Carolyn J. Braden • 2 Minute Read
How to Make C.J.'s Tropical Chicken Salad
While making our recipe test for Zora’s Chicken Salad, I immediately had an idea to create a tropical fruit version. I knew the savory green onion would pair well with some sweet pineapple and coconut. I wrote down what I wanted to include, tested it and it was an instant hit with me and my husband. We are both chicken salad lovers and if you are too, try this tropical chicken salad recipe.
I love serving mini sandwiches
We love to make chicken salad for dinner. It’s easy, quick and delicious. I like to serve chicken salad on small dinner rolls, as I like to make food “mini” whenever I can. This tropical chicken salad can be made with fresh pineapple like I did, but you can easily use canned pineapple to speed it up. You can even use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or canned chicken to make it even faster.
You can omit the coconut and pecans, but they make this recipe delicious!
Chicken salad is considered to be a staple dish in my home. There are many foods that are considered to be staple foods and sometimes depend on where you are from. For example, chicken and dumplings were something I always ate as a kid, and it’s a southern dish for sure. Read more about some yummy southern staple foods and get their recipes on the Southern Living website.
Delicious tropical chicken salad
Being from Kentucky, there are several food staples that I had no idea were “southern” until I moved to Florida. I tried to find Benedictine while living in Florida and the people working at the grocery stores had never heard of it before. It’s a delicious cream cheese and cucumber spread, but many have never heard of it.
I’m glad chicken salad is a staple food that can be found in many parts of the United States. If it wasn’t, I’d have to do like I did for my Benedictine craving, and just make it all the time myself, which is easy when you like to cook like I do.
I use Sir Kensington’s mayo, but you could use your favorite brand
Learn more about the person that invented Benedictine, Jennie C. Benedict, who actually is from Louisville Kentucky like me, in this fascinating article on the Courier Journal website. I can’t wait to try her recipe for chicken salad and many other Kentucky favorite foods, which can be found in her cookbook The Blue Ribbon Cookbook.
If you have leftover grapes, try using them to create our Boozy Grapes recipe…get it above in our one minute video or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
This chicken salad makes for a quick dinner or lunch recipe
How to Make CJ’s Tropical Chicken Salad
Now for the recipe! I call it C.J.’s because I’m C.J….Carolyn Jennie…and like Jennie Benedict named her cucumber spread “Benedictine”, I figured some of my recipe creations may as well have my namesake in them. Her name, Jennie, is even spelled the same as my middle name!
The taste of this chicken salad is sweet and savory
See me make this recipe in my 1 minute video tutorial below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
To make this delicious chicken salad recipe, you’ll need the following:
Tools: Large glass bowl (or any large mixing bowl), spatula, knife, spreading tool
Time: 15-30 minutes (depending on whether you use a prepared rotisserie chicken or not)
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken breast, shredded (you can use prepared rotisserie chicken to speed it up and I shred chicken easily using two forks or you could also use canned chicken)
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
2 green onions (a little over a ¼ cup), chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup finely chopped pineapple (I used fresh, but you can used canned pineapple as long as you drain it well)
¼ cup finely shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)
¼ heaping cup mayo (or more as needed)
1 cup sliced green grapes (or more or less as you like it)
Salt and pepper to taste
You can use a prepared rotisserie chicken to speed up the recipe
Directions:
1—If needed, cook your chicken breast. If you are using prepared rotisserie, just shred it with two forks. If not, you can either cook your chicken breast in an Instant Pot (here’s Instant Pot directions from All Recipes) or boil it in a saucepan filled with water on high heat for around 15 minutes or until it’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (F). Shred with forks and set aside to cool. If you are using canned, you’ll need several cans and be sure to drain them before adding to a bowl.
This small amount of ginger gives it a warm, not spicy, flavor
2—Peel and chop your ginger. I use a spoon to peel it, which works great!
I use fresh fruit in recipes whenever possible
3— In a mixing bowl, mix together the cooled chicken (I cooled mine for about 15 minutes), ginger, green onion, pecans (if using), coconut, pineapple, mayo, green grapes, and salt and pepper. Stir with a spatula to fully combine.
These mini buns are my favorite way to serve many sandwiches
4—I cut Nature’s Own Brioche Butter Rolls (they are a bit sweet and delicious and I usually find them at Whole Foods) in half with a bread knife and serve the chicken salad on them.
I love the flavor of this tropical chicken salad!
5—Eat and enjoy!
Tips and tricks:
Try adding red grapes, apples or pears instead….lots of fruit tastes good in chicken salad
Omit the ginger and/or coconut if you need to, but it’s actually very tasty in this!
Did you try this recipe or create your own version? Let us know in the comments below!
If you loved this article, we know you’ll love this one too: 4 Ingredient Orange Cream Fruit Dip
Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.