My viral crispy rice salads are back and better than ever. Introducing my Crispy Rice Salmon Crunch Salad – a crispy, crunchy, protein-packed salad that’s topped with a creamy Lemon-Cumin Dressing that is so good, you could practically drink it. This salad is perfect for meal-prep and will change the way that you look at salads forever.
Friends, are you tired of the crispy rice salads yet? Because I’m not! I have to be honest and say that out of all of my viral recipes, I’ve never had one spread like wildfire quite like these crispy rice salads. The support for these recipes has truly been next-level, and I am so incredibly grateful. Between all of my crispy rice salads, these recipes have over 40 million views on Instagram and counting. 40. Million! That is no small number, and I am so incredibly grateful. It’s because of your support for recipes like these that I am able to create delicious and healthy recipes for you, full-time. Maybe it sounds corny, but you being here, reading this blog, and making my recipes is truly what makes my dreams come true. I couldn’t be more grateful!
]So, to express my gratitude, I’m excited to be back with yet ANOTHER crispy rice salad recipe – this time, it’s my Crispy Rice Salmon Crunch Salad with Creamy Lemon-Cumin Dressing. Of all of my crispy rice salad recipes, my Crispy Rice Salmon Salad with Creamy Soy Dressing has by far been the most popular. There’s something about the crispiness of the rice and cucumber, paired with the soft texture of the salmon, that is truly unlike anything else.
Which is why I knew that I needed to bring it back – but this time, with a creamy Lemon-Cumin Dressing that is so good, you could practically drink it. It’s tangy thanks to the lemon, slightly nutty thanks to the cumin, and has just the right amount of sweetness to round it all out, thanks to the honey. It’s the perfect combination of flavors, and I know that you’re going to love it!
What You Need to Make This Perfectly-Crispy Salmon Salad
- 🍚 Rice: Of course, it wouldn’t be a crispy rice salad without the rice! I like using jasmine rice for this recipe, but any type of rice will work well.
- Soy Sauce: If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, be sure to substitute the soy sauce for a gluten-free alternative, such as coconut aminos or tamari!
- 🌶️ Chili Crisp: The crispy rice gets a kick thanks to the chili crunch – you can buy it pre-made from Trader Joe’s, or make your own with my easy recipe!
- Sesame Oil: A touch of sesame oil adds a toasty, nutty flavor to the rice that is truly unbeatable.
- 🐟 Salmon: You can use fresh or frozen salmon filets in order to make this salad. Salmon is full of healthy fats and protein, which will help you stay fuller, longer. What could be better than that?
- 🧂 Seasonings: To season both the salmon and the dressing, you’ll need a combination of sea salt, ground black pepper, and cumin. Yum!
- 🥒 Persian Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers are small and crunchy, making them perfect for this salad. You can also opt to use a larger English cucumber, if you prefer – just be sure to slice it thin!
- 🫑 Red Bell Pepper: I love the crunchy, fruity flavor that the red bell pepper adds to this salad. It pairs perfectly with the sharp, nutty flavor of the cumin and really helps to round out this salad!
- 🧅 Red Onion: Red onion is sharp, juicy, and adds the perfect touch to this salad.
- 🥑 Avocado: Creamy avocado not only adds a soft and delicious texture to this salad, but also packs in the healthy fats. Don’t skip this!
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is my favorite oil to use for dressings, because it has a delicious flavor and is full of healthy fats. You can also use avocado oil in this recipe, if you prefer.
- 🍋 Lemon Juice: You’ll need the juice of approximately 1-2 lemons in order to make this Creamy Lemon-Cumin Dressing.
- Honey: A little bit of honey adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the tanginess of the lemon.
- 🧅 Shallot: Shallots may be small, but they’re packed with flavor, which makes them perfect for this dressing.
How to Make This Viral Crispy Rice Salad
To make this salad, start by preparing the crispy rice. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Cook the rice according to your preferred method and allow it to cool fully. Then, add it to the baking sheet. Toss the cooled rice with the soy sauce, chili crisp, and sesame oil. Then, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the rice for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s nice and crispy. Toss it halfway through, to ensure that it cooks evenly.
While the rice is in the oven, prepare the salmon. Season the salmon filets with the sea salt, ground black pepper, and cumin, and transfer them to a baking sheet. Transfer the tray into the oven with the crispy rice, and allow the salmon to bake for 13-14 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
Once the salmon is done, remove it from the oven. Use a fork to shred it into pieces, then set it aside. Then, remove the crispy rice from the oven and set it aside, too. Next, prepare the salad. Wash and chop the Persian cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, and avocado, and add them to a large bowl. Then, add in the shredded salmon and the crispy rice to the bowl with the salad.
Finally, prepare the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, chopped shallot, cumin, kosher salt, and ground black pepper) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the dressing on top of the salad, then toss to fully combine. Once it’s done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since the crispy rice is prepared with chili crisp, it had a little bit of a kick to it, but it’s not overly spicy! If you’re really sensitive to spice, you can omit the chili crisp. Similarly, if you want more of a kick, you can always add more.
Sure! If you aren’t a fan of salmon, you can easily swap it out for chicken, shrimp, steak, or even tofu!
For this recipe, I recommend baking the salmon along with the crispy rice. However, you can also prepare the salmon according to my Perfect 8-Minute Broiled Salmon method, if preferred!
Yes! Simply transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three days. If you want to meal-prep this salad, I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately so that it’ll stay fresher, longer!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice:
- 2 Cups Cooked Rice, cooled – I use jasmine rice, but any rice should work well
- 2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Chili Crisp (2 Tablespoons) you can buy it at Trader Joe's or make your own!
- ¼ Cup Dried Onion, minced
- ¼ Cup Dried Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1.5 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ Teaspoons Chili Powder
- ¾ Cup Olive Oil
For the Salmon:
- 8 Ounces Salmon
- ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
For the Salad:
- 5 Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced – you can also substitute one large English cucumber
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced small
- 1 Small Red Onion, finely sliced
- 1 Avocados, diced
For the Creamy Lemon-Cumin Dressing:
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice, this is approximately 1-2 lemons
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Large Shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this salad, start by preparing the crispy rice. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Cook the rice according to your preferred method and allow it to cool fully. Then, add it to the baking sheet.
- Toss the cooled rice with the soy sauce, chili crisp, and sesame oil.
- Then, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the rice for 30-40 minutes, or until it's nice and crispy. Toss it halfway through, to ensure that it cooks evenly.
- While the rice is in the oven, prepare the salmon. Season the salmon filets with the sea salt, ground black pepper, and cumin, and transfer them to a baking sheet.
- Transfer the tray into the oven with the crispy rice, and allow the salmon to bake for 13-14 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
- Once the salmon is done, remove it from the oven. Use a fork to shred it into pieces, then set it aside.
- Then, remove the crispy rice from the oven and set it aside, too.
- Next, prepare the salad. Wash and chop the Persian cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, and avocado, and add them to a large bowl.
- Then, add in the shredded salmon and the crispy rice to the bowl with the salad.
- Finally, prepare the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, chopped shallot, cumin, kosher salt, and ground black pepper) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the dressing on top of the salad, then toss to fully combine.
- Once it's done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Great recipe! I made the dressing and the rice the day before, because I had the time. The next day as the rice was crisping in the oven, I chopped the rest of the ingredients. I added some massaged kale with salt, cooked the salmon a Blackstone flat top and then BOOM, easy peasy to assemble and devour! I’m excited I have leftovers for tomorrow night. The rice is lit and I was thinking it would be perfect with an egg on top, so maybe next time, I’ll make a double batch!
I am so happy to hear that, Erin! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
I absolutely love this recipe, it is a repeat in our household!
Woohoo! Thank you so much, Geeta!
This salad was amazing and a huge hit with my family! The crunchy rice added such a fun twist! And, as usual, so easy and healthy!
I am so glad your family loves it! Thank you so much, Jennifer!
Do you post nutrition info somewhere? I looked a couple times but didn’t see it!
Hi! This looks amazing but is that nutrition information for a single serving? 1000 cals is a lot!
Another awesome recipe! So much flavor to this dish and my husband can’t stop raving about it! Definitely adding this to our rotation! Thanks for creating it!
Woohoo! Thank you so much for making it and for sharing it with your husband, Katie! It means the world!
There are a bunch of ingredients but you never say what to do with the? What am I doing with all of this that is listed as being part of the crispy rice but is not included in any of the instructions for preparing it?
¼ Cup Dried Onion minced
¼ Cup Dried Garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoons Sea Salt
1.5 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
½ Teaspoons Chili Powder
¾ Cup Olive Oil
I’ve made a few of your other salads and never had this problem!
This was such a great recipe. I have to say though that my rice was 2/3 burnt after 30 minutes. Definitely recommend checking at 15 and possibly taking the rice out at 20.