Pineapple Quinoa Salad with Chicken
This Pineapple Quinoa Salad is a delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors, featuring tender chicken, toasted coconut, crunchy pistachios, and juicy pineapple. In this post, I’ll walk you through the simple steps to make it, ingredient swaps to customize it, and meal prep tips—plus creative ways to serve this quinoa salad with pineapple and chicken for a fresh and satisfying meal.”
About This Pineapple Quinoa Salad
A few months ago, I challenged myself to eat gluten-free for a while—not because of an intolerance, but as a way to focus on healthier, whole-food meals.
It was a great experience, but the biggest challenge? Lunchtime.
Sandwiches had been my go-to, and suddenly I had to rethink my meals. That’s when I discovered this Chicken Pineapple Quinoa Salad, and lunch became exciting again!
It’s easy to prepare, hearty enough to keep me full, and packed with flavor and texture. The crunch of nuts, the chewiness of dried pineapple, the nuttiness of toasted coconut—it all comes together in the best way.
You can enjoy it as a side dish, a light meal, or even in lettuce wraps for a fun and fresh take. Best of all, it’s easy to make ahead, making it a great meal-prep option!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
✔ Quick & Easy: Ready in about 30 minutes with minimal prep.
✔ Meal Prep Friendly: Trust me, having a batch of this in the fridge makes busy weekdays so much easier!
✔ Sweet & Savory Balance: I love how the juicy pineapple and crunchy pistachios contrast with the fluffy quinoa.
✔ Totally Customizable: Swap out proteins, nuts, or fruits to fit your taste.
✔ Naturally Gluten-Free: A perfect alternative to sandwich-based lunches.
Essential Tools for Making This Recipe
To prepare this quinoa salad with pineapple and chicken, you’ll need to have a few kitchen tools on hand:
- Measuring Cups & Spoons – For accurate ingredient portions.
- Saucepan with Lid or Instant Pot – For cooking the quinoa. Did you know you can quickly cook quinoa in an Instant Pot? It’s a total game-changer! Check out my Instant Pot Quinoa Tutorial for step-by-step instructions.
- Mixing Bowl – To toss everything together.
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula – For stirring the ingredients.
- Cutting Board & Knife – To chop the chicken and green onions.
Pineapple Quinoa Salad Ingredients
This quinoa pineapple chicken salad is packed with wholesome ingredients. Use this ingredient list to double-check your pantry, fridge, and shopping list before you start cooking!
For the full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions, check out the FREE printable recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
- Uncooked quinoa
- Toasted sesame oil
- Ground ginger, cumin, salt, and crushed red pepper
- Cooked chicken breast (rotisserie or canned works well!)
- Chopped pistachios
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped dried pineapple
- Flaked, unsweetened coconut (toasted for extra flavor!)
Ingredient Customization & Substitutions
This pineapple chicken salad with quinoa is super versatile! You can adjust or swap ingredients based on your preferences—check out the substitution ideas below:
- Try a different protein – Swap chicken for Caribbean grilled chicken, cilantro lime chicken, or cumin lime pork. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken for a quick and easy option.
- Use a different nut – Try cashews or macadamia nuts instead of pistachios.
- Fresh vs. Dried Pineapple – Prefer fresh pineapple? Check out my tutorial on how to cut pineapple.
- Switch up the fruit – Add mango, mandarin oranges, or even both for juicy fruit in your tropical quinoa salad.
- Grain swap – Use rice instead of quinoa for a different texture. Try this coconut rice for even more tropical flavor!
How to Make Pineapple Quinoa Salad
This pineapple quinoa salad is incredibly simple to prepare, making it a great option for a quick meal or meal prep. Below is just a quick overview of the process:
- Cook the quinoa – Bring water to a boil, add quinoa and sesame oil, then simmer until absorbed.
- Prepare the seasoning – Mix ground ginger, cumin, salt, and crushed red pepper.
- Combine the ingredients – Toss the cooked quinoa with the spices, chicken, pistachios, green onions, dried pineapple, and coconut.
- Serve warm or chilled!
The above is simply a quick summary of this tropical quinoa salad recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use pre-cooked chicken – This recipe is perfect for using up leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Cook quinoa in an Instant Pot – It’s quick and easy! Check out my Instant Pot Quinoa tutorial.
- Toast the coconut for extra flavor – The first time I made this, I skipped toasting the coconut, and let me tell you—never again! Toasting it makes such a difference in flavor, and it only takes a couple of minutes. Learn how to do it with my toasted coconut tutorial.
- Shred chicken easily – Follow my chicken shredding tutorial.
Make-Ahead Tips
Meal prepping a few of the ingredients ahead of time makes this pineapple quinoa salad even easier to throw together for a quick and satisfying lunch. Below are a few simple ways to get ahead on prep!
- Cook the quinoa ahead of time – Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Pre-chop the ingredients – Having everything ready makes assembling a breeze.
- Toast the coconut and nuts in advance – Once it has cooled after toasting, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (such as your pantry).
Ways to Serve Pineapple Quinoa Salad
This pineapple chicken salad with quinoa is delicious on its own, but here are some fun ways to serve it:
- In Lettuce Wraps – I love eating this salad chilled, straight from the fridge, but wrapping it in crisp lettuce leaves takes it to a whole new level! It makes a great handheld lunch option, and adding lettuce is a great way to include more vegetables.
- As a Side Dish – Pair it with grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp for a complete meal.
- Over Greens – Serve it over baby spinach or arugula for a heartier salad.
Storage Instructions
Meal Prep: Divide into portions for easy grab-and-go lunches.
Refrigeration: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Pineapple Quinoa Salad FAQs
Got questions about making this quinoa pineapple salad? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have more!
Can I use canned chicken instead of fresh?
Yes! This recipe works great with canned, rotisserie, or freshly cooked chicken.
Can I make this salad vegetarian?
Absolutely! Just leave out the chicken. If you want extra protein, I recommend adding in chickpeas or edamame in place of the chicken.
Can I use fresh pineapple instead of dried?
Yes! Fresh pineapple adds even more juicy sweetness—just chop it into small pieces.
How long does this salad stay fresh?
Stored properly, this salad will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
Try This Pineapple Quinoa Salad!
This tropical quinoa salad is fresh, flavorful, and so easy to make! Whether you enjoy it for lunch, meal prep, or a light dinner, it’s a delicious way to add more variety to your meals.
Did you try it? Leave a comment below and let me know how you customized it!
On Instagram? Tag me @goodlifeeats with #goodlifeeatsrecipes so I can see your delicious salad creations!
More Fresh & Flavorful Salad Recipes
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This Vegetarian Taco Salad is bursting with textures and flavors! Crunchy tortilla chips, creamy avocado, canned black beans, juicy tomatoes, and more get tossed in a fresh cilantro lime vinaigrette.
Take advantage of tomato season while it lasts by making this hearty Italian Panzanella recipe! Panzanella is essentially a rustic bread salad that’s loaded with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives.
Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad is a fun twist on the classic Cobb salad. This recipe features buffalo grilled chicken, celery, blue cheese and blue cheese dressing paired with classic ingredients like lettuce, egg, and avocado.
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
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What is your favorite delicious lunch idea?
Pineapple Chicken Quinoa Salad
This pineapple quinoa salad is a fresh, protein-packed dish with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Featuring tender chicken, crunchy pistachios, toasted coconut, and juicy dried pineapple, this quinoa salad with pineapple is easy to make, meal-prep friendly, and full of tropical-inspired flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped (canned or rotisserie works well)
- 1/4 cup shelled, chopped pistachios
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
- 1/3 cup chopped dried pineapple
- 1/3 cup flaked, unsweetened toasted coconut
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa and sesame oil, stir to mix.
- Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 12 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa is soft and fluffy.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground ginger, ground cumin, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Add the spice mixture to the bowl with the quinoa, tossing to combine so the quinoa is evenly seasoned.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients (chicken, pistachios, green onions, dried pineapple, and toasted coconut) until well mixed.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Meal Prep: Divide into portions for easy grab-and-go lunches.
- Refrigeration: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 536Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 468mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 7gSugar: 12gProtein: 34g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
CakePants says
This looks fantastic!! I love adding pineapple to savory dishes. Currently I don’t have too many recipes for quinoa, but I’m looking forward to adding this one to my repertoire!