This easy Crispy Rice Salad is the best way to turn day-old rice into an exciting meal! Fresh vegetables, crispy baked rice, and nuts are tossed in a punchy tahini dressing to leave you with a refreshing and satisfying lunch, dinner, or side dish.
Not sure what to do with all of that leftover rice from dinner yesterday? Whether you cooked it yourself or it’s from takeout, having day-old rice in your fridge is actually a good thing! It’s not only the best option for homemade fried rice but is also perfect for this vibrant and delicious Crispy Rice Salad.
This salad recipe is inspired by Lao Nam Khao, a Southeast Asian dish made by deep frying seasoned jasmine rice balls until crispy and golden. My version bakes the rice in a flat layer before it’s tossed with a medley of fresh veggies and a homemade creamy tahini dressing. It’s a little more hands-off than the authentic dish but still very crunchy and flavorful.
Plus, this salad is easy to customize with almost anything you have in the fridge. One bite and you’ll never let a single grain of day-old rice go to waste ever again.
Ingredients needed
- Tahini salad dressing – Tahini, a creamy ground sesame paste, is combined with lime juice, garlic, maple syrup, soy sauce, chili crisp, ginger, and water to make the salad dressing. It’s creamy and rich, while the zingy and spicy ingredients dance on your tongue. This dressing is so good that I highly recommend making a double batch to use on my Vietnamese Bun Salad and Thai Beef Salad as well!
- White rice – The key to the crisp is using cooked and cooled long-grain white rice (ideally refrigerated overnight)! Feel free to substitute jasmine, basmati rice, or brown rice here.
- Red curry paste – It’s combined with the rice to add more warmth. Remember to use a red curry paste made without fish sauce or shrimp paste to keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
- Avocado oil
- Salad vegetables – I used mini cucumbers (or English cucumbers), avocado, and red cabbage. Substitute green cabbage and napa cabbage if preferred.
- Edamame – A fantastic plant-based protein source that turns this salad into a meal.
- Cilantro – Brings a fresh, herbal element that brightens the dish. If cilantro isn’t your thing, try fresh mint or Thai basil instead.
- Cashews – These add some buttery crunch, but almonds or peanuts work, too. If you’re avoiding nuts, try sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
How to make crispy rice salad
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked rice with the seasoning ingredients, then spread the rice on a baking sheet in a thin layer.
- Bake the rice, tossing occasionally, until it’s golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- While the rice is baking, add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Once the baked rice has cooled, add it to the salad bowl. Pour in half of the dressing and toss to combine. Serve the remaining dressing on the side and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Taste the salad dressing after blending to adjust the flavors as needed. Add a little more lime juice for brightness, maple syrup for sweetness, or water to get the right thick yet pourable consistency.
- It’s important to use day-old rice that has been refrigerated overnight, NOT freshly cooked rice. Leftover rice has had the chance to dry out, which helps it crisp up in the oven.
- If you must use freshly cooked rice, spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet after cooking and let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- You can take the nutty flavors up a notch by toasting the cashews in a dry skillet for a few minutes or until they turn golden and fragrant.
Variations
One of the best things about this Thai crispy rice salad is that it’s endlessly customizable. Here are some exciting ways to make it your own:
- Add fresh fruit – Diced mango, papaya, or pineapple will all add bursts of tropical flavors that perfectly balance the savory-spicy dressing.
- Mix and match the vegetables – You can swap any of the vegetables in this recipe with carrots, jicama, radishes, daikon, scallions, red bell pepper, spring onions, and/or shredded kale.
- Boost the protein – Turn this salad into a hearty meal by topping it with smoked salmon, spicy tuna, boiled shrimp, or thinly sliced hamachi crudo. Cooked and cooled meats, such as larb-style chicken or fermented Thai sausage (Sai Ua), would also be great! Or, for plant-based protein, add chickpeas, green peas, or crispy tofu.
- Extra crunch – Take the crunch factor up a notch with crispy fried shallots, shredded nori or furikake, pickled onions, or pickled cabbage.
- Salad dressing substitute – If you want to switch it up, swap the tahini dressing for a spicy sriracha mayo, Asian sesame sauce, miso-ginger dressing, or a citrusy ponzu vinaigrette.
Serving suggestions
This is not your average salad! Loaded with fun and exciting textures and flavors, it’s a crowd-pleasing meal you can serve for a light lunch or dinner. It’s pretty substantial on its own but you can always pair it with shishito peppers or salmon bites for a more well-rounded meal.
This crispy rice salad also pairs effortlessly with a wide range of main courses, such as:
- Sheet Pan Miso Salmon
- Air Fryer Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
- Thai Beef Stir Fry
- Grilled Mango Lime Chicken
- Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites.
- Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Do you still have leftover rice in the fridge? Put it to use in these Crispy Rice Sushi Bites or in this Bacon Fried Rice!
Make ahead and storing
If you want to make this salad ahead of time, store the crispy rice separately from the veggies and dressing to keep the rice crisp. Everything will stay fresh for 1 to 2 days in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Just toss the components together when you’re ready to serve.
The leftover assembled salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The crispy rice will soften as it sits, but it will still taste delicious!
Erin’s wine pairings for crispy rice salad
- Enjoy the salad with a crisp and refreshing white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
- A lightly chilled Rosé also pairs wonderfully with the complex Southeast Asian-inspired flavors.
More elevated salads to try
Did you make this crispy rice salad recipe?
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Crispy Rice Salad
Equipment
- Blender (or Food Processor)
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili crisp
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated or minced)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2-3 Tablespoons water (as need to thin)
Crispy Rice:
- 2 cups cooked and cooled long-grain white rice (ideally refrigerated overnight or at least 2 hours)
- 1 Tablespoon chili crisp
- 1 Tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 lime (juiced and zested)
Salad:
- 3 mini cucumbers (thinly sliced (about 1 cup, or ½ english cucumber))
- 1 avocado (cubed)
- 2 cups red cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cup edamame (shelled and cooked)
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped cashews
Instructions
Dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Start with 2 TBSP water and add more as needed to thin.
Crispy Rice:
- Preheat your oven to 400-degrees. Add crispy rice ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Spread the seasoned rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until crispy, tossing occasionally during the bake time. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Salad:
- While the rice is baking, add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- When rice is cooled, add it to the bowl with half of the dressing and toss to combine.
- Enjoy with remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
- Taste the salad dressing after blending to adjust the flavors as needed. Add a little more lime juice for brightness, maple syrup for sweetness, or water to get the right thick yet pourable consistency.
- It’s important to use day-old rice that has been refrigerated overnight, NOT freshly cooked rice. Leftover rice has had the chance to dry out, which helps it crisp up in the oven.
- If you must use freshly cooked rice, spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet after cooking and let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- You can take the nutty flavors up a notch by toasting the cashews in a dry skillet for a few minutes or until they turn golden and fragrant.
- Add fresh fruit – Diced mango, papaya, or pineapple will all add bursts of tropical flavors that perfectly balance the savory-spicy dressing.
- Mix and match the vegetables – You can swap any of the vegetables in this recipe with carrots, jicama, radishes, daikon, scallions, red bell pepper, spring onions, and/or shredded kale.
- Boost the protein – Turn this salad into a hearty meal by topping it with smoked salmon, spicy tuna, boiled shrimp, or thinly sliced hamachi crudo. Cooked and cooled meats, such as larb-style chicken or fermented Thai sausage (Sai Ua), would also be great! Or, for plant-based protein, add chickpeas, green peas, or crispy tofu.
- Extra crunch – Take the crunch factor up a notch with crispy fried shallots, shredded nori or furikake, pickled onions, or pickled cabbage.
- Salad dressing substitute – If you want to switch it up, swap the tahini dressing for a spicy sriracha mayo, Asian sesame sauce, miso-ginger dressing, or a citrusy ponzu vinaigrette.
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