Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette

by Sabrina Snyder

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38 Comments

5 from 5 votes
4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Light and refreshing, this Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette is a total island escape in a crunchy salad form.

This Salad is a fun choice for lunch or dinner. Not feeling tropical? Try a Chinese Chicken Salad or Grilled Chicken Salad instead!

Sabrina’s Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette Recipe

I promised you that there would be a round two to the Macadamia Crusted Chicken recipe, and here it is! It is a really easy reinvention, turning the chicken into a salad topper and the salsa into a dressing in about 30 seconds.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette Recipe

Light and refreshing, this Tropical Luau Macadamia Chicken Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette is a total island escape in a crunchy salad form.
Yield 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Tropical
Author Sabrina Snyder
island salad with dressing on side
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

Dressing

  • 1 cup Pineapple Salsa
  • 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • 6 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Put mixed greens in a bowl.
  • Top with pineapple and macadamia nuts.
  • Chop up leftover macadamia chicken. Great eaten cold, or you can put in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

To make dressing:

  • Combine leftover pineapple salsa with rice vinegar, olive oil and cilantro in food processor until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 992kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 753mg | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1067IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 7mg

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Sabrina Tips

To add crunch, top the salad with wonton strips. You can buy these pre-made if you would like, or make them fresh! Using wonton wrappers, cut them into half-inch wide strips and fry them in canola oil for about 20 seconds. Then let them drain and cool on a baking sheet. Make a big batch and use them on other salads through out the week for some extra crunch too!

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About this Recipe

Mixed greens are topped with fresh chopped pineapple, macadamia nuts, crispy wonton strips and leftover crispy chicken. I re-imagine the salsa into a delicious vinaigrette with the addition of rice vinegar and olive oil. This salad is a tropical escape! Even with the addition of the olive oil, this dressing is a light accompaniment to the salad. You can also use grilled chicken in this salad; the rest of the flavors are bright enough that it will still be completely delicious.

How to Store

Store: If you don’t think you’ll finish the salad in one sitting, leave the dressing on the side. This way you can store the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll stay good separately for 3-5 days.

Freeze: Both the salad and the dressing are best fresh, and neither will freeze well.

More Refreshing Salads!

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Photos used in the previous post

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About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Macadamia nut covered chicken sounds exactly what I have been craving without knowing! This looks incredible!

    Reply

  5. Yum, I can see using this with my vegetarian chicken for an absolutely delicious meal. The flavors look fantastic.

    Reply

  6. Great use of those extra wontons I need to remember that idea! This looks delish, now if you came over and made me some I would provide the wine! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Haha, I love that! At home, I cook and he cleans. With friends I cook they bring drinks! Works great for everyone!

      Reply

  7. I have been seeking some new salad recipes. I am loving the fresh flavors incorporated into this one. Especially the nuts. YUM! Pinned & Yummed!

    Reply

  10. Congrats on the anniversary, the re-tweet and turning one dish into two! I would call that a hat trick! Looks amazing!

    Reply

  12. I DO love summer salad season, and this one will just fill the bill I think. PLUS I love any salad with surprise crispy bits. Wontons are a clever addition. Kudos!

    Reply

    1. I love making dressings! When you compare the cost to a good quality one in a grocery store, you’ll never go back!

      Reply

      1. Oh it is so easy! I usually toss all the ingredients into my mini food processor, it is done in seconds!

        Reply

  16. If I could get my son and my hubby to like nuts I would be all over this! I LOVE these nuts! The are by far my favorite! Maybe I will make this next time they are out of town! ; )

    Reply

  19. This salad is totally exploding with delicious flavors – I love the fruity sweetness from the pineapples and the crunch from the wonton wrappers!

    Reply

    1. Me too! I love fresh wonton strips, I had to stop myself from eating them all as I was making them!

      Reply