Hawaiian Chicken Salad – Take a look at this colorful platter. It’s full of tropical flavors, a variety of textures, and it happens to be healthy.
This is a great summertime dish, when you want something light, yet satisfying.
Give this refreshing tropical chicken salad a try in your house tonight!
Why You’ll Love This Hawaiian Chicken Salad
- The marinade. With a combination of pineapple juice, coconut juice and other bright flavorings, it gives the chicken amazing flavor.
- It’s versatile. Along with the chicken and pineapple, you can use any of your favorite veggies.
- You can whip it up in about half an hour. Just marinate the chicken in the morning and you are all set for a quick dinner.
- It’s a light, healthy meal. Whether it’s a hot summer day or you just need a break from heavy meals, this recipe is a winner.
Ingredients
This is what we used today. You’ll find other topping ideas further down the post.
- Chicken – We recommend boneless, skinless thighs. They turn out tender and juicy. If you prefer, you can use breast meat.
- Marinade – Coconut milk, pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic and ginger.
- Pineapple – Take it up a notch by either grilling or searing.
- Veggies – Today we used spinach, arugula, tomatoes, corn, carrots and avocado.
- Dressing – Pineapple juice, olive oil, white vinegar, sriracha and sesame oil.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Salad
Mix together marinade ingredients, then pour over chicken in a ziplock bag. Seal and place in the refrigerator. For best flavor, we recommend starting the marination in the morning.
When ready to make your salad, either cook the chicken in a skillet, or on the grill.
Grill the pineapple, or sear it in a hot greased skillet. About 2-3 minutes per side will do, just enough for the pineapple to become tender and start to caramelize.
Optionally, you can fry the corn kernels in a skillet. It adds great flavor. Alternately, you can either use pre cooked corn, or microwave the fresh kernels.
Assemble your salad. On a bed of spinach and arugula, arrange your chicken, pineapple and veggies. Serve along with the dressing.
Other Topping Ideas
- Onion
- Snow peas
- Cucumber
- Orange slices
- Mango
- Grated coconut
- Chopped macadamia nuts
Storage and Leftovers
You can refrigerate the leftover chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
When you assemble your next salad, the chicken can be reheated in a skillet or in the microwave. Or, it can be served cold.
Give this Hawaiian Chicken Salad a try the next time you’re looking for a light meal, or just want that tropical feeling.
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Hawaiian Chicken Salad, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great salad recipes!
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Avocado Tomato Pesto Salad
Spanish Pipirrana Salad
Balela Salad
Gado Gado
Hawaiian Chicken Salad
This Hawaiian Chicken Salad is a great light summertime meal, full of tropical flavors and vibes.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
Salad
- Handful spinach arugula mix
- 1/2 pineapple, cut into 3/4 inch slices
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks
Dressing
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Mix together marinade ingredients, then pour over chicken in a ziploc bag. Seal and place in the refrigerator. For best flavor, we recommend starting the marination in the morning.
- (See notes for stovetop method) Preheat grill to 350°F. Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove to a plate, rest for 5 minutes, then slice into 1 inch strips.
- Meanwhile, grill the pineapple slices for 3-4 minutes per side, until they become tender and start to caramelize.
- Optionally, you can fry the corn kernels in an oiled skillet. It adds great flavor. Alternately, you can either use pre cooked corn, or microwave the fresh kernels.
- Assemble your salad. On a bed of spinach and arugula, arrange your chicken, pineapple and veggies. Serve along with the dressing.
Notes
- To cook the chicken on stovetop, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken 5-7 minutes per side, until it reaches an internal temperature for 165°F. Remove to a plate and rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- You can also cook the pineapple on stovetop. In an oiled skillet over medium high heat (you can use the same one as the chicken, either before or after), sear 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and slightly caramelized.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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