Royal Delight Salad (Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pineapple)

Royal delight salad is a chicken salad with grapes and pineapple, plus sweet corn, in a creamy yogurt dressing. It’s the kind of salad that makes people ask what’s in it, because the mix looks a little unexpected in the bowl.

I kept seeing it on Facebook, so I finally made it. It’s easy to see why it spread. There’s no cooking if you already have chicken, the dressing is a quick whisk, and the sweet and tangy parts balance each other. This royal delight salad works for lunch, a potluck table or a hot night when you don’t want the stove on. By the end you’ll know how to keep it creamy and not watery, which is the part that can go wrong.

If you’ve seen it going around on Facebook, this is that salad, written out with the small details that keep it fresh: how to drain the fruit, how to fold in the dressing and how long it keeps.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s no-cook if you start with cooked chicken. You chop, whisk and fold, then chill for 30 minutes.

It’s creamy without being heavy. Greek yogurt does most of the work, with a little mayonnaise for body.

It has no celery and no nuts. The corn and grapes give it bite, and the pineapple gives it sweetness.

It keeps for a few days. Made ahead, it holds in the fridge for up to 3 days, which makes it handy for lunches and potlucks.

It’s easy to change. Any color of grapes, light mayonnaise or all yogurt all work.

Royal Delight Salad Ingredients

Serves 4. You’ll need two mixing bowls and a whisk.

2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced – Use chicken you’ve already cooked and cooled. Poached, baked or rotisserie breast all work.

1 cup seedless grapes, red and green, some halved and some left whole – The halved ones take on the dressing, and the whole ones add a juicy pop.

1 cup sweet corn kernels, drained – Drain it well, because extra liquid ends up in the bowl.

1 cup pineapple chunks, drained and diced – If it’s canned, drain it thoroughly. This is the biggest source of extra liquid.

1/2 cup Greek yogurt – It makes the dressing creamy and a little tangy.

1/4 cup mayonnaise – It gives the dressing body, so the yogurt doesn’t taste sharp.

1 tablespoon lemon juice – It brightens everything and cuts the sweetness.

Salt, to taste – Start with a small pinch, since the corn and mayonnaise may already be salty.

Black pepper, to taste – Freshly ground shows up as little flecks in the dressing.

Fresh herbs, chopped (optional) – Stir a spoonful in or sprinkle it on top for color and a fresh taste.

How to Make Royal Delight Salad

Dice the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces, halve some of the grapes and leave the rest whole, drain the corn and cut the pineapple into small chunks. If you’re using canned pineapple, drain it thoroughly so it doesn’t water down the salad. Pressing it gently in a strainer helps.

Put the chicken, grapes, corn and pineapple in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Taste it. It should taste bright, creamy and a little tangy, and you can adjust the salt and pepper now, before it meets the chicken.

Gently fold the dressing into the chicken mixture until everything is evenly coated. Folding keeps the chicken in chunks and the grapes from breaking up. Stir in a spoonful of chopped fresh herbs now if you like, or save them for the top. If you’re not sure how much dressing you need, fold in about two thirds first, then add the rest only if the salad looks dry.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors blend. Give it a quick stir before serving.

Divide the chilled salad among four servings, and garnish with fresh herbs if you like.

My “Don’t-Water-It-Down” Mini Guide

• Drain the pineapple and corn well. The liquid is what turns a creamy dressing thin.
• Whisk the dressing separately. It stays smooth, and you can taste it before it goes on the chicken.
• Fold, don’t stir. Gentle folding keeps the chicken in chunks instead of shredding it.
• Taste before you add salt. The corn and the mayonnaise may already be salty.
• Chill it, then check it. After 30 minutes, stir and taste. If it tastes flat, add a squeeze of lemon.
• Stir before serving. If a little liquid has pooled at the bottom, drain it off.

Helpful Tips

What Is Royal Delight Salad?

It’s a creamy chicken salad built on four things: chicken, grapes, sweet corn and pineapple, with a Greek yogurt and mayonnaise dressing. The name is what it was called on Facebook. The recipe is a chicken salad with grapes and pineapple, with corn added. There’s no celery and no nuts, which sets it apart from most chicken salad with grapes.

How to Keep Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pineapple from Getting Watery

Fruit and canned corn carry liquid, and a yogurt dressing can loosen as it sits. Drain the pineapple and corn well, and pat them dry with a paper towel if they still look wet. Add the dressing last, and stir the salad before you serve it. If it still looks loose, drain off the liquid at the bottom, or stir in a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Greek Yogurt vs. Mayonnaise in Chicken Salad

This dressing is mostly yogurt, 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, so it’s lighter and tangier than a salad made with mayonnaise alone. For a richer salad, use a little more mayonnaise and a little less yogurt. For a lighter one, tilt it the other way. Taste after you whisk it, because lemon and yogurt are tangy.

What Chicken to Use

Any cooked chicken breast works, as long as it’s cool before it goes in the bowl. Leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or chicken you’ve poached or baked all work. Dice it into bite-size pieces, about the size of the pineapple chunks, so every spoonful has a bit of each.

Can You Use Canned Chicken?

Yes, in a pinch. Drain it very well and flake it into small pieces before it goes in the bowl. Canned chicken is softer than diced breast, so fold gently, and taste before you add any salt, because canned chicken can be salty.

Variations and Swaps

• One color of grapes: all green or all red works too, and the mix just adds color.
• Frozen corn: thaw it and pat it dry first.
• Lighter dressing: use light mayonnaise, or use all Greek yogurt. The dressing will be tangier and a little less rich.
• Extra crunch: stir in diced celery or chopped pecans if you want more bite.

What to Serve With Royal Delight Salad

It’s good in lettuce cups, on soft sandwich bread or a croissant, or with crackers on the side. For a potluck, set it out in a large bowl over ice if the room is warm.

Making it for a Crowd

Double everything for eight servings and mix it in a very large bowl, so you can fold without squashing the grapes. Keep the dressing in a jar and add it an hour or two before serving, which gives the flavors time to blend without the fruit sitting in dressing all day.

Storing and Make-Ahead

Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can make it a day ahead, but the grapes and pineapple release liquid over time, so stir it before serving and drain off any that pooled. I wouldn’t freeze it, because mayonnaise and yogurt separate when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

I like this salad because it doesn’t ask much. A few things to chop, a quick dressing and half an hour in the fridge. Drain the fruit and corn, fold gently, and it stays creamy until the bowl is empty. If you make it, you’ll see why it traveled so far on Facebook.