Crispy Rice Salad

Name: Crispy Rice Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 cups cooked rice; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2 cups cucumber (chopped); 12 oz shelled edamame (cooked and cooled); 1/4 cup green onion (thinly sliced); 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped); 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1/2 tsp chili crisp (optional)

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By:

Madeline

Updated: April 18, 2025

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This Crispy Rice Salad is a healthy lunch recipe that is perfect for using up leftover rice. It has a delicious mix of textures and flavors and is tossed in a simply addicting sauce.

Above view of crispy rice salad in a large mixing bowl

Sheet-pan

Easy cleanup

You’ll Learn: How to turn plain rice into a cravable salad

Worth It: It’s a versatile plant-packed meal

Bonus: Plenty of substitution options

Crispy rice salad originated in Laos. It is a popular appetizer there called Nam Khao. Many restaurants deep fry the rice to give it the perfect crispy texture, but I found that you can still get good flavor and texture by baking the rice in an oven.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Use up leftover rice – This viral crispy rice salad is one of my favorite ways to use up any leftover rice. Give leftovers a new life by seasoning and crisping the rice in the oven and mixing with veggies, edamame beans, and fresh herbs.
Perfect for meal prep – The rice is best if eaten freshly crisped, but I still really like this salad after a day or two because the savory sesame dressing has soaked into all of the ingredients.
Use what you have on hand – change up the veggies to use up whatever you have on hand or whatever you like. This is a fantastic clean out the fridge meal.

Three quarter view of crispy rice salad with edamame and cucumber in a serving bowl

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this easy crispy rice salad recipe with an extra protein on top. This almond butter chicken satay is a perfect flavor compliment for this veggie loaded salad. you can also add in some shredded rotisserie chicken and make little lettuce cups with extra sauce.

If you want to keep the full recipe vegetarian you can make a batch of air fryer crispy tofu to serve with the rice salad.

Ingredients

Cooked rice – use cooked leftover jasmine rice straight from the fridge to season and crisp in the oven. I personally like to use cooked and cooled rice, but you can also use fresh rice.
Rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and sugar – mix these together to make a seasoning sauce for the rice before baking it
Cucumber and edamame – these add lots of bright flavor and texture to the dish. The edamame also adds delicious and healthy plant based protein. I like to use persian cucumbers for the best crunch.
Sliced green onions and chopped cilantro – fresh alliums and herbs brighten up this savory salad
Toasted sesame seeds – these seeds and toasted sesame oil add rich sesame flavor to this salad that will keep you coming back for more
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and chili crisp – mix these together to make a savory, sweet and slightly spicy dressing to toss the salad in.

Ingredient Substitutions

I usually use plain white long grain rice like a jasmine rice to make the crispy rice, but you can use any kind you have on hand. I think white rice or brown rice will work better than something like a wild rice.

Cucumber adds freshness and crunch to this salad, but you can add any fresh and crunchy vegetables that you enjoy like bell peppers, shredded red cabbage, and shredded carrots.

If you do not like edamame you can omit it or replace it with more veggies or creamy avocado.

I used thinly slice scallions to give the salad onion flavor, but you can also use thinly sliced red onion or shallot.

Chili crisp adds subtle spice to the dressing. I only use a tiny bit, but you can add more or use something else for spice like sriracha or crushed red peppers.

You can use maple syrup in place of honey to sweet the dressing for this delicious salad.

A picture of a liquid mixture to pour over cooked rice next to a picture of seasoned rice on a sheet pan ready to cook

How to make

Step 1: Cook crispy rice in oven

Preheat oven to 375F and whisk rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, granulated sugar and kosher salt together (Image 1). Pour overcooked rice and toss to coat.

Pour seasoned rice on an unlined baking sheet (Image 2). You can use parchment paper to line the baking sheet, but I prefer to bake directly on the sheet for maximum crispiness. If you are worried about the rice sticking, spray the sheet with a bit of olive oil.

Bake for 25-30 minutes tossing the rice every 10 minutes (Image 3). Be sure to check on rice frequently as it can easily burn.

A picture of cooked crispy rice on a sheet pan next to a picture of all of the ingredients for a crispy rice salad in a mixing bowl

Step 2: Prepare dressing and mix everything together

Allow rice to cool slightly and then pour crispy rice into a large bowl with chopped cucumber, edamame, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds (Image 4).

Whisk low sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, and chili crisp together in a small bowl or pitcher to make a dressing. Pour dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine everything. Serve immediately.

Storage

The crispy rice texture is ideal when enjoyed immediately, but I still like this salad for leftovers. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Toss it together to refresh each time you enjoy a serving.

Check out these other Vegetarian Spring Salads

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

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