Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad + 6 Healthy Salads in a Jar

Change up your usual salad game with this spicy and sweet Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad. It’s packed full of veggies and flavor with an added boost of protein from the Sriracha-Pineapple Marinated chicken breast. 

I don’t even know where to begin with this post. I considered discussing how absolutely gorgeous every single one of these salads looks, how brilliantly talented my blogging besties are or how it’s taken me far too long to jump on the food in a jar train. I could also dedicate this entire post to my deep love for sriracha sauce, but my guess is that if I start on this topic I may find myself writing a novel.

If you feel as passionately about sriracha as I do, then you know what I mean. It’s basically a religion.

Evidently, so is food in jars. Or anything in a mason jar for that matter. People freak out over any and all things mason jar. Don’t believe me? Spend approx 30 seconds on Pinterest and you will see what I’m talking about. Pinterest in a jar.

My blogging ladies and I wanted in on the never-dying trend so we set out to each create a salad in a jar.

I needed them to explain to me why people eat salads out of jar since I eat salad out of my designated gigantic salad bowl. Apparently, there are two reasons:

1) If you layer it correctly you can have your entire meal (dressing included!) in one container without the ingredients getting soggy. 

2) It’s easily portable and you never have to worry about it spilling which is precisely what happened to the salad I am currently eating on the train #lessonlearned.

With that, how about we check out some of their amazing creations? Scroll down to the bottom for my recipe for Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad…in a jar.

Just in time for Spring, Lee from Fit Foodie Finds made a Spring Cobb Salad with a Raspberry Basil Vinaigrette. Some of the ingredients you’ll find in this jar of yumminess: bacon, egg, chicken, cucumber, tomato, and raspberries!

Get the recipe –> HERE

Lexi from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen brought the spice with her Thai Chopped Chicken Salad with Chili Vinaigrette. It’s loaded with veggies and protein with hints of chili and lime and a touch of sweetness from the dressing!

Get the recipe –> HERE

Brittany from Eating Bird Food is taking advantage of the spring’s bounty with this Strawberry Spinach Salad with roasted asparagus, grilled chicken, crunchy cucumber slices, avocado, red onion, toasted almond silvers and a citrus poppy seed dressing. It’s way healthier (and prettier) than your average restaurant salad!

Get the recipe –> HERE

Taylor from Food Faith Fitness‘ Chicken Taco Salad makes a delicious Mexican lunch in a jar! It’s a healthy twist on a restaurant favorite that may sound simple but it’s BIG on flavor.

Get the recipe –> HERE

Kelly from Nosh and Nourish’s Carrot Noodle Salad is vegan, but don’t let that fool you. It’s filled with plant-based protein so that you’ll actually stay full ’til dinner! It’s the perfect way to transport healthy, nutrient-packed salads to work… and it’s gorgeous, delicious, and totally satisfying.

Get the recipe –> HERE

And now onto yours truly’s! I’ll be honest, I kind of struggled with this theme. Mostly because I find myself eating the same boring balsamic vinegar salad all the time. Originally I made a Paleo Kale Salad and while C loved it, I wasn’t totally sold on the dressing. Let’s be real…caesar dressing needs cheese. Sorry Paleo friends!

Thankfully Lee came through on this one and totally deserves credit for the idea behind this Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad. I’m so happy her salad brain is more creative than mine since this salad turned out AMAZING. And I’ll admit it was super easy to just grab a jar out of the fridge, give it a good shake and then eat.

The chicken is marinated in a sriracha-pineapple mixture and the salad dressing has even more kick with additional sriracha and lots of lime juice! The avocado won’t brown thanks to all of that lime juice but don’t worry, the fresh pineapple helps to cut some of the sourness. It was surprisingly easy to make, convenient to eat on the go (or straight from the fridge like me!) and it’s packed-full of vegetables. I am SO over my boring balsamic salad! Pass the sriracha pahhhhleaseee.

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Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad

Cook time:  1 hour 10 mins

Total time:  1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 2 large mason jar salads

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:

• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 T fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp molasses
• 2 T Sriracha sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• salt and pepper

For the Dressing:

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 T Sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• zest and juice, 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For The Salad:

• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• several handfuls of baby spinach
• Two large (16oz) mason jars

Instructions

1. Place marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Coat chicken in marinade and let sit in fridge for at least one hour.
3. Heat up a grill pan to medium-high heat (or use a BBQ) and cook on each side for 4-5 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, cut chicken into chunks.
5. Mix together dressing ingredients and divide evenly between two large mason jars.
6. Onto the dressing in each mason jar divide cubed avocado.
7. Divide cherry tomatoes, pineapple and chicken evenly into each jar.
8. Top each jar with several handfuls of spinach and then secure lid.
9. Store in refrigerator and when ready to each, give a good shake and then either eat out of the jar or pour into a bowl to eat.

Notes

*You can eat this out of a jar and just build each salad in a bowl and top with dressing.

3.5.3226

Have you jumped on the salad in a jar trend? Mason jars, overrated or the key to life?