Pineapple Chicken Salad

Fifteen-minute Pineapple Chicken Salad, served on croissants or in a lettuce wrap, is a delicious and fun twist on typical chicken salad!

Serve Pineapple Chicken Salad alongside this Panzanella Salad or this Fruit Salad for a simple and delicious meal that won’t heat up the kitchen.

It’s no secret: I’m obsessed with chicken salad! Variations of the original have made appearances many times throughout the years (hiiii Honey Mustard Chicken Salad, Low-Calorie Chicken Salad Sandwiches, and Pesto Chicken Salad). Today, I’m adding another favorite to the collection: Pineapple Chicken Salad!

I’m a huge fan of fruit in a chicken salad (grapes or dried cranberries are two of my faves), so pineapple is the perfect addition for this slightly tropical chicken salad.

How to make Pineapple Chicken Salad

• Prepare the chicken: To have a true 15-minute prep time, you’ll want to use a rotisserie chicken (pre-shredded rotisserie chicken meat is even quicker!) More on this below.
• Combine salad ingredients: Chopped chicken, almonds, red onion, crushed pineapple, and celery all go in a large bowl.
• Whisk together dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients — give it a quick taste test and adjust to personal preference.
• Combine: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
• Assemble: Spoon the chicken salad right on top of a lettuce leaf, on a slice of bread, or inside a croissant. Assemble the sandwich and enjoy!

Preparing the chicken

There are several ways you can get a nice quantity of cooked chicken to use in Pineapple Chicken Salad.

• I love using rotisserie chicken. I’ve already mentioned it, but rotisserie chicken is fast, flavorful, and tender! I like getting one at the store (or making one homemade) at the beginning of the week and then using it in recipes throughout the week. Check out this post for more details on that process! If you’re really in a time crunch, lots of stores even sell pre-shredded rotisserie chicken meat.
• Alternatively, you can grill the chicken. Pound breasts to even thickness and then generously salt and pepper. Drizzle oil on both sides and grill over medium-high heat (400-450 degrees F), turning once halfway through grilling, about 4-6 minutes per side (until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F.). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes so the juices can re-distribute. Thinly slice and then chop the grilled chicken, and it’s ready for this Pineapple Chicken Salad.
• You can cook the chicken in a crockpot and shred it. Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper and then place in the bottom of a crockpot. Cover the breasts completely with chicken stock or broth. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken, drain the liquid, and chop the cooked breasts for this recipe.

More easy sandwich or wrap recipes

• Southwestern Veggie Hummus Wraps
• Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Turkey Avocado Ranch Club Wraps
• Tuna Salad
• Spinach and Feta Wraps

This recipe is inspired by the pineapple chicken salad recipe served at Jason’s Deli.

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5 from 11 votes

Pineapple Chicken Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Pineapple Chicken Salad is a sweet and savory twist on the typical chicken salad! Ready in 15 minutes, it’s perfect on croissants or tucked into lettuce wraps.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Large bowl

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken chopped into small pieces
• ▢ 1/2 cup crushed pineapple canned in juice (not syrup), thoroughly drained/dried
• ▢ 1/3 cup honey-roasted almonds see note 1
• ▢ 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 2 stalks
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red onion finely diced
• ▢ 1/4 cup mayo full-fat
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sour cream fat-free or light is great!
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Croissants or other sandwich bread/rolls; add some lettuce for a sandwich; for serving

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, combine chopped rotisserie chicken, thoroughly drained crushed pineapple, honey roasted almonds, sliced celery, and red onion. Stir to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, honey, mustard, lemon juice, and a generous (or to taste) sprinkle of salt and pepper. I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour dressing over salad.
• Gently stir all the ingredients together until combined. Taste and adjust for seasonings (salt, pepper, additional lemon, etc.)
• Layer the chicken salad on a croissant or sandwich bread and add some lettuce. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I use Fresh Gourmet® Honey Roasted Sliced Almonds (not sponsored), which add an incredible flavor and don’t get soggy. If not using these almonds, I recommend toasting the almonds before adding. To toast almonds, pour almonds in an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil) nonstick skillet over medium heat and stir a bit until fragrant, lightly browned, and toasted to your liking. Watch carefully. They go from toasted to burned very quickly!

Nutrition Note: Nutritional information is for the chicken salad only and does not include the croissant or bread.

Storage: Store leftover pineapple chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep croissants or lettuce wraps separate to prevent sogginess.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 539mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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