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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
2 Tablespoons Chili Crisp – 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
- ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1.5 Tablespoons 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 Garlic Powder
For the Salad:
- 5 Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced – you can also substitute one large English cucumber
- 1 Cup Edamame, shelled
- 1 Bunch Green Onions, thinly sliced – this is approximately 3/4 cup
- 2 Avocados, chopped
For the Creamy Asian Dressing:
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Toasted Sesame Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- 3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher 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.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
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’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.
Loved this recipe. My rice seemed a little over cooked at 20 min and was a little chewy.
I’ll make with chicken instead of salmon as I just don’t like it. Not sure why this is listed as vegan HA
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 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.
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.
Is it correct that each serving is ~1200 calories?
Also wondering if the 1200 calories per serving is correct? Or is that for the 4 servings?
This was the best salad I’ve had in ages! I added a cup of arugula and that was a great addition too.
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!
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