This Hawaiian Chicken Salad with Pineapple makes a great healthy snack or lunch for toddlers and kids, and is a perfect after-school snack!
Make this super easy chicken salad on a busy day with just 5 ingredients. This recipe has no raw ingredients so you can have your kids help you make it!
If you're new here, this blog is about helping parents of toddlers who are picky eaters overcome picky eating and learn to eat lots of new foods. (If you want to read more about overcoming picky eating, you can start here.)
Anytime I make something that my picky toddler loves, I always share the recipe with you! This recipe was originally posted on my recipe blog Babaganosh (Hawaiian Chicken Salad with Pineapple), but I absolutely needed to share this salad here with you!
My 3 year old son LOVED this chicken salad with pineapple - and so did my husband and I.
Related recipe: 3 Ingredient Tuna Salad
Hawaiian chicken salad with pineapple
This chicken salad has little bits of diced pineapple and ham, giving it lots of flavor and making it more exciting than the typical chicken salad. The bits of pineapple throughout the whole salad give it little juicy bursts of flavor.
I think the pineapple is what kept my toddler coming back for more and more of this chicken salad!
You can use fresh or canned pineapple for this salad. Of course, canned is easier - just make sure to get the pineapple chunks or circles in 100% juice or water, not in syrup.
The diced ham also adds a bit of flavor and nice saltiness to this chicken salad. If you can find smoked ham, that would be really good in here too!
Related recipe: Mini Chicken Quesadillas
What kind of chicken to use
You can use almost any chicken for chicken salad:
- Rotisserie chicken – use the chicken breast and add a bit of dark meat and shred or chop it up and mix together
- Leftover cooked chicken (grilled or pan-fried) – shred it with a fork or dice it into small cubes
- Canned chicken – drain it well, and use it for this salad
- Add extra chicken to this toddler-friendly chicken noodle soup and then reserve some for this salad!
The canned chicken is probably one of the most toddler-friendly chicken textures for picky eaters because it's so soft and barely requires chewing. I recommend it as one of the first meats to try if your toddler won't eat meat.
The other ingredients for this salad are simply diced scallions and mayo. You can add some salt and pepper, or lemon juice if you want, or you can swap half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt if you want to reduce the fat and add even more protein to this salad.
Related recipe: Mini Broccoli Quesadillas
Other chicken salad add-ins
If you want to switch things up more or add some more nutritious ingredients, you can add any of the following to this salad:
- Finely diced celery
- Finely diced bell peppers, or jalapenos for some kick if your child doesn't mind spice
- Fresh or dried herbs, such as parsley, oregano, or basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Grated sharp cheddar or Gouda or any other cheese
- Toasted slivered almonds
- Sliced grapes
- Dried cranberries
- Paprika or smoked paprika
Related recipe: Air Fryer Carrot Fries
A perfect snack for kids and the whole family
This salad is the perfect easy snack for kids. It has just 5 ingredients and is ready in about 5 minutes.
It has no raw ingredients, so kids as young as ~2 years old can help you mix it together! I love getting my son involved in preparing his meals because when he is more likely to give food a try if he sees the ingredients going in and knows what to expect when he takes a bite.
My toddler ate this Hawaiian chicken salad with crackers and a side of pineapple, and he absolutely loved it!
My husband and I also have this chicken salad for lunch in a sandwich or as a lighter lunch / snack in lettuce wraps. Either way, the whole family enjoys this high protein snack!
Looking for other easy recipes to make with toddlers and for toddler meals?
- 3 Ingredient tuna salad
- Taco pinwheels
- Ham egg and cheese breakfast pockets
- Tuna nuggets
- Mashed potato nuggets
- Mini broccoli quesadillas
- Mini chicken quesadillas
- Easy toddler-friendly Instant Pot recipes for picky eaters
- Kid friendly air fryer recipes for picky eaters
Looking for picky eater resources to help your little one eat better?
- Feeding therapy for picky eating
- How to feed a toddler who refuses to eat
- Food chaining - how to get a toddler to eat tomatoes
- How much protein toddlers need plus lots of non-meat protein ideas
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Hawaiian Chicken Salad with Pineapple
This Hawaiian-inspired chicken salad with pineapple and ham makes a great kid snack or lunch and is ready in just 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- ½ cup diced or chopped ham
- ½ cup pineapple chunks, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste
- 1 scallion, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste (start with up to ¼ tsp each)
- Bread, wraps, or crackers for serving, and see notes for other optional add-ins for the chicken salad
Instructions
Combine the chicken, pineapple, ham, mayonnaise, and chopped scallion in a large bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve in a sandwich, in lettuce wraps, in a wrap, or with crackers.
Notes
Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: you can use rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked chicken, or drained cooked chicken
- If you use canned pineapple, make sure it's packed in water or pineapple juice (not syrup), and that it's not crushed pineapple
Other add-ins:
- Finely diced celery
- Finely diced bell peppers, or jalapenos for some kick (if your child likes that!)
- Fresh or dried herbs, such as parsley, oregano, or basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Grated sharp cheddar or Gouda, or any other cheese
- Toasted slivered almonds
- Sliced grapes
- Dried cranberries
- Lemon juice or lime juice (a splash - up to a tablespoon)
- Paprika or smoked paprika
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 354mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 15g
The nutritional information provided is just an estimate based on the chicken salad only and will vary based on the actual ingredients you use. If you are tracking nutrition for yourself or your child, check with a nutritionist, dietitian, or pediatrician about whether this recipe is right for you or your child.