Juicy, grilled chicken on top of shaved cabbage, topped with lots of veggies, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, and crunchies, and drizzled with a unique Mango Vinaigrette. This Tropical Chicken Salad is a vacation on a plate!
Who needs a vacation when you can go to the tropics while sitting at your very own dinner table?!
The answer is me. I still need a vacation.
BUT, this salad is an excellent way to enjoy an explosion of tropical flavors and dream about that vacation that I hope will come someday soon.
I created this recipe after a certain restaurant dashed my food-loving dreams by taking their Pina Colada Salad off the menu… (Lookin’ at you, Zupas. How could you?)
Of course, the Zupas salad was so sweet it felt like I was drinking sugar with a splash of pineapple juice, but STILL, it was good enough that I’m still dreaming of it YEARS later.
Whether or not you’ve also been mourning the loss of this Zupas salad, never fear: this salad kicks that salad in the booty.
I dream about this salad at night (literally have) and start thinking about it at 4 a.m. during my morning run when I know it’s what’s for dinner in 12 hours.
Here’s how this beauty goes:
Grilled coconut pineapple chicken with extra spices hits all the right sweet and savory notes we love. While we’re grilling the chicken, we’ll throw some pineapple rings on there, too, because charred pineapple is just heaven.
It’s time to prep the salad: thinly sliced, almost shaved green and purple cabbage (because two colors are pretty, but you could just pick one if you like), creamy avocados (always), crunchy cucumbers and carrots, tangy Queso Fresco, and then all the crunchy rice noodles and macadamia nuts you can handle (I can handle a lot).
And then the dressing. My heavens. This Mango Vinaigrette is next level. It’s like a burst of sunshine all over this salad with the sweet mango, tangy lime, and spicy Dijon. If the salad alone doesn’t deliver on “tropical” for you, this vinaigrette will seal the deal. My kids literally sipped it by the spoonful. I like to use Pineapple Balsamic Vinegar in this vinaigrette for sweetness and extratropical vibes.
This salad is so good I stopped with my usual happy-seat-bouncing antics and just sighed. Man, it’s good.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS TROPICAL CHICKEN SALAD
- BIG REWARDS: It takes time to whisk up the chicken marinade and shop all the veggies, but I find this so therapeutic. Throw on some music and sip some fizzy water and you’ll discover this bit of prep resulted in huge dinnertime rewards.
- NO ADDED SUGAR VINAIGRETTE: Most dressings this sweet have loads of sugar, but not this one! Use an extra ripe mango and it will give you all the sweetness you need. And if you use this Pineapple Vinegar, it’ll be the most unique dressing you’ve ever tasted.
- HEALTHY: Especially compared to any restaurant style Tropical Salad, this salad is loaded with veggies, protein, and nutrition is GOOD FOR YOU. Your body will thank you.
HOW TO MAKE TROPICAL SALAD AND MANGO VINAIGRETTE
- Marinate the chicken, then grill it with the pineapple slices
- Blend the vinaigrette until smooth
- Prepare the salad ingredients and assemble
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- RIPE MANGO: Look for a super ripe mango. If the mango is green, the dressing will be sour and chalky.
- USE FRESH PINEAPPLE: You’ll be tempted to use a can of pineapple rings, but in my experience, they didn’t grill as well. Go for fresh if you can! Slice the bottom and top off the pineapple, then cut off the sides. Cut into rings, then use a circle cookie cutter or a knife to remove the core from each ring.
- CILANTRO LIME RICE: You can use any rice, but this Cilantro Lime Rice with a hint of creamy coconut milk is the perfect pairing for this salad.
- CABBAGE TIPS: I achieve paper-thin slices of cabbage with a mandoline. Using a knife to slice cabbage is a bit trickier, but it still tastes great. You can always buy a bag of coleslaw mix if you like, too!
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
- VINAIGRETTE: Store Mango Vinaigrette in the fridge in a sealed jar up to 5 days.
- SALAD COMPONENTS: Store each salad ingredient individually in the fridge.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
- VINAIGRETTE: Mango Vinaigrette can be prepared a day or two in advance.
- SALAD COMPONENTS: The following steps can also be done a day or two before: Slice cabbage, dice cucumber, shred carrots, cook the rice, grill the chicken and pineapple. Store each ingredient separately in the fridge. This will make it very fast to assemble on the night you eat it.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH
VARIATIONS
- SALAD GREENS: Swap the cabbage for spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce.
- THE PINEAPPLE: Substitute with mango, mandarin oranges, or even a can of pineapple tidbits.
- CHICKEN: This chicken is incredible, but you can easily use a rotisserie chicken or eat it meat-free.
What do you think? Are you in for a tropical food vacation?
While we all wait for our turn to go on a real tropical vacation, this salad is here for all of us and will put that extra peppy skip in our step that a day on the beach can (well, close, anyway).
I have a feeling this salad is going to make you all VERY happy. It’s such a sunny, cheerful salad and it just makes eating fun, ya know?!
Enjoy!
TRY MORE OF MY FAVORITE SALAD RECIPES!
- Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Peach Vinaigrette
- The BEST Kale Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- 4 Favorite Salad Dressing Recipes
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED
- Blender (I use the smaller blender attachment)
- Pineapple Balsamic Vinegar
Tropical Chicken Salad with Coconut Rice and Mango Vinaigrette
Tropical Chicken Salad with Coconut Rice and Mango Vinaigrette – this salad is like a day on the beach!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Marinade
- 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast, cut or pounded thin
- ⅓ cup lite coconut milk
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- Zest of 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Grilled Pineapple
- 1 pineapple, edges cut off, sliced into rings, then cored
- Olive oil
For the Mango Vinaigrette
- 1 cup cubed mango
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pineapple balsamic vinegar (may substitute with white balsamic vinegar)
- Juice of ½ lime (about 1 Tablespoon), use a full lime if you like it more tart than sweet
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
For the Salad
- 4 cups very thinly sliced napa cabbage
- 1 cup very thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1 – 2 avocados, sliced or diced
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup rice noodles (the Asian-style crunchy noodles in the can)
- ½ cup dry roasted & salted macadamia nuts, chopped
- 1 cup cooked white rice (see notes for this cilantro lime rice recipe)
- Crumbled queso fresco cheese
Instructions
- For the Chicken: Add chicken and marinade ingredients in a ziptop container and let marinate for 6 – 24 hours. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cover with foil and set aside.
- For the Pineapple: Brush the pineapple slices with olive oil and grill until you have grill lines on each side. Cover with foil and set aside.
- For the Vinaigrette: Add vinaigrette ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until the mixture is very smooth. Taste and add honey if too tart or a squeeze of lime juice if too sweet. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water. Pour into a mason jar or other salad dressing dispenser. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the Salad: Divide ingredients onto individual serving plates or make one big salad in a bowl or on a platter. Start with the cabbage on the bottom, then scatter the toppings over the top. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like (which is why I offer a range above). Slice chicken and scatter over the salad. Add halved slices of pineapple rings over the salad.
- Serve the salad immediately with the vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
- Use this recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice for this salad. It is incredible! The little bit of coconut milk in the rice pairs with the salad beautifully.
- Don’t worry about being exact in the amount of ingredients in your salad. Add as much or as little as you want or experiment and add what you have in your fridge!
My husband made this for my birthday dinner and we really liked it! It’s a great mix of bright summer flavors with lots of great texture!