Quick Crispy Rice Salad (Printable version)

Golden crispy rice combined with fresh vegetables and a nutty peanut sesame dressing, perfect for a quick meal.

# What You Need:

→ Crispy Rice

01 - 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old
02 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
03 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
04 - 1 tablespoon chili crisp

→ Peanut Sesame Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons sesame oil
06 - 2 tablespoons peanut butter or tahini
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
08 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
10 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 2 teaspoons chili crisp
12 - ½ inch piece fresh ginger, grated
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Fresh Vegetables

14 - 3 cups shredded cabbage, mixed green and red
15 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
16 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
17 - 1 medium carrot, grated or julienned
18 - ½ cup sugar snap peas, chopped
19 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Garnish

20 - Toasted sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F or set air fryer to 400°F. Line a baking sheet or air fryer basket with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine day-old jasmine rice with 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon chili crisp. Mix until evenly coated.
03 - Spread rice mixture into a thin, even layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving some clusters for extra crunch. Bake in air fryer for 16-18 minutes or in oven for 40 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely, then break into bite-sized clumps.
04 - While rice cooks, whisk together 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons chili crisp, and grated ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
05 - In a large salad bowl, combine shredded cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, sugar snap peas, and green onions.
06 - Add crispy rice clusters to vegetable mixture and drizzle with peanut sesame dressing. Toss well to coat everything evenly.
07 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy rice and tender vegetables creates a textural experience that keeps you coming back for another bite.
  • It actually gets better as it sits, making it an ideal make-ahead meal that tastes just as good on day two.
  • The dressing is bold enough to stand on its own but plays beautifully with every component, tasting utterly different depending on what you bite into first.
02 -
  • Assemble this salad as close to serving time as possible because the crispy rice will gradually soften as it sits, and while day-old leftovers still taste wonderful, they lose that magic crunch that makes this dish special.
  • The dressing can be made hours ahead and refrigerated, which actually allows the flavors to meld and deepen, so prepare it early if you're making this for a crowd or packing it for lunch.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for just one to two minutes, swirling the pan constantly so they become fragrant and golden without burning into bitter little specks that will throw off the whole salad.
  • Make the dressing the night before so the ginger, sesame, and soy flavors have time to get to know each other and become more harmonious and balanced than they are on day one.
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