This crispy rice salad with chicken is crunchy, fresh, slightly sweet, and packed with protein. Golden crispy rice is tossed with tender chicken and crunchy coleslaw for an easy salad that's full of flavor and texture. Using a bag of coleslaw mix keeps the prep incredibly simple, while baking the rice gives it that irresistible crunch without deep frying. It's an easy high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in about 45 minutes.
P.S. I think you will love my shrimp and chicken fried rice recipe next time.
Be sure to check out the video and tips below. 👇
🎥 How to make crispy rice salad
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💛 Why You’ll Love This Crispy Rice Salad
- Seriously crispy rice: Baking the rice until golden gives this salad an irresistible crunch in every bite.
- High in protein: Chicken turns it into a filling main meal rather than just a side salad.
- Very little prep: Using a bag of coleslaw mix means less chopping and an easy weeknight dinner.
- No deep frying: The rice gets beautifully crispy in the oven without frying it in oil.
- Great for meal prep: Prepare the components ahead and toss everything together when you're ready to eat.
🤔 What Is Crispy Rice Salad?
Crispy rice salad combines cooked rice that's baked or fried until golden and crunchy with fresh vegetables, herbs, protein, and a flavorful dressing. The contrast between the warm, crispy rice and cool, crunchy vegetables is what makes this salad so good.
For this easy version, I bake the rice in the oven until crisp, then toss it with tender chicken and crunchy coleslaw. It's simple, filling, and packed with texture without needing to deep-fry the rice.
Ingredients needed
Crispy Rice
- Cooked rice – 2 cups. Cold leftover rice works really well because it's drier and crisps up beautifully in the oven. White rice such as jasmine or basmati works well.
- Soy sauce – 2 tablespoons. I use thick, sticky soy sauce for extra flavor and color, but regular soy sauce works too.
- Sesame oil – 2 tablespoons. Helps the rice turn golden and crispy while adding a delicious toasted sesame flavor. Olive oil can be used instead.
Chicken
- Chicken breasts – 4, thinly sliced. Thin slices cook quickly and stay tender. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Lemon juice – 1 lemon. Adds freshness and helps balance the sweetness of the sauce.
- Sweet chili sauce – ¼ cup. Gives the chicken its sweet, slightly spicy, and sticky coating.
- Soy sauce – 3 tablespoons. Adds savory, umami flavor to the chicken.
- Cornstarch – 2 teaspoons. Helps the sauce cling to the chicken and creates a delicious, glossy coating.
- Oregano – 1 teaspoon. Adds extra flavor to the chicken.
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Salad
Coleslaw mix – 12 oz. This is my favorite shortcut for making crispy rice salad quickly. The shredded cabbage and carrots add plenty of fresh crunch without all the chopping.
👩🍳 How to Make Crispy Rice Salad with Chicken
Note: See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe and instructions.
1. Make the Crispy Rice
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Add the cooked rice to the center of a large sheet pan. Drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss until the rice is evenly coated.
Spread the rice into a thin, even layer. Don't overcrowd the pan—giving the rice plenty of space helps it get golden and crispy instead of steaming.
Bake for 25–35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the rice is golden and crispy around the edges.
2. Cook the Chicken
In a bowl, combine the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, pepper, and oregano. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
Mix the lemon juice, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce. Add it to the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, cooked through, and coated in a slightly sticky sauce. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the chicken browns rather than steams.
3. Assemble the Salad
Add the coleslaw mix, cooked chicken, and crispy rice to a large serving bowl.
Toss everything together just before serving so the rice stays crunchy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve immediately while the rice is at its crispiest.
🔥 Tips for the Crispiest Rice
- Use cold, cooked rice. Day-old rice is ideal because it's drier and will crisp more easily than freshly cooked rice.
- Spread it out. Arrange the rice in a thin, even layer on a large sheet pan so it roasts rather than steams.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. If the rice is piled too closely together, it won't get that golden, crunchy texture.
- Stir halfway through. This exposes more of the rice to the hot pan and helps it crisp evenly.
- Look for golden brown edges. Don't remove the rice when it's simply dry—you want plenty of deeply golden, crispy pieces.
🥄 Variations and Add-Ins
- Make it even easier: Swap the cooked chicken for shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Add more veggies: Try cucumber, edamame, avocado, green onions, or extra shredded cabbage.
- Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken with crispy tofu.
- Add fresh herbs: Cilantro or mint adds a fresh pop of flavor.
- Add extra crunch: Sprinkle chopped peanuts or cashews over the salad just before serving.
- Turn up the heat: Add sliced chili or a drizzle of sriracha if you like it spicy.
🥡 Storage & Meal Prep
Store leftover chicken, coleslaw, and crispy rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the best texture, reheat the crispy rice in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes before serving. This helps bring back the crunch.
Meal prep tip: Keep the crispy rice separate and assemble the salad just before eating. If everything is mixed together ahead of time, the rice will soften.
❓ FAQs
Yes. Prepare the crispy rice, chicken, and coleslaw ahead of time, but store them separately. Toss everything together just before serving so the rice stays crunchy.
Cold, cooked white rice works best because it contains less surface moisture and crisps more easily. Jasmine or basmati rice are both good options, and day-old leftover rice is ideal.
Yes, but let the rice cool before baking it. For even better results, spread freshly cooked rice on a tray and refrigerate it until cold and slightly dry before making the crispy rice.
Yes. Cooked brown rice can be used instead of white rice. The texture will be slightly different, but it still works well in this salad.
The most common reason is too much moisture or overcrowding the baking sheet. Use cold rice, spread it in a thin layer, and give it plenty of room so it can roast instead of steam.
🔗 Recipes to try next time
Did you make this crispy rice salad? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below. Your feedback helps other readers and supports Deliciously Nikki. 💚
Print
Crispy Rice Salad with Chicken (High Protein)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This crispy rice salad with chicken combines golden oven-baked crispy rice, tender sticky chicken, and crunchy coleslaw. It's an easy, flavor-packed high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
FOR THE RICE
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tablespoons thick sticky soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil (or olive oil)
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons soya sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE SALAD
- 12 oz coleslaw mix
Instructions
1. Make the Crispy Rice
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the cooked rice to the center of a large sheet pan. Drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss until the rice is evenly coated.
- Spread the rice into a thin, even layer. Don't overcrowd the pan—giving the rice plenty of space helps it get golden and crispy instead of steaming.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the rice is golden and crispy around the edges.
2. Cook the Chicken
- In a bowl, combine the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, pepper, and oregano. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Mix the lemon juice, sweet chili sauce, soya sauce. Add it to the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, cooked through, and coated in a slightly sticky sauce. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the chicken browns rather than steams.
3. Assemble the Salad
- Add the coleslaw mix, cooked chicken, and crispy rice to a large serving bowl.
- Toss everything together just before serving so the rice stays crunchy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve immediately while the rice is at its crispiest.
Notes
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CRISPY RICE:
Use day-old rice for the best texture.
Spread rice in a thin, even layer.
Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Stir halfway through baking
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Dinner, Family Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: per serving
- Calories: 455 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 43 g
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