenFreeKitchen.com

    • Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
    • Budget Friendly Chicken Stock

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails, meal plans, and new recipes.

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Copyright ©2021-2023 TheAllergenFreeKitchen.com All Rights Reserved. Recipes, blog posts, articles, and images are copy protected. Please contact us if you wish to reproduce, or re-print photos or recipes/blog/articles.