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This Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad is full of things that will remind you of a tropical island getaway, like juicy pineapple and mango, crunch macadamia nuts and a tangy, creamy pineapple barbecue dressing.

A plate of salad on a table

We try to plan a Hawaiian vacation at least once every couple of years. It’s the most relaxing vacation you can imagine, palm trees swaying, the ocean waves gently pounding the shore, and the food. Oh my goodness the food!

A plate of Salad and Chicken

If you’ve read about our most recent Hawaiian vacation at Disney’s Aulani Resort HERE then you have seen some photos of the amazing food at that resort. But there is amazing food everywhere. I’ve shared some of my favorite Hawaiian recipes HERE and HERE. But I think this Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad is my new favorite.

A bowl of Salad

There are bright, crunchy veggies, tender chicken pieces with a sweet and smoky barbecue marinade, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, and tropical fruits of your choice – I love it with pineapple and mango. The creamy pineapple barbecue dressing has a Greek yogurt base with some mayo and sour cream for added creamy texture, pineapple juice and my new favorite barbecue sauce – Heinz Sweet & Smoky Hawaiian Style BBQ Sauce (no this isn’t a sponsored post, I just really loved it!). The sauce is all natural which, if you read labels,not all of them are. It’s just really delicious and adds a nice smoky flavor to both the chicken and the dressing.

A table with ingredients for salad

My inspiration for this Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad came from my love of Hawaiian flavors and my love of the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad from CPK! I mashed the two together and this delightful tropical salad was born. It’s very customizable, as most salads are, so if you don’t love mango, leave it out, or feel free to use almonds instead of macadamia nuts. Do what you love, just make sure you try this salad. It’s perfect for summer!

A bowl of salad

Recipe
A bowl of salad

Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad

5
This Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad is full of things that will remind you of a tropical island getaway, like juicy pineapple and mango, crunch macadamia nuts and a tangy, creamy pineapple barbecue dressing.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Salad

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Hawaiian BBQ Marinade recipe below
  • 4 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
  • 2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
  • 1 cup chopped red cabbage
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 cup diced pineapple fresh or canned
  • 1 cup diced fresh mango
  • 1/2 cup diced green onion
  • Creamy Pineapple BBQ Dressing recipe below
  • Sesame seeds
  • Toasted macadamia nuts or almonds chopped

Hawaiian Barbecue Marinade

  • 1 cup regular or Hawaiian barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 clove of garlic minced

Creamy Pineapple BBQ Dressing

  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup Hawaiian BBQ Sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • Salt pepper, honey, to taste
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Instructions
 

  • Whisk marinade ingredients together in a medium-size bowl. Pour half of the marinade in a zip-top bag and add the chicken breasts and seal. Massage the marinade into the chicken and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, or up to overnight. Store the remaining marinade in a sealed container in the fridge for serving with your meal.
  • Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet (I recommend nonstick because of the sugar in the barbecue sauce) over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the sealed bag and discard any remaining marinade. Cook the chicken, flipping once, until no longer pink (about 4 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the creamy pineapple bbq dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until thick and well combined.
  • Toss chicken, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, pineapple, mango and green onion together in a large bowl with the Pineapple BBQ Dressing. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and macadamia nuts.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

I like to line all the ingredients up on a large platter for guests to admire before tossing it and serving. It's a stunning presentation!
Keyword barbecue chicken, chicken chopped salad

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 19gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 1997mgPotassium: 971mgFiber: 5gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 10600IUVitamin C: 68mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

A close up of a Salad A bowl of Salad

Like my Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad? For more tasty summer salads, try these:

Tropical Chicken Slaw Salad

Tropical Chicken Slaw with Creamy Pineapple Vinegairette, Toasted Almonds & Sesame Seeds

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Teriyaki Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing (Red Robin Copycat)

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Lightened Up Hawaiian Macaroni Salad - Super creamy and much healthier than the classic version of this delicious side dish

Creamy Taco Pasta Salad

Creamy Taco Pasta Salad with pasta, ground beef and all of your favorite taco fillings. For Taco Tuesday dinner, picnics and potlucks.

 For all salads go HERE, for all dinner recipes go HERE and for the recipe index go HERE.

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Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

  1. Treasure @ TreasuredMom says:

    This salad looks amazing, I can just imagine the tangy mango and pineapple with toasted nuts and the delicious Hawaiin BBQ Dressing. I have to ask though, what is Hawaiian BBQ sauce? I make Asian Chicken Salad all the time, and now I’m really excited to try this out. It sound perfect for summer.

    1. Kristin says:

      Sweet Baby Ray’s makes it, but I know there are other brands. It’s a bottled barbecue sauce that’s in the same aisle as the regular barbecue sauce.