Pina Colada Chicken Salad

Chicken salad can obviously be made year-round, but it feels like a summer staple. There’s something kind of refreshing about it.

One of the great things about chicken salad is that it can be made into a million different variations. My absolute favorite chicken salad is at a restaurant on Mackinac Island called Mary’s Bistro. Their chicken salad is on the sweeter side with mango chutney and cherries. They serve it on a bed of lettuce with crostini.

That was the inspiration behind this recipe for pina colada chicken salad. The coconut I used isn’t sweet, and it gives the chicken salad a nutty flavor, especially when combined with macadamia nuts. I thought it would be a good contrast in flavors to the sweetness of the pineapple in the recipe.

For the dressing, I used a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt to cut down on calories and add a little more protein. I also added a little bit of coconut milk to really enhance the nuttiness of the coconut. If you don’t have coconut milk, don’t sweat it! You could use a little pineapple juice and make it a little sweeter instead.

I served the chicken salad over romaine lettuce with red peppers and crostini that I made from a pre-sliced French baguette. If you prefer to eat it as a sandwich, I recommend Hawaiian buns for an extra dose of tropical flavor.

Side note: The chicken salad’s flavor develops more after about a day in the refrigerator, as is the case with most salads like this.

Pina Colada Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken salad

• 3 cups cooked (about 1 pound), shredded chicken (or the meat from 1 rotisserie chicken)
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 1/3 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup macadamia nut,s chopped and toasted

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Mix the chicken salad ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Mix the Greek yogurt, mayo, coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over chicken salad ingredients, and story until everything is coated in the dressing.
3. Serve on a bed of lettuce with red bell pepper and crostini or on a Hawaiian bun.