If you love a salad that is packed with flavor, texture, and all of the fixings, then you’re going to fall in-love with my Crispy Rice Salmon Cucumber Salad with Creamy Asian Dressing. This twist on the viral cucumber salad pairs the crunch cucumbers with tender, flaky salmon, avocado, edamame, and perfectly crispy rice that is absolutely crave-worthy. Top it off with the easy creamy Asian dressing, and you’ve got a perfect crunchy salad that’s perfect for meal prep!
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Friends, my crispy rice salads have taken the internet by STORM recently, and I’m not mad about it. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that if there’s one recipe that you need to run to your kitchen and make ASAP, it’s this one. If you’re someone like me who loves when a salad is full of flavor, texture, and all of the fun things, then you are absolutely going to love this recipe.
Think of it like my unique twist on the viral cucumber salads. Thanks to Logan on TikTok, cucumber salads have been having their moment – and I, personally, am a fan of them. From my classic No Mayo Creamy Cucumber Salad to my Easy Thai-Inspired Cucumber Salad that’s way better than takeout, cucumber salads are crunchy, delicious, and the perfect way to get in your extra veggies. And, with the addition of the crispy rice, it truly takes the CRUNCH to the next level. The key is to take day-old rice and mix it up with soy sauce, sesame oil, and my favorite chili crunch, for a toasty, spicy rice topping that pairs perfectly with the crunchy cucumbers.
And, let’s not forget about the salmon. If you loved Emily Mariko’s salmon rice bowl recipe that went viral a few years ago, then you will love the addition of the shredded salmon to this recipe. Not only does it taste delicious (especially when coated in the creamy soy dressing), but it also packs this salad with protein, keeping you feeling fuller, longer! If you’re someone who works in an office and is looking for a great recipe to take on-the-go, this is one that I would save and keep in my weekly rotation!
To make this salad, you’ll need rice, soy sauce, chili crisp, sesame oil, salmon, seasonings, Persian cucumbers, edamame, green onion, avocado, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, and ground ginger.Add the cooked and cooled rice to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss it with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili crunch. Bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
What You Need to Make This Crispy, Crunchy Salad Recipe
🍚 Rice: Of course, it wouldn’t be a crispy rice salad without the rice! Pick your favorite rice and use it in this recipe – I use jasmine rice! But, any type of rice will work well.
Soy Sauce: If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can opt to use a gluten-free soy sauce, like 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 little bit of sesame oil helps the rice crisp up nicely and adds a delicious, toasty flavor.
🐟 Salmon: You’ll need an 8 ounce salmon filet in order to make this recipe. You can use fresh or frozen salmon – both work just as well!
Seasonings: To season the salmon, you’ll need a combination of sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder. Simple and easy!
🥒 Persian Cucumbers: Petite, Persian cucumbers are perfect for this salad. They are small and crunchy, which means that they won’t get soggy in this salad. If you don’t have Persian cucumbers, you can also opt to use an English cucumber instead.
🫛 Edamame: Edamame is packed with protein and adds a delicious texture to this salad! I like using frozen, pre-shelled edamame to make this salad even simpler.
Green Onion: Fresh green onions add a delicious flavor to this recipe. I like to use only the greens of the green onions, since the whites tend to be spicier in flavor.
🥑 Avocados: Avocados are fully of healthy fats and add a delicious creamy element to this salad!
Olive Oil: Olive oil is full of healthy fats and makes for the perfect base for this dressing.
Rice Vinegar: A touch of rice vinegar adds the perfect balance of flavor to the dressing.
🍯 Honey: Honey adds a delicious sweetness to this dressing.
Ground Ginger: A pinch of ground ginger adds the perfect touch to this dressing – don’t skip it!
Prepare the creamy soy dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients (the the olive oil, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ground ginger, and sea salt) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
How to Make This Asian-Inspired 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 garlic powder, 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.
Wash and chop the Persian cucumbers, edamame, green onions, and avocado and add them to a large bowl alongside the crisp rice and cooked salmon.Finally, pour the creamy soy dressing on top of the salad ingredients and mix to fully combine.
Then, remove the crispy rice from the oven and set it aside, too. Next, prepare the salad. Wash and chop the Persian cucumbers, edamame, green onions, 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, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ground ginger, and sea salt) 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.
Once the salad is done, plate, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this salad spicy?
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.
How should I prepare the salmon?
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!
Can I meal-prep this salad / store any leftovers?
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 separatenyl 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
Dairy Free/gluten-free/Refined Sugar Free/Vegan
Crispy Rice Salmon Cucumber Salad with Creamy Asian Dressing
If you love a salad that is packed with flavor, texture, and all of the fixings, then you're going to fall in-love with my Crispy Rice Salmon Cucumber Salad with Creamy Asian Dressing. This twist on the viral cucumber salad pairs the crunch cucumbers with tender, flaky salmon, avocado, edamame, and perfectly crispy rice that is absolutely crave-worthy. Top it off with the easy creamy Asian dressing, and you've got a perfect crunchy salad that's perfect for meal prep!
Equipment
1 Mandolin I like using a mandolin to slice the cucumber nice and thin!
Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice:
2CupsCooked Ricecooled – I use jasmine rice, but any rice should work well
2TeaspoonsSoy Sauce
1TablespoonSesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Chili Crisp – you can buy it at Trader Joe's or make your own!
¼CupDried OnionMinced
¼CupDried GarlicMinced
1Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
½TeaspoonsSea Salt
1.5TablespoonsCrushed Red Pepper Flakes
½TeaspoonsChili Powder
¾cupOlive Oil
For the Salmon:
8OuncesSalmon
½TeaspoonSea Salt
½TeaspoonGround Black Pepper
½TeaspoonGarlic Powder
For the Salad:
5Persian Cucumbersthinly sliced – you can also substitute one large English cucumber
1CupEdamameshelled
1BunchGreen Onionsthinly sliced – this is approximately 3/4 cup
2Avocadoschopped
For the Creamy Asian Dressing:
¼CupOlive Oil
¼CupToasted Sesame Oil
3TablespoonsSoy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
3TablespoonsRice Vinegar
2TablespoonsHoney
1 ½TeaspoonsGround Ginger
½TeaspoonKosher Salt
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 garlic powder, 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, edamame, green onions, 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, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ground ginger, and sea salt) 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.
The crispy rice was such a game changer, thanks for the idea! I used your recipe as my inspiration … we don’t like chili crisp so I mixed soy sauce, sesame oil, a little bit of salt, turmeric, and gochugaru chili flakes into the rice. I’m not a fan of this dressing so I make my own balsamic dressing to go with the salad. Such a healthy dish and we eat it for a few days in a row. Thank you!
This is a delicious recipe, but if there is any way to change the format so the *chili crisp recipe* is not embedded into *the rest of the recipe*, this multi tasking mama would appreciate it. I just steam rolled down the whole recipe and made an entire batch of chili crisp IN my rice!! I think this is going to be very spicy ….
This was pretty good but the amount of dressing totally drowned the mixture and there’s a pool of it at the bottom of the bowl. I wasn’t that crazy about the dressing itself – maybe it’s too much sesame oil?
Interested to see how the crispy rice texture changes in the fridge. Eating it fresh it’s pretty chewy and gets stuck in your teeth.
Love the salad and have made a few times however if the kcals are over 1000 per serving I won’t be making it again which is a shame.. can you confirm is the nutrition based on a serving or for the whole dish. Thanks
After making this recipe three times, it’s clear the dressing recipe is written very wrong. To come close to something that looks like the video and is “creamy” like the description, you have to add mayo, more ginger, and more garlic.
No way around it. It’s so bland and watery otherwise. Without it, you need to add a siracha mayo on top at the end or something to balance the soy/sesame flavor. Will stick to expertly texted and reviewed recipes in the future.
Easy and amazing!! I loved everything about this salad and will be placing this on rotation! The only change I made is adding more ginger and less olive oil to the dressing. Thank you as always for another amazing recipe!
The 3/4 cup olive oil is for the Crispy Crunch. The rice has a little oil. She does state in ingredients that “to make your own or rather her’s” it calls for 3/4 cups with dried garlic etc.
I’m confused about the 3/4 cup of olive oil listed under rice? Maybe it’s a mobile site issue but that seems like it’d drown the rice and make it impossible to cook? Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
After spending about $25 on ingredients and three and a half hours making this
I am now enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the crows eat this worthless salad.
Zero stars
Have just made the crispy rice, but not sure whether it should be 2 cups of raw rice, cooked, or 2 cups of cooked rice? It seemed to be a lot of oil if just 2 cups of cooked rice, so I have added it all in. I didn’t use all the chilli crisp and crushed red pepper and chilli powder, so it might not be spicy enough, but we’ll see.
I NEVER comment on recipes but this was SO AMAZING. I’m so picky about salmon (anything too fish-y) and I can’t wait to eat this again. This would make great leftovers, too.
INcredible! I made it for a lunch for my girlfriends, I was worried 2T of the chili crisp would be too spicy but it wasn’t at all. I could eat this every day! I did add some chopped kale and cilantro because I had it on hand. Also, if it helps anyone, I realized I was out of the sesame oil for the dressing, but I had tahini on hand- it was a delicious substitute. I’m going to try your terryaki version next! Thank you for sharing this!
I’ve never made a crispy rice salad before but when Nichole said that this was her most viral recipe of 2024, I knew I had to try it and it did not disappoint. It held up surprisingly well the next day as well, but is definitely best the day of when the rice is extra Krispy.
This is the best crispy rice salad I’ve ever tasted! It is creamy, fresh and tasty. It also lasts very long in the fridge, so it is great for meal prepping.
I made this for my Mom, who does not like cucumbers and she really enjoyed it. I absolutely LOVED it myself! The recipe was excellent and easy to follow. I wouldn’t change anything. Thanks for another AMAZING recipe, @kalejunkie!
I am so happy to hear that, Jaime! Thank you so much for your review!
I was craving a warm salad, and this did not disappoint. The sauce really brings it all together! I was at the store and couldn’t find edamame so I switched it out with 3/4 head of red leaf lettuce finely chopped and I think it helped out by adding a lot of volume to it.
Looking forward to making this again (with the right ingredients) bc I know its going to be even better!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
We order seafood from Wild Alaskan Company and we eat this once a week! It’s become such a favorite of ours that we now feed it to dinner guests. It’s refreshing with a great macro balance. I tend to make double the salad and add different proteins with it for lunch the next few days. I study nutrition and this is an especially ideal meal if you’re focused on fertility or prepping your body for pregnancy due to the omega fat balance and nutrient density of the vegetable salad.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Rate + Review
Awesome recipe!! My family loved it!! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely talents with us!!
The crispy rice was such a game changer, thanks for the idea! I used your recipe as my inspiration … we don’t like chili crisp so I mixed soy sauce, sesame oil, a little bit of salt, turmeric, and gochugaru chili flakes into the rice. I’m not a fan of this dressing so I make my own balsamic dressing to go with the salad. Such a healthy dish and we eat it for a few days in a row. Thank you!
This is a delicious recipe, but if there is any way to change the format so the *chili crisp recipe* is not embedded into *the rest of the recipe*, this multi tasking mama would appreciate it. I just steam rolled down the whole recipe and made an entire batch of chili crisp IN my rice!! I think this is going to be very spicy ….
This was pretty good but the amount of dressing totally drowned the mixture and there’s a pool of it at the bottom of the bowl. I wasn’t that crazy about the dressing itself – maybe it’s too much sesame oil?
Interested to see how the crispy rice texture changes in the fridge. Eating it fresh it’s pretty chewy and gets stuck in your teeth.
Love the salad and have made a few times however if the kcals are over 1000 per serving I won’t be making it again which is a shame.. can you confirm is the nutrition based on a serving or for the whole dish. Thanks
Amazing! I make it once a week!
I am so happy to hear that, Crystal! Thank you so much!
My family loved this!
Yay! Thank you so much, Sarah!
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Thank you!
After making this recipe three times, it’s clear the dressing recipe is written very wrong. To come close to something that looks like the video and is “creamy” like the description, you have to add mayo, more ginger, and more garlic.
No way around it. It’s so bland and watery otherwise. Without it, you need to add a siracha mayo on top at the end or something to balance the soy/sesame flavor. Will stick to expertly texted and reviewed recipes in the future.
Perfect recipe !
This worked exactly as written, thanks! LOVED IT!
Easy and amazing!! I loved everything about this salad and will be placing this on rotation! The only change I made is adding more ginger and less olive oil to the dressing. Thank you as always for another amazing recipe!
Sorry to say but it was just ok to us. I feel the dressing was overpowering with sesame oil. Very one note in flavors.
I’m sorry to hear that, Krissy! Thanks for giving it a shot.
The 3/4 cup olive oil is to make your own Crispy Crunch with other ingredients.
The 3/4 cup olive oil is for the Crispy Crunch. The rice has a little oil. She does state in ingredients that “to make your own or rather her’s” it calls for 3/4 cups with dried garlic etc.
I’m confused about the 3/4 cup of olive oil listed under rice? Maybe it’s a mobile site issue but that seems like it’d drown the rice and make it impossible to cook? Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
After spending about $25 on ingredients and three and a half hours making this
I am now enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the crows eat this worthless salad.
Zero stars
Thanks for adding this to my life. Making this salad weekly now. I add snow peas to the salad and a bit of tahini to the dressing. YUM!
This was the best salad I’ve had in ages! I added a cup of arugula and that was a great addition too.
Also wondering if the 1200 calories per serving is correct? Or is that for the 4 servings?
Is it correct that each serving is ~1200 calories?
Have just made the crispy rice, but not sure whether it should be 2 cups of raw rice, cooked, or 2 cups of cooked rice? It seemed to be a lot of oil if just 2 cups of cooked rice, so I have added it all in. I didn’t use all the chilli crisp and crushed red pepper and chilli powder, so it might not be spicy enough, but we’ll see.
I NEVER comment on recipes but this was SO AMAZING. I’m so picky about salmon (anything too fish-y) and I can’t wait to eat this again. This would make great leftovers, too.
INcredible! I made it for a lunch for my girlfriends, I was worried 2T of the chili crisp would be too spicy but it wasn’t at all. I could eat this every day! I did add some chopped kale and cilantro because I had it on hand. Also, if it helps anyone, I realized I was out of the sesame oil for the dressing, but I had tahini on hand- it was a delicious substitute. I’m going to try your terryaki version next! Thank you for sharing this!
I’ll make with chicken instead of salmon as I just don’t like it. Not sure why this is listed as vegan HA
Loved this recipe. My rice seemed a little over cooked at 20 min and was a little chewy.
I’ve never made a crispy rice salad before but when Nichole said that this was her most viral recipe of 2024, I knew I had to try it and it did not disappoint. It held up surprisingly well the next day as well, but is definitely best the day of when the rice is extra Krispy.
This is the best crispy rice salad I’ve ever tasted! It is creamy, fresh and tasty. It also lasts very long in the fridge, so it is great for meal prepping.
I’m obsessed with Nicole’s crispy rice salads! I made this one with chicken only because that’s what I had on hand, but it was delicious!
I made this for my Mom, who does not like cucumbers and she really enjoyed it. I absolutely LOVED it myself! The recipe was excellent and easy to follow. I wouldn’t change anything. Thanks for another AMAZING recipe, @kalejunkie!
My family loved this! Our kids are 5 and 3 and enjoyi salmon and enjoyed building their own salad bowl with the veggies.
Love Love Love this salad. I make it a lot!
It sounds delicious and I bought all the ingredients.
Do you have the nutritional values for the recipe?
Thanks
Are you suppose to steam the frozen shelled edamame?
The actual best tasting dish ever!
Woohoo! I am so thrilled to hear that! Thank you so much, Teri.
This was absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely make it again and again.
This is so AMAZING, I make it all the time! Packed with flavor and texture, you will love this.
I am so happy to hear that, Jaime! Thank you so much for your review!
I was craving a warm salad, and this did not disappoint. The sauce really brings it all together! I was at the store and couldn’t find edamame so I switched it out with 3/4 head of red leaf lettuce finely chopped and I think it helped out by adding a lot of volume to it.
Looking forward to making this again (with the right ingredients) bc I know its going to be even better!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
We order seafood from Wild Alaskan Company and we eat this once a week! It’s become such a favorite of ours that we now feed it to dinner guests. It’s refreshing with a great macro balance. I tend to make double the salad and add different proteins with it for lunch the next few days. I study nutrition and this is an especially ideal meal if you’re focused on fertility or prepping your body for pregnancy due to the omega fat balance and nutrient density of the vegetable salad.
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this salad! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!
Love, love, love.
I am so happy that you loved it! Thank you for your review!