Looking at a plate of tea sandwiches is like admiring a display of crown jewels-each one a delicate, bite-sized masterpiece with its own unique charm. Among them, the Curry Chicken Tea Sandwich stands out with its vibrant hue and unmistakable flavor, a true gem in both appearance and taste.
Made simple with canned chicken and superb with the perfect balance of ingredients, these little rays of sunshine will brighten any gathering and leave your guests craving more.
To make these little sandwiches look their best, check the post for tips on achieving clean edges when cutting them.
Read on for all the loving details to make Curry Chicken Tea Sandwiches.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Curry Chicken Tea Sandwiches.
Bread - Dark rye bread is ideal for this sandwich, but don't let its darker color intimidate you. It's a soft, tender bread with a distinct rye flavor that perfectly complements the curry seasoning.
Chicken - To ensure that the tea sandwich stays tightly packed, it's important to use shredded chicken instead of chunked or diced chicken. While you can make your own shredded chicken, I find that canned shredded chicken is the most convenient option. It is already well-seasoned and very tender.
Curry seasoning powder - Curry is a blend of seasonings, primarily turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and black pepper. Sometimes, additional spices like cinnamon and mustard seeds are included. The fresher this ingredient is, the better it tastes!
Other seasonings - The recipe includes cardamom, garlic powder, and black pepper. These enhance the sandwich's flavor, but if any are missing, the curry is quite flavorful in itself.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
- Mixing bowl (paid link)
- Fork, whisk
- Trigger-style scoop (optional)
- Plastic wrap (optional)
How to make Curry Chicken Tea Sandwiches
While you can mix all the ingredients in a single bowl, I prefer to prepare the sauce and filling separately before combining them. This ensures that the seasonings are fully incorporated into the mayonnaise, creating a well-balanced flavor before it's mixed with the chicken and other ingredients.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and seasonings to a medium-sized mixing bowl (paid link). Stir or whisk to combine.
- Next, add the shredded chicken, apricots, celery, shallots, red bell pepper, and almonds to the bowl. Mix and smash the ingredients together using a fork until the chicken has broken down a little more and everything sticks together.
- When you're ready to make the sandwiches, lay 4-5 slices of bread out, topping with approximately ¼ cup of curry chicken salad per sandwich. Using the fork, smash and push the salad evenly across the slices of bread almost to the edge. (I like to use a trigger-style scoop to make sure the sandwiches all have an even amount of filling.)
- Lay another piece of bread on top, and when all the sandwiches are made, stack them up evenly.
- Using plastic wrap, set the pile of sandwiches on a long piece, pulling one end over the top and then the other end over that. Pull the sides down and fold under the stack of sandwiches. See the step by step in the details of this cucumber sandwich recipe.
- Refrigerate this stack for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
- To serve the sandwiches as tea sandwiches, slice off the crusts first and then slice the whole sandwich into smaller squares, rectangles, or triangles. You can also use a cookie cutter to make shapes.
- Make sure to use a very sharp knife (paid link), cleaning it periodically with a wet rag between slices.
Hot Tip!
If you can't find shredded canned chicken, you can use canned chunk chicken. Break it up into shreds before using. Chunk chicken can be a tad dryer than pre-shredded so add a few teaspoons of the juice from the can for moisture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bread - You can use any type of bread you prefer, such as white, wheat, light rye, etc. I love the flavor of the rye with the curry chicken, but I also love the contrast of colors those ingredients create. For something similar, try wheat bread.
- Bell peppers - I use red bell peppers in the recipe for color and a bright, earthy pop to balance the rich mayo and seasonings. If you need to substitute this ingredient, you could try pimentos, diced banana peppers, pepperoncini, or pomegranate seeds.
- Dried fruit - For a more traditional curry chicken salad, substitute raisins for the dried apricots.
- Spicy - Add a ¼ - ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or Aleppo pepper.
Leftover Curry Chicken Tea Sandwich
- Prepared, these sandwiches look nice for 24-48 hours. After that, they still taste good, but they should be tossed after 4 days.
- The sliced sandwiches can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for one day. Before storing, cover the sandwiches with wax paper and a damp paper towel to keep the bread from drying out.
- You can keep the chicken salad mixture wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Freezing is not recommended as the mayonnaise will separate when thawed.
Food Safety
- Don't consume food that has been sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More sandwich recipes
Curry Chicken Tea Sandwich
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 sandwiches 1x
Description
Brighten your tea time with Curry Chicken tea sandwiches. Learn how to make the perfect little bites for your next tea party and get tips for making these mouthwatering sandwiches look stunning! Made easy with canned chicken and delicious with a blend of seasonings and perfectly balanced ingredients.
Ingredients
- 6 ounce can shredded chicken
- ¼ cup finely chopped dried apricot
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- 3 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (SEE NOTE)
- 5-6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8-10 slices of dark rye bread
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and seasonings to a medium-sized mixing bowl (paid link). Stir or whisk to combine.
- Next, add the shredded chicken, apricots, celery, shallots, and red bell pepper to the bowl. Mix and smash the ingredients together using a fork until the chicken has broken down a little more and everything sticks together.
- When you're ready to make the sandwiches, lay 4-5 slices of bread out, topping with approximately ¼ cup of curry chicken salad per sandwich. Using the fork, smash and push the salad evenly across the slices of bread almost to the edge. (I like to use a trigger-style scoop to make the sandwiches even as possible.)
- Lay another piece on top, and when all the sandwiches are made, stack them up evenly.
- Using plastic wrap, set the pile on a long piece, pulling one end over the top and then the other end over that. Pull the sides down and fold under the pile of sandwiches. Refrigerate this stack for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
- To serve the sandwiches as tea sandwiches, slice off the crusts first and then slice the whole sandwich into smaller squares, rectangles, or triangles. You can also use a cookie cutter to make shapes. Make sure to use a very sharp knife (paid link), cleaning it periodically with a wet rag between slices.
- The sliced sandwiches can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for one day. Before storing, cover the sandwiches with wax paper and a damp paper towel.
Notes
Almonds - I prefer the shape of slivered almonds for this recipe but if you need to use sliced almonds, break and crunch them up in your hands a bit before adding to the recipe.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Optional resting time: 3 hours
- Category: Main dish
- Method: no cooking
- Cuisine: American
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