Grilled Polynesian Chicken Salad
Grilled Polynesian Chicken Salad with sweet pineapple, blue cheese, and a light vinaigrette, fresh, flavorful and perfect for summer.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 730kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 pieces)
- Marinade:
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper OR to taste
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- Salad Fixins:
- 12 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 large English cucumber julienned
- 1 large carrot peeled and julienned
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 2 cups pineapple chunks
- 8 oz crumbled gorgonzola or bleu cheese
Instructions
- Marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Season the chicken breasts lightly with additional salt and black pepper arrange in a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade on top. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill and marinate overnight.
- Vinaigrette: Whisk together the pineapple juice, white balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and red pepper flakes. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture, whisking vigorously while you pour. The vinaigrette should slightly thicken. Chill until serving. Shake well before serving.
- Chicken: Preheat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and discard remaining marinade.
- Grill chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces. Grill until the juices run clear. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Assemble the Salads: Arrange salad greens on a plate or platter. Dress with julienned cucumber and carrot. Add thinly sliced strips of red onion, red bell pepper and sugar snap peas.
- Top with fresh pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of bleu cheese. Slice the chicken and arrange on top.
- Serve drizzled with the pineapple vinaigrette.
Notes
- Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list. The marinade and vinaigrette are both homemade. Should you prefer, you can take shortcuts for both depending on available prep time.
- Chicken - You can use bone in chicken pieces or boneless chicken thighs. Adjust the grilling time for cooking bone-in chicken will take longer. Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer looking for 165°F.
- Marinade Shortcut - You can use a bottle of store-bought marinade to save time. You can use Lawry's, KC Masterpiece, Robert Rothchild or your favorite brand. If you prefer to take a shortcut utilizing a prepared bottled marinade, choose one that has pineapple included to complement the fresh pineapple topping and vinaigrette.
- Vegetables - There's plenty of room here to customize the salad ingredients to your personal taste. Use cucumber, red onion, sugar snap peas, carrots, purple cabbage, green onions, mushrooms or bean sprouts for texture.
- Fresh Herbs - You could use chopped chives, cilantro or Thai basil in place of parsley.
- Allow Time for the Chicken to Marinate - Marinating the chicken overnight, will give the flavors time to permeate the chicken breasts and infuse them with flavor.
- Vinaigrette - If you prefer to take a shortcut utilizing a prepared bottled vinaigrette, choose one that has pineapple included to complement the fresh pineapple topping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1748mg | Potassium: 1222mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 4296IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 272mg | Iron: 3mg