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Chicken Fried Rice Salad combines rotisserie chicken, a variety of cooked and fresh vegetables, plus crispy bites of fried rice – all tossed with a fantastic ginger soy sesame dressing.
A favorite Asian dish transformed into a crunchy salad!
Picture this: Chicken Fried Rice only prepared as a crunchy salad with loads of vegetables and a delicious Asian-inspired dressing.
Just like any fried rice dish you’d order from an Asian restaurant, some cooked rice is fried in a wok – only in our recipe, we allowed the rice to get extra crispy so it clumps together into nutty toasted bites of golden rice.
Once cooled, you’ll combine the rice with cooked chicken (for ease, we used a rotisserie chicken – but any cooked chicken will work), sauteed mushrooms, cabbage, and scallions, plus some fresh (uncooked) red bell and jalapeno peppers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and more.
Finally, everything in this salad is tossed with a ginger soy sesame dressing – which coats the chicken and veggies and also soaks a bit into the crispy rice nuggets. Every bite of this Chicken Fried Rice Salad is loaded with flavor!
Why you’ll love Chicken Fried Rice Salad
- This salad is a great way to enjoy another meal using leftover rice, cooked chicken, and other vegetables in the fridge.
- It’s a versatile salad – follow our ingredients list in the recipe below, or add other vegetables to suit your tastes.
- This healthy salad is loaded with delicious flavor in every bite. Serve it for a light, healthy lunch or dinner – or bring to a pot luck and serve as a side dish.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cooked Rice – We used Jasmine rice in our salad, but Basmati is also a good choice. Both varieties have a nutty flavor and are starchy enough to get nice and crispy when fried in hot oil, but still retain some chew.
- Oil – Choose a neutral-flavored oil such as grapeseed, canola or safflower oil.
- Cooked Vegetables & Sauce – A mix of Shiitake mushrooms, Savoy or Napa cabbage, and scallion whites are sautéed until tender, then mixed with in soy sauce, lime juice and chili garlic sauce.
- Cooked Chicken – Buy a good-quality, moist rotisserie chicken, or buy a few boneless skinless chicken breasts and gently poach until tender, then shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Uncooked Vegetables – We included sliced fresh jalapeno, green scallion tops, shredded carrot, thinly-sliced red bell pepper, mung bean sprouts, and cilantro. You could swap in other vegetables such as pea pods, baby corn, snap peas, etc.
- Dressing – Fresh grated ginger, fresh grated garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and extra virgin olive oil are combined to make a delicious dressing, then tossed with the other salad ingredients.
Special Tools Needed
- Saucepan with Lid – To cook the rice.
- Large Heavy Wok – To fry the rice and cook the vegetables.
- Heat-Safe Flexible Spatula/Turner – A silicone spatula/turner like this is ideal. You’ll use this to press the rice down in the wok to crisp and brown.
- Platters or Plates – To hold various ingredients as they cool.
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Large Salad Bowl
- Vegetable Peeler
- Box Grater
- Whisk
- Small Mixing Bowl
Cooking Tip
*For the best, crispy rice, cook it a day ahead of time so it can fully cool. Then spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and chill uncovered in the refrigerator, so it dries out a bit. The drier rice will crisp up and brown more easily than wetter rice.
How do I make Chicken Fried Rice Salad?
- Cook the rice according to package instructions. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator. (*See Cooking Tip above.)
- Mix cooked rice with a neutral oil.
- Heat wok and once hot, press the oiled rice into the bottom and sides, using a flexible spatula to flatten to a thin layer.
- Cook until browned and crispy on both sides, then cool on a platter. (Cut rice into four sections to make it easier to flip.)
- Turn wok heat to high, add more oil and stir-fry mushrooms, cabbage, and scallion whites. Add chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice – toss to coat, then remove to a platter to cool.
- Combine jalapeno, green onion tops, carrot, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, cilantro and shredded cooked chicken in a large salad bowl.
- Add cooled rice, breaking up into clumps with your fingers. Next, add cooked (cooled) mushroom mixture.
- Toss the salad to combine.
- Whisk dressing and pour over salad. Toss again and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Chicken Fried Rice Salad ahead of time? The salad can be made ahead, then dressed when ready to serve.
- How do I store leftovers? Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
You might like these other Rice Recipes:
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Chicken Fried Rice Salad
Chicken Fried Rice Salad combines rotisserie chicken, a variety of cooked and raw vegetables, plus crispy bites of fried rice – all tossed with a fantastic ginger soy sesame dressing.
Ingredients
3 cups cooked day-old Jasmine rice
6 tablespoons neutral oil such as grapeseed, canola or safflower, divided
3 cups Shiitake mushroom caps, sliced (packages usually come in 3.5-ounce size. Buy two packages and discard stems)
1/4 cup scallion whites, sliced (slice tops uncooked for salad)
2 cups shredded Napa or Savoy cabbage, shredded (OK to buy package of pre-shredded)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 red bell pepper sliced into thin strips, about one cup
1 medium carrot shredded on large holes of box grater, about 1/2 cup
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 large jalapeno, seeded and sliced into thin rings
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 cups cooked chicken meat (From rotisserie chicken is fine as long as the meat is not dried out, otherwise just blanch a few boneless chicken breasts and shred)
Dressing
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook rice – the ratio to cook raw rice for this recipe is 2 cups Jasmine rice to 3 cups water, cooked 12-15 minutes until tender but still chewy. Lay out on a platter to cool in a single layer and refrigerate uncovered for a day to dry out.
- Mix dried day-old Jasmine rice with three tablespoons of the oil and toss to coat.
- Heat a large heavy wok over medium high and once hot, add the cooked rice and using a flexible spatula, flatten to bottom and sides of wok. Try to get as much of the rice as possible touching the hot surface.
- Use the edge of your spatula and cut the rice into four sections to make it easier to flip.
- After five minutes, peak under one section and if adequately browned, flip each section over and cook for five more minutes or until browned and crispy. Slide out onto a platter to cool.
- Turn heat to high and once hot, add the remaining oil and add the mushrooms. Cook and toss for five minutes to brown.
- After five minutes, add scallion whites and cabbage and cook one minute. Then add soy sauce, lime juice and chili paste and remove from heat. Pour onto a platter to cool.
- In a large bowl, place sliced scallion tops, red bell pepper strips, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, jalapeno, cilantro and cooked chicken and toss.
- Use your hands to break the rice into bite-sized clumps and add to the bowl along with the cooked mushroom mixture and toss.
- Whisk the dressing and toss with the salad and serve.
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Notes
The ingredients for this salad can easily be substituted with any variety of ingredients that you would find in fried rice. The only one ingredient we recommend to avoid would be stir fried scrambled eggs. They would shorten the life of the salad and give the wrong texture to the finished salad.
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