Spicy Pineapple Sriracha Chicken Salad

The homemade sweet-and-spicy dressing gives this easy Pineapple Sriracha Chicken Salad a bright, lively flavor. It’s a healthy, refreshing option for warm evenings and makes a great summer dinner.

I go through salad phases a couple times a year. We eat salads year-round because they’re healthy and satisfying, but at the start of the year and again in spring I tend to eat even more of them. After holiday indulgences or when shorts-and-tee season arrives, a big vibrant salad for dinner is exactly what I want. Everyone in my family happily joins in—especially when the salad bowl looks like a colorful beach ball before it’s tossed.

I love fruit in salads—there’s something about juicy fruit paired with greens and chicken that makes a salad feel fresh and complete. A while back I made a strawberry-orange spinach salad and fell in love with that sweet-savory contrast. Recently, a flyer for a new smoothie-and-wrap shop mentioned a pineapple sriracha drizzle on one of their wraps. That combination—pineapple, sriracha, and chicken—stuck with me, and I knew I wanted it on a big green salad.

The wrap I saw included carrots, pineapple, chicken, and a pineapple salsa, so I used those same ingredients for this salad. I also added red pepper for color and crunch—otherwise it might languish in the crisper. For the dressing I blended crushed pineapple with Greek yogurt, Sriracha, honey, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic. The result was creamy, slightly sweet, with a pleasant spicy kick. One taste and I knew it was a keeper.

I couldn’t wait until dinner, so I tossed a small portion of the leftover chicken and veggies with that dressing for lunch. It was bright, colorful, and exactly what I wanted on a warm day. The salad is easy to prep ahead: make the dressing and chop the ingredients in advance, then just assemble and toss when it’s time to eat.

Recipe

Pineapple Sriracha Chicken Salad

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This salad pairs tender grilled chicken and juicy pineapple with a homemade sweet-and-spicy Sriracha dressing. It’s light, flavorful, and perfect for summer dinners or meal prep.

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

For the Salad

• 4–5 cups spring salad mix
• 3 grilled chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup diced red pepper
• 1 (21 oz) can pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained
• 1 (8 oz) block mozzarella, cubed
• ¼ cup diced cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine the Greek yogurt, crushed pineapple, Sriracha, olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, and minced garlic in a blender or food processor.
2. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Transfer the dressing to a jar and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Lay the spring mix in a large salad bowl.
4. Top with grilled chicken, red onion, shredded carrots, red pepper, pineapple chunks, mozzarella, and cilantro.
5. Toss the salad with dressing just before serving, adding as much as you like. Serves 6.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 460
Total Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 133mg
Sodium: 639mg
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 32g
Protein: 41g

*This post originally included product recommendations and affiliate links; the recipe and tips here focus on the salad and dressing so you can recreate it easily at home.