A gorgeous, colourful salad loaded with tropical Hawaiian flavours! Lots of healthy greens, chicken marinated in pineapple and coconut, coconut rice, drizzled with a tasty cilantro / coriander lime dressing.
Now THIS is what I call a proper salad! Plus it’s transforming leftovers from a recipe I posted a few weeks ago. Thrifty, convenient, healthy, satisfying and super tasty. What more can you ask for in a salad??
A TROPICAL CHICKEN SALAD!!
This recipe is based on this Hawaiian Coconut Pineapple Chicken Skewers and Coconut Lime Cilantro (Coriander) Rice I posted a few weeks ago. It’s a re-purpose of leftovers and I enjoyed the salad so much, I decided to share it here.
Truth be told, much of what I share here on RecipeTin Eats is a consequence of a never-ending plan to use up ingredients I have in the fridge or freezer. Between client photography assignments, my monthly feature in Super Food Ideas magazine and the recipes I share here, excess ingredients is a regular “problem” I have. I actually have a whiteboard on my fridge on which I map out ideas all stemming from a list of “MUST USE” items.
I hate waste. I was brought up being scolded if I didn’t clear my plate. “A farmer worked hard to grow that rice!”, my mother scold, if I dared to leave a single grain of rice in my bowl.
OK, a little off track here. Back to the salad!
So it starts with a tasty coconut-pineapple marinated chicken using the same marinade as the Hawaiian Chicken Skewers. There is actually enough marinade in that recipe to sneak in the chicken breast for this recipe. 🙂
Or you could marinate the chicken for the skewers for 24 hours, take it out then marinate the breast for the next 24 hours.
Then add a stack of greens. After all, this is a pretty full loaded salad! I rummaged through my fridge to use what I had on hand, but really, the sky’s the limit.
I also used leftover Coconut Cilantro/Coriander Rice which I served as a side for the Hawaiian Chicken Skewers. It’s a perfect match for this salad, and a great way to fill it out!
PS This recipe calls for a can of pineapple pieces. So I use the juices for the marinade and sear the pieces to throw into the salad. 🙂
Regular readers know that salad isn’t really my “thing”. I should share more of them. It just takes a lot for me to get excited about a salad.
THIS I’m excited about. A salad worth sharing! – Nagi x
MORE CHICKEN SALADS YOU’LL LOVE
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More giant Salads for Meals
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Hawaiian Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- Marinade (Note 1):
- 1/3 cup coconut milk (from a can)
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from can, save pineapple pieces)
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce/ketchup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 tsp EACH onion powder , cumin, paprika, ginger powder, salt
- Chicken & Salad:
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large chicken breast , halved horizontally
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup pineapple pieces (from can)
- 4 - 6 cups chopped lettuce
- 1/2 avocado , cut into wedges
- 1/2 red onion , finely sliced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1 small carrot, finely shredded
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups Coconut Lime Cilantro / Coriander Rice (Note 2)
- Dressing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander
- 1/2 garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together Marinade ingredients, marinate chicken for minimum 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Shake Dressing ingredients together in a jar, set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a non stick skillet over high heat (or BBQ). Add chicken and cook each side for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes, then slice thickly.
- Sear 1/2 cup pineapple pieces and corn in the skillet until golden.
- Pile salad ingredients on a platter and top with sliced chicken. Drizzle over Dressing. Serve and pretend you're in Hawaii!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer – Because he didn’t realise there was chicken in this salad, he was off snoozing in the sun somewhere. Probably on the sun lounge. As he does.
He lives a hard, hard life……
PPS Dozer makes regular appearances on Instagram too…..in case FOOD isn’t enough of an incentive for us to be friends on Instagram! 😉
This is a really simple full of flavour recipe that my kids BOTH love (rare). Give it a go!
I haven’t made my first batch of Hawaiian chicken salad based on this recipe, but by reading it I know it is going to be delicious.
Made this tonight, ate it with my family outside under a gum tree with a glass of sparkling white. As happy as I have been in a long time! Everyone loved it. I added a little more rice as a base, and I substituted lemon for lime but still delicious. Nagi, you are amazing.
our first salad of summer and what a delight! I made the corriander lime rice to go with, and added a few spears of asparagus and some snow peas that needed to be eaten up. So colourful!
I made this last night it was incredible
I can honestly say this is one of the best salads I have ever eaten!! I literally devoured it! Everything worked so well together. I wanted to try the coconut lime rice, so specifically made a batch of it to go with the salad. The best part of it afterwards my husband stated that the salad was so good, that he had completely forgotten about his sciatica!! Later on he asked what I sprinkled on the salad as the back pain was gone and he felt calmer as well – this will now be called the Magical Hawaiian Chicken Salad in our household 🙂
Hi Nagi, I absolutely love this recipe! It is in regular rotation and gets devoured by my family every time.
Wondering if it’s fine to freeze the chicken in the marinade?
Thanks!
This salad is one of my absolute favorite things. I’ve tried so so many of the recipes on here and this one remains my stand out favorite. I usually will add in fresh bell peppers but otherwise don’t change a thing because its perfect. I have no self control when it comes to this meal and cannot praise it highly enough
Woah thanks for letting me know Andi!
This was dinner tonight. Another wow!!! Now wondering if this is my go to salad other than the Mexican???
The only thing my partner didn’t like was the macadamia nuts I threw on….note to self …don’t change Nagi’s recipes. 😁
BA HA HA!!!! Too funny! I personally think macadamia nuts would be fab in this 🙂 So pleased you both enjoyed this Steven, thanks for letting me know! N x
I know I’m a little late to the party, but I just found you site. It’s amazing! Made this salad last night everyone loved it. Even the picky neighbor, who thinks salad is not an entree, asked for more. And was like “this is really good”. My one comment, I’m a grocery shopper….who follows a list militantly. There are carrots pictured, but not in the recipe. A little disappointed when I did a last minute double check to compare my dish with the picture and was missing the carrots. I almost alway have some in the house, but we’re in the process of moving and I’m only keeping necessities in the house, so we went with out. Just an FYI. Love the blog, and Dozer. You
It’s never too late to join this party! 😉 I am so bummed that this recipe has been up all this time and missing the carrot. I’m so terribly sorry. Updating it now! N xx
Used chicken thighs instead, and I hardly ever follow the recipe exactly … but your recipes always turn out great regardless. Great flavours, chicken + pineapple + corn + coriander = yummo. One to print and make again, good enough to serve to friends now that summer is finally here!!!
Woo hoo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Sheila, thanks for letting me know! N x
I made this tonight – it was YUM! I had some leftover roast chicken breast which I used and the overall flavour was still delish. Thanks for posting such tasty and fun recipes!
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Jess!
Oh my goodness…I made this salad and have been DEVOURING it….SOOOOOOO delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Gotta rate this one high, just looking at it. You really ARE great at what you do. I have cooked almost all of my lifetime. Almost for 50 years. A really good cook does exactly what you do. You unilize the leftovers in an attractive and delicious manner, and keep reinventing new and wonderful items. I am like that, so, I have a very healthy respect for you and your photography, and, as well, your culinary expertise in knowing what to put together, be it everyday, or a special “order”. Thanks for the idea, and, I am so pleased I stumbled upon your place. I am sure to become an avid member of yours.
Thank you so much for your lovely message Sue! I’m really touched! 🙂 I am definitely all about reinventing leftovers. Big on it because waste just KILLS ME!!! My mother did a good job brainwashing me growing up! 🙂 N x
Wait WHEN was the pineapple tormenting you?? Because I feel like you could have chucked it in here. LOLZ!!!!! ?
Don’t even….you KNOW that was a thorn in my backside!!! 😉
Ok, so I tried to email your recipe to my email, and it made me join a certain sight, so I did. I still couldn’t email the recipe to myself, so guess what, I took a picture of it and emailed to myself. What is the issue here???? Your recipes aren’t that special, sorry!!
Hi there! Sorry to hear you are having problems. You should just be able to click the Email button at the top of the post to send it to yourself, that didn’t work? Do you want me to email it to you?
I tried the email recipe link as well, comes up with this funny error:
Email Protection
You are unable to access this email address recipetineats.com
The website from which you got to this page is protected by CloudFlare. Email addresses on that page have been hidden in order to keep them from being accessed by malicious bots. You must enable Javascript in your browser in order to decode the e-mail address.
If you have a website and are interested in protecting it in a similar way, you can sign up for CloudFlare.
Golly that sounds ominous! Thanks for letting me know Sheila, I’ll look into it 🙁
Now look – the salad’s amazing, there’s no doubt about that, and I’ve been craving this sort of thing lately.
But are you telling me with this picture of Dozer that you live THAT close to the sea – that you have THAT view? If you are, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to talk to you again. I’ll just be TOO envious! 🙂
So come over and stay! You and Dozer can share the sun lounge 😉 N x
I am with you on the wastage, I hate it! My mom used to say that a farmer worked hard to grow and or tender to the animals too. It is such a great way to create amazing recipes using recipes, some of my most favourite eats come from doing just that. Loving your salad, looks gorgeous and makes me wish for summer.
It’s so cool reading about how many of us heard that from our moms when we were growing up!!! N x
Such a brilliant idea to add coconut rice into a salad! Don’t know why I have never thought of that. Thanks for the inspo!
Thanks Rachel!! Coconut rice is a fab addition to MANY things, so good I can totally eat it PLAIN!!! N x
update on the Peruvian Roast Chicken with Garlic Butter Rice and your delightful chocolate cake for desert………………….my guest stated they thought they had died and gone to heaven…. thank you for three fabulous recipes. They all took a little ‘doggie’ bag home
You ROCK Jane!!! I am just so thrilled you try my recipes, thank you! N x