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Hawaiian Chicken Salad

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Submitted by waltbu

Hawaiian chicken salad with curried sour cream, chutney, toasted coconut, and ginger, served in cantaloupe halves or over shredded lettuce.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

15 min

READY

35 min

Steamed chicken breast tossed in a curried sour cream dressing with chutney, toasted coconut, and ginger, then spooned into hollowed-out cantaloupe halves. It’s tropical, creamy, and surprisingly elegant for a chicken salad.

Steaming the chicken instead of poaching or baking keeps the meat exceptionally moist. Fifteen minutes over boiling water is all it needs, and the result is tender, juicy chicken that shreds beautifully. The dressing is where the personality lives: sour cream blended with finely chopped chutney, curry powder, and ground ginger creates a sweet-savory-spiced coating that clings to every piece.

The toasted coconut folded into the salad adds crunch and a nutty sweetness that ties the whole tropical theme together. Chilling before serving lets the flavors meld and firms up the dressing so it holds in the melon bowl.

Pro Tips

  • Don’t overcook the chicken. At 15 minutes of steaming, check the thickest part. It should be just cooked through and still moist. Overcooked chicken breast turns dry and stringy.
  • Toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. It goes from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds. Pull it the moment it turns light brown.
  • Chill the salad for at least an hour before serving. The cold firms the sour cream dressing and the flavors come together better than when freshly mixed.

Variations

  • Greek yogurt swap: Replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing with more protein.
  • Add macadamia nuts: A handful of chopped macadamia nuts folded in with the coconut adds extra crunch and doubles down on the Hawaiian theme.
  • Skip the melon: Serve on lettuce cups or in pita pockets for a quicker weekday lunch version.

Ingredients

3 3
EACH EACH CHICKEN BREAST
whole, skinned and boned
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML SOUR CREAM
½ 118
CUP ML CHUTNEY
finely chopped *
1 5
TEASPOON ML CURRY POWDER
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML GINGER
ground
¼ 59
CUP ML COCONUT
toasted, shredded *
3 3
SMALL EACH CANTALOUPE
or honeydew melons, or papayas *
4 946
CUPS ML LETTUCE
shredded, optional

Directions

Place chicken on steamer rack over 1 cup boiling water.

Cover and steam 15 minutes or until cooked through, but still moist.

Dice or shred meat.

Combine sour cream, chutney, curry powder and ginger until mixed.

Mix dressing with chicken and coconut.

Chill.

Cut cantaloupes, honeydew melons or papayas in halves, remove seeds and fill cavities with chicken salad.

Or, spoon chicken salad on shredded lettuce and garnish with slices of fruit.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 149g (5.3 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 209 62% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 68mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars g
Protein 31g
Vitamin A 13% Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 8% Iron 5%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Low Sodium
 
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