Baked chicken in a Hawaiian-inspired sweet and savory sauce with a side of creamy mac salad.
This High Protein Hawaiian Inspired Chicken and Mac Salad consists of baked and tender chicken marinated in a sweet pineapple sauce served with a side of creamy high protein macaroni salad.
This flavor-packed Hawaiian-inspired chicken is inspired by huli huli chicken! Huli huli chicken is a grilled chicken dish made with a sweet sauce that traditionally consists of pineapple juice, fresh ginger and garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and ketchup.
Huli Huli chicken is best served with mac salad, rice, grilled pineapple, or coleslaw. I made a homemade high protein mac salad that is super simple to make and seriously so tasty!
Why you’ll love this High Protein Hawaiian Inspired Chicken and Mac Salad:
Simple and easy to make. Marinate the chicken, prepare all mac salad ingredients in one bowl, bake the chicken, and serve!
Tender and juicy chicken and creamy mac salad.
Perfect summer recipe. This is the perfect BBQ meal especially for 4th of July!
Ingredient Breakdown:
- Chicken thighs – I recommend chicken thighs over breasts for extra flavor.
- Canned pineapple juice – I recommend using canned over fresh. From my research, fresh pineapple may tenderize the chicken and make it too soft.
- Ketchup – feel free to use lower sugar ketchup, but regular works just fine!
- Soy sauce – I used a lower sodium soy sauce alternative, but regular works great.
- Apple cider vinegar – can also substitute with sherry or rice vinegar.
- Fresh ginger and garlic – this is key for a delicious sauce! Please do not use dried.
- Sriracha – for a bit of extra heat. Feel free to omit if you’re sensitive to heat.
How to make High Protein Hawaiian Inspired Chicken and Mac Salad:
- Start by marinading the chicken. In a large mixing bowl or gallon ziploc bag, combine pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, fresh garlic and ginger, and sriracha. Add chicken and toss well to coat in marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 8 hrs or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and fit with a rack. Place chicken on top of rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Brush with some of leftover marinade, place under the broiler for a few minutes until chicken is starting to brown and caramelize. Save remaining marinade for later.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Rinse under cold water until completely cool. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
- To the large bowl with the macraoni, add remaining mac salad ingredients. Toss well to coat macaroni in sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Add remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute to kill off any raw chicken bacteria. Remove from heat.
- Serve chicken and brush over cooked down sauce. Serve with mac salad and garnish everything with sliced green onion.
Recipe Modifications:
Substitute apple cider vinegar with sherry or rice vinegar.
Substitute greek yogurt with plain non-dairy yogurt to make this recipe dairy-free.
Storage Instructions:
Store leftover mac salad and chicken individually in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
More Delicious Summer Dinner Recipes…
- Thai Inspired Basil Beef Bowl
- Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Bowl
- Vegan Pea Pesto Pasta
- Ponzu-Glazed Salmon Tacos with Miso Slaw
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!
High Protein Hawaiian Inspired Chicken and Mac Salad
Ingredients
Hawaiian Inspired Chicken
- ½ cup canned pineapple juice
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Mac Salad
- 8 oz. dry macaroni
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup light mayo
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Sliced green onion, for serving
Instructions
- Start by marinading the chicken. In a large mixing bowl or gallon ziploc bag, combine pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, fresh garlic and ginger, and sriracha. Add chicken and toss well to coat in marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 8 hrs or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and fit with a rack. Place chicken on top of rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Brush with some of leftover marinade, place under the broiler for a few minutes until chicken is starting to brown and caramelize. Save remaining marinade for later.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Rinse under cold water until completely cool. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
- To the large bowl with the macraoni, add remaining mac salad ingredients. Toss well to coat macaroni in sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Add remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute to kill off any raw chicken bacteria. Remove from heat.
- Serve chicken and brush over cooked down sauce. Serve with mac salad and garnish everything with sliced green onion.
