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This Hawaiian Chicken Salad is always a refreshing and flavorful salad.

This Hawaiian Chicken Salad is so refreshing and full of flavor!  Tender chicken, scallions, crushed macadamia nuts, pineapple tidbits, celery all mixed up in a garlicky creamy dressing.  This is delicious piled high on a buttery croissants or Hawaiian bread.

 

This chicken salad is refreshing, flavorful and going to be your new favorite this summer! It has everything you could want in chicken salad. Pineapple chunks, crunchy macadamia nuts, green onions, crisp celery, tender chicken all mixed up with a creamy garlic dressing that is to die for!

I love that this chicken salad comes together quickly but is so packed full of flavor and simple ingredients. You already know you can make the chicken salad ahead of time and it just gets better making this perfect to prep at the beginning of the week.  It is our new favorite chicken salad, it has a little taste of the tropics.

This is perfect for serving on buttery croissants or thick sliced bread but you can make lettuce wraps or lettuce cups out of this easy chicken salad recipe for a great way to make easy lunches for the whole family in minutes.

Of course this chicken salad is totally customizable.  You can customize this to your family’s taste and likes.  You can add more veggies, make it a bit spicy, you can totally make this recipe your own and switch things up.

 

This also makes a quick lunch or dinner for those days when you just want a light meal that gets you in and out of the kitchen quick. We make this a lot in the summer because I can make it in the morning before it gets too hot and then we have dinner or lunch ready for us.

Hawaiian Chicken Salad is also perfect for entertaining, get togethers, parties, cookouts, I love packing it for the pool or beach in the summer.

I promise everyone will love this Hawaiian Chicken Salad with it’s tropical taste.

 

Some of our favorite salad recipes we love: Pickle Pasta Salad, Pickle Chicken Salad, Hawaiian Mac Salad.

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy and fast.
• Family friendly.
• Crowd pleaser.
• Easy to take with you.
• Perfect for hot summer days!
• Great make ahead dish.
• Full of flavor.

Substitutions:

You can definitely switch things up here and make this your own. 

• You can use crushed pineapple that is drained instead of the tidbits. 
• Add red onion instead of scallions.
• Add some red pepper flake for a kick.
• Add red bell pepper or green bell pepper for more flavor.
• You can also omit the nuts or switch them out to almonds or cashews if you like.

Serving Suggestions:

This is great on thick slices of hawaiian bread, buttery croissants, hawaiian rolls, tortilla wraps, lettuce wraps or lettuce cups.  It is also great just as a scoop with some crackers. 

You will want to make this easy chicken salad again and again! We do!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe:

Can I use any veggies?

Yes, you could use any veggies you like in this chicken salad.  I like to keep it simple so the pineapple and macadamia nuts shine but feel free to add any veggies you like.  I think red onion would be great, water chestnuts, red bell pepper or green bell pepper.

Can I add spice?

Of course!! Add some diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes to give this chicken salad a kick. 

Can I make this hawaiian chicken salad recipe ahead of time?

Definitely.  I like to make it the day before so the flavors really have time to marinate.

 

Ingredients used for this chicken salad recipe:

• Shredded chicken-  This is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken.  I also like to use a rotisserie chicken for this.
• Pineapple tidbits-  I like that these are not too big or small but you can use drained crushed pineapple or even fresh pineapple.  I think this is the best part!
• Macadamia nuts- I just give these a rough chop to make sure the pieces aren’t too big and they make this salad just so decadent.
• Green onions- I love the color and light onion flavor scallions give this dish but I think red onion would be great in this too!
• Celery-  This adds more great crunch to this chicken salad.
• Mayonnaise-  I always use Duke’s mayo but use your favorite brand!
• Garlic-  You just need a little bit because you don’t want it to overpower the dish.
• Sour cream- This helps give the salad it’s creamy base.  You can also substitute plain greek yogurt.
• Garlic salt-  This adds just a bit more garlic flavor and salt.  You can also use
  garlic powder and a little salt.
• Pepper-  For just a little flavor.
• Cayenne pepper- I add just a tiny bit of this to make it interest without making it too hot but you can add as much as you like or even do red pepper flakes.
• Lemon juice-  This brightens the dish up.
• Poppyseeds-  Just for garnish, it looks makes the chicken salad look great.

How to make this easy chicken salad:

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, pineapple, macadamia, green onions and scallions. 
2. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. 
3. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing.
4. Chill for at least 30 minutes (the longer it chills the better)
5. Garnish with more scallions and poppyseeds.
6. Serve!

How To Store:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Did you make this HAWAIIAN CHICKEN SALAD, tell me how you liked it in the comments! For more delicious family friendly recipes you can follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK 

Want more hawaiian recipes? Check these out!

• Slow Cooker Hawaiian Ribs
• Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
• Hawaiian Baked Beans
• Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ chicken
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This Hawaiian Chicken Salad is so refreshing and full of flavor!  Tender chicken, scallions, crushed macadamia nuts, pineapple tidbits, celery all mixed up in a garlicky creamy dressing.  This is delicious piled high on a buttery croissants or hawaiian bread.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups of shredded chicken
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
• ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
• ¼ cup green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Poppyseeds for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, pineapple, macadamia, green onions and scallions. 

1. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. 
2. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes (the longer it chills the better)
4. Garnish with more scallions and poppyseeds.
5. Serve!

Notes

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
• You can substitute almonds if you prefer.
• You can skip the poppy seeds if you like. 
• You can use fresh pineapple.
• Add grapes if you like!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 804Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 650mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 29g

How To Store:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Did you make this HAWAIIAN CHICKEN SALAD, tell me how you liked it in the comments! For more delicious family friendly recipes you can follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK 

Want more hawaiian recipes? Check these out!

• Slow Cooker Hawaiian Ribs
• Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
• Hawaiian Baked Beans
• Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ chicken
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This Hawaiian Chicken Salad is so refreshing and full of flavor!  Tender chicken, scallions, crushed macadamia nuts, pineapple tidbits, celery all mixed up in a garlicky creamy dressing.  This is delicious piled high on a buttery croissants or hawaiian bread.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups of shredded chicken
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
• ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
• ¼ cup green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Poppyseeds for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, pineapple, macadamia, green onions and scallions. 

1. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. 
2. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes (the longer it chills the better)
4. Garnish with more scallions and poppyseeds.
5. Serve!

Notes

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
• You can substitute almonds if you prefer.
• You can skip the poppy seeds if you like. 
• You can use fresh pineapple.
• Add grapes if you like!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 804Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 650mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 29g