Home > Dinner > Pineapple Chicken Salad Pineapple Chicken Salad May 7, 2019 | 19 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. 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. Pineapple Chicken Salad variation ideas Chicken Pineapple Salad with mayonnaise: This recipe calls for mayo and sour cream, which I’ve found to be the best combo. In a pinch, you can use just mayo. Weight Watchers® Pineapple Chicken Salad: The Weight Watchers recipe uses light mayo in place of full fat, which you can also do for this recipe. Pineapple Chicken Salad with fresh pineapple: Place 1 cup of fresh-cut pineapple chunks in a blender and put on the chop setting for about 15 to 30 seconds. Pour out your newly crushed pineapple into a fine-mesh sieve to drain off the additional liquid and it’s ready to add in. (See how to cut a pineapple here.) Switch up the nuts: Instead of almonds, you can use toasted (chopped) pecans. For a fun tropical twist, use some toasted (finely chopped) macadamia nuts! Pineapple Chicken Salad with mandarin oranges: Chop canned (and drained) mandarin oranges to get about 1/2 cup and then stir in gently. Pineapple Chicken Salad with grapes: Halve or quarter washed green or red grapes to get about 1/2 cup. Stir in gently. 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. FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Pineapple Chicken Salad 5 from 11 votes - Review this recipe Fifteen-minute Pineapple Chicken Salad, served on croissants or in a lettuce wrap, is a delicious and fun twist on typical chicken salad! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Pineapple Chicken Salad 5 from 11 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Fifteen-minute Pineapple Chicken Salad, served on croissants or in a lettuce wrap, is a delicious and fun twist on typical chicken salad! Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Sandwich Cuisine American Keyword Pineapple Chicken Salad Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 15 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 457kcal Author Chelsea Lords Ingredients▢ 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 (Note 1)▢ 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (~2 stalks)▢ 2 tablespoons red onion finely diced▢ 1/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise▢ 2 tablespoons sour cream (fat-free or light is great!)▢ 1 tablespoon honey▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard▢ 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice▢ Salt and pepper▢ Serve with Croissants or other sandwich bread/rolls (add some lettuce for a sandwich)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsIn a large bowl, combine the chopped rotisserie chicken, thoroughly drained crushed pineapple, honey roasted almonds, sliced celery, and red onion. Stir to combine.In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, honey, Dijon 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 of 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 NotesNote 1: I use Fresh Gourmet® Honey Roasted Sliced Almonds (not sponsored, just a fan) which add an incredible flavor and don't get soggy. If not using these almonds, I recommend toasting the almonds before adding them in. To toast almonds, pour the almonds into an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil or anything) nonstick skillet over medium heat and stir them around a bit until they are fragrant, lightly browned, and toasted to your liking. Watch carefully to avoid burning the almonds. (They can go from toasted to burned very quickly!) Nutritional information is for the chicken salad only and does not include the croissant or bread. Nutrition FactsCalories: 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 We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
It’s truly quick, easy and healthy to make for every day dit menu. And I’m obsessed with chicken salad too :P. Reply
The taste is really delicious and decorating is so beautiful. My children love it so much. They ask me cooking this recipe frequently. Thank you so much for your creative and sharing Reply
I had been meaning to make pineapple chicken salad even before I found out my husband was diabetic. I found your recipe and decided to make it. I followed the recipe to a “T”. It was delicious. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the carb county was only 24 g! I mentally added it up, and I think that was for the whole entire salad, not just one serving. Hubby loved it! I put it on a couple slices of sprouted wheat bread, and he still had room for a few chips and a small scoop of sherbet. Win! Reply
OMG, this is insanely delicious!! Did not add onion because l am not a raw onion person, but such a wonderful recipe. The dressing is perfect…l added a few shakes of cayenne for a spark. Going to be my new go to!! Reply
I doubled the recipe to serve at my church ladies luncheon. It was a tad dry after mixing so I added some crushed pineapple and liquid to the consistency I wanted. omg! This recipe made me a rockstar! Thank you! Reply
Is the nutrition information for your pineapple chicken salad per serving or for the entire salad? I’m wondering because my husband has to watch salt intake. … The recipe sounds delicious. I am going to try it today. Reply
