Hawaiian Chicken Salad (Printable)

Tropical mix of chicken, pineapple, grapes and macadamia in a creamy lime-honey dressing—light, fresh, crowd-pleasing.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (grilled or poached)

02 - 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced (or canned, drained)

03 - 1 cup celery, sliced thinly

04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

06 - 1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved

07 - 1/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped (optional)

08 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise

09 - 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or extra mayonnaise for dairy-free)

10 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

11 - 2 tsp honey

12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard

13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

14 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

15 - Butter lettuce leaves, for serving (optional)

01 - In a large mixing bowl, place the diced chicken breast, pineapple, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, grapes, and macadamia nuts.

02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until completely smooth.

03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.

04 - Refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes to allow flavors to integrate.

05 - Arrange salad over butter lettuce leaves if desired and sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley before serving.

01 -

You get to play with sweet, savory, and crunchy all in one bite—no bite is ever boring.
It's a crowd-pleaser that looks as vibrant as it tastes, and you can make it ahead for any gathering.

02 -

If you skip chilling, the flavors won’t meld and the salad can taste flat—I learned this while serving impatiently to guests once.
Toasting the nuts really matters; untoasted macadamias can taste waxy instead of nutty.

03 -

Cut everything small and even so you get a bit of everything in each forkful.
If you have time, chill the salad overnight—the flavors deepen and it somehow tastes even more tropical.