If you’re wanting to change up your usual salad game then I high suggest you try my High Protein Crispy Rice Salad. It has crispy rice that has been soaked in an Asian style sauce and then grilled to crispy perfection, chicken bits and loads of fresh veggies, all dressed in a Cilantro Tahini Lime Dressing. I will be making this salad over and over because it is SO good.
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If you love this salad then you need to try my Chopped Kale Salad with Ginger Citrus Dressing or my Asian Style Coleslaw with Ginger Dressing.
What’s to Love About this High Protein Crispy Rice Salad Recipe
What’s not to love? Fresh veggies, a flavoursome dressing, crunch and protein, this salad has it all!
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and easily nut free (see the ingredients notes section for more details on how to make this recipe nut free).
- high protein – there is enough protein in this salad a complete meal, thanks to the chicken and edamame beans.
- light and fresh – this salad is filled with fresh, crunchy and vibrant vegetables and is perfect for a Summer dinner or lunch.
- great to meal prep – prep this salad in advance for four healthy lunches!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Below is a list of all of the ingredients that you will need to make this High Protein Crispy Rice Salad as well as any ingredient notes and possible substitutions. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient quantities.
Crispy Rice Ingredients
- Jasmine rice – I love Jasmine rice for this recipe but you can use another long or medium grain white rice. Basmati rice would work well too! I haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice but it could be really yummy! This recipe calls for cooked rice that has been cooled.
- tamari – tamari is very similar to soy sauce, however it is usually gluten-free (always check the label before using though). You can also use soy sauce (if not gluten intolerant) or gluten free soy sauce.
- rice wine vinegar – rice vinegar is the best flavour for this recipe but if you don’t have any you could always use apple cider vinegar.
- sesame oil
- honey – honey can be swapped for maple syrup.
- minced garlic clove – for a lower FODMAP recipe you can omit the garlic.
Chicken Ingredients
- chicken thigh – I love using chicken as the protein in this recipe. If you are wanting to make a vegetarian or vegan version then you can swap the chicken for some crispy tofu.
- corn flour – corn flour can be swapped for tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
- finely ground sea salt & cracked black pepper – if using sea salt flakes use half of what the recipe calls for.
Salad Ingredients
- iceberg lettuce – swap iceberg lettuce for gem lettuce, cos lettuce or even savoy cabbage.
- edamame beans – these are the edamame beans that have been de-podded. I find them in the freezer section at the grocery store and they are called “edamame salad”.
- Lebanese cucumber – feel free to use an alternative variety of cucumber, Lebanese cucumbers are my favourite personally.
- fresh mint – mint is really so delicious in this recipe and brings a freshness to this vibrant salad. It can be swapped for coriander (cilantro).
- spring onions
- toasted cashews – if you are allergic to nuts then swap the cashews for some toasted sunflower seeds or toasted pepitas. If you’re nut allergic to nuts then you can also swap the cashews for peanuts.
Dressing ingredients
Below are all of the ingredients you will need to make this Cilantro Tahini Lime Dressing. I recommend reading the post for any potential swaps.
- coriander (cilantro)
- fish sauce
- honey
- tahini
- fresh lime juice
- extra virgin olive oil
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Optional Extras
- avocado
- fried onions (from the Asian aisle)
- fresh red chili, thinly sliced, for some spice!
How to Make this High Protein Crispy Rice Salad
There’s a few steps involved in this recipe but trust me when I say it’s worth the effort. Follow the step-by-step instructions to see how.
First, preheat the oven grill.
Once preheated place a large baking sheet into the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
Prepare the Crispy Rice
While the tray is heating, prepare the rice. Add the tamari, sesame oil, honey, garlic and rice vinegar to a large bowl. Whisk to combine and then add the cooked and cooled rice to a large bowl. Stir to coat the rice in the sauce evenly.
Pull the tray out of the oven and tip the rice out onto the tray, using a spatula or spoon to spread the rice out into an even layer. Place it into the oven on the top shelf for 15 minutes in total but pulling it out half way to toss (this is so it cooks more evenly). Once cooked, set aside while you cook the chicken.
Cook the Chicken
Next, add the diced chicken thigh to a large bowl and top with the corn flour, salt and pepper. Toss to coat all of the chicken evenly.
Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and once hot add the olive oil and then about a third of the chicken. Spread the chicken out so there is a little space between each piece. I would recommend using a splatter guard as that fat is going to spit at you.
Fry the chicken until golden and then turn each piece over and fry until golden on each side. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat until all of the chicken is fried.
Make the Dressing
Next make the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients into a bullet blender and blend on high.
Assemble the Salad
To assemble the salad, add shredded lettuce, finely sliced spring onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, defrosted edamame beans, fresh mint leaves and chopped toasted cashews to a large salad bowl. Top with the dressing and then toss to combine. Top the salad with the fried chicken pieces and the crispy rice.
Tip: to defrost edamame beans, add the frozen beans to a heatproof jug and top with boiling water. Let them sit for 5 minutes before straining.
Storage
Store the salad in a glass airtight container for up to 3 days. If meal prepping, leave off the dressing and divide all of the salad components evenly between 4 airtight containers. Divide the dressing between 4 smaller containers and dress on the day of eating.
High Protein Crispy Rice Salad
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
- Large baking sheet
- Large salad bowl
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
- 3 cups cooked and cooled Jasmine rice, from 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 600 grams chicken thigh, diced
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- cracked black pepper , to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cilantro Tahini Lime Dressing
- 35 ml lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini unhulled
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
Salad
- ½ head ice burg lettuce, shredded
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into thin rounds
- handful fresh mint leaves
- 3 stalks spring onions, finely sliced
- 200 grams edamame beans, about 1 cup
- 1/3 cup toasted cashews, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven grill to 200°C. Once preheated, place a large baking tray into the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked and cooled rice to a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the tamari, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil and garlic. Pour the sauce over the rice and toss to coat all the rice evenly. Tip the rice out onto the prepared baking tray and spread out into a thin even layer. Place into the oven to bake for 14 minutes, tossing half way to evenly cook.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl along with the corn flour, salt and pepper. Toss to coat chicken evenly.
- Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the chicken, making sure that the chicken is spread out and not touching each other. You may need to cook the chicken in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your pan. Cook the chicken until golden on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and repeat this process until all the chicken is cooked.
- Next, make the dressing. Add the lime juice, tahini, cilantro, water, honey, olive oil and salt to a bullet blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the salad, add the fried chicken, shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, diced avocado, mint leaves, spring onions and edamame beans to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the cilantro lime dressing and toss to coat evenly. Top the salad with the crispy rice and chopped cashews.
Notes
- If adding avocado, to prevent avocado going brown, leave avocado out if meal prepping and add in fresh on the day of eating.
- Make the salad in a large bowl as per the instructions but leave the dressing off. Divide between four airtight containers and divide the salad dressing between four smaller salad dressing containers and pack with the salads. This is to stop the lettuce from going soggy from sitting in the dressing.
- Swap the honey for maple syrup
- Swap the chicken for crispy tofu
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