Aloha Chicken Salad
This isn’t your grandma’s chicken salad! Try this new and refreshing Aloha Chicken Salad full of sweet and savory tropical flavors on a buttery croissant or homemade wrap!
Hello Dessert Now, Dinner Later fans, it’s Lu from Leesh & Lu’s Recipe Box! I’m here guest posting for Amber while she takes a break to have her baby! My sister, Leesh and I love sharing our favorite tried-and-true recipes.
Today I’m sharing one of our favorite summer salads. Aloha Chicken Salad! It’s as delicious as the title sounds. The base of the salad is some yummy grilled chicken (or shredded if you prefer), then you toss in some celery for a nice crunch and some fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges for some juicy flavor. There is also some shredded coconut, green onion, and some toasted pecans. Mmmm, mmm! It’s tossed lightly with a nutmeg and orange dressing that gives it the perfect flavor and creaminess!
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I love this salad served as a side or a main dish! When we have it as a main dish, we like to serve it in soft wrap bread, but you could also serve it in a store-bought croissant or pita bread. OR if you’re just looking for a salad to bring to a BBQ this summer, it works for that too, it doesn’t need the bread. I love that it can be so versatile! Enjoy!
Aloha Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, or ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 chicken breasts
- 4 cups fresh pineapple, diced
- ¾ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
- ¾ cup pecans toasted, optional
- 2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
- 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained (juice reserved)
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp chicken base, or 1 chicken bouillon cube
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp mandarin orange juice
Instructions
- Combine oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bag or shallow container. Add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinade for 4 to 12 hours. Grill on BBQ until chicken is cooked through. Dice the chicken and add it to a large mixing bowl. If you prefer not to grill the chicken, just shred 3 cups of chicken.
- Add the pineapple, celery, coconut, pecans, and green onion to the mixing bowl with the chicken. Save the oranges to toss in later, since they are more delicate.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and chicken base/bouillon; stir until smooth/no lumps. Add in the nutmeg and orange juice. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Then gently fold in the mandarin oranges so they don’t break up too much.
- Serve as is or in a buttery croissant, a homemade wrap, or pita bread.
Notes
- If you don’t want to use grilled chicken, you can substitute shredded chicken.
- If you use shredded chicken, you can skip the first 6 ingredients, which are part of the marinade.
- This salad is lightly dressed. If you like a creamier salad, you may want to double or 1½ times the dressing recipe.
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Adapted from a recipe given to me (Lu) by my sister-in-law Jayna M., who got it from a friend.
If you like this recipe, you might also like these from Leesh & Lu’s Recipe Box:
I love the flavors of this salad! It looks perfect for a bbq or summer picnic! So light and refreshing!
Oh, Amber, I’m so drooling over these sandwiches. So fun to make and eat. I can’t wait to give them a try!
Thanks Teresa! Lu did a great job on this recipe! I can’t wait to try it as well!