This Crispy Wild Rice Kale Chicken Salad with Creamy Maple Cider Vinaigrette is the fall salad I’ll be making on repeat until Thanksgiving. You get oven-toasted wild rice that turns golden and crunchy, kale chopped so fine it soaks up every drop of dressing, tart Granny Smith apple, pomegranate, pecans, and shortcut rotisserie chicken, all tossed in a tangy-sweet vinaigrette you make in the blender. It’s hearty enough for dinner, great for meal prep, and yes, I’m calling it life changing. A salad can do that.
Friends, if you’ve made any of my crispy rice salads, you already know I’m a little obsessed with them. Baking cooked rice until it’s golden and crunchy turns a regular salad into a full meal, and once you try it you’ll want it on everything. My Crispy Rice Salmon Cucumber Salad with Creamy Asian Dressing and Crispy Rice Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad are proof. This one is my fall version, and if you know me, you know fall is my favorite time of year, so it was only a matter of time.
The biggest change is the rice. Instead of white rice, this one uses a wild rice blend, which bakes up nuttier and chewier at the edges and tastes way more like fall to me (white rice still works if that’s what you have). To save time, I buy the wild rice blend frozen and defrost it in the microwave. Then rotisserie chicken, my favorite time-saving hack, adds the protein without another pan to wash.
And the base matters just as much. The kale gets chopped as finely as you can manage, and I mean FINE, because tiny pieces mix right in with the crispy rice so you get a little of everything in each bite. Granny Smith apple brings the tartness, pomegranate adds those juicy little pops, and the pecans add more crunch. Everything gets tossed in a maple cider vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, a whole shallot, and garlic, blended until it’s creamy. With all that fiber and protein, this is a salad that keeps you full and doesn’t leave you hungry an hour later.
What You Need to Make This Fall Crispy Rice Salad
- Wild Rice Blend: I buy it frozen and defrost it in the microwave, but any cooked wild rice works, and white rice is a fine swap too.
- Olive Oil: A couple teaspoons of olive oil help the rice crisp up in the oven. Toss it well so every grain gets coated and browns evenly.
- Rotisserie Chicken: My favorite shortcut. I use the white meat, chopped, and if you have leftover roasted chicken or turkey, that works too.
- Curly Kale: Curly kale has all those ruffly edges that grab the dressing. Remove the stems and chop it very finely, because the finer it is, the better this salad gets.
- Granny Smith Apple: Brings tartness and crunch that hold up against the sweet dressing.
- Red Onion: Half a small red onion, finely diced, adds a little bite.
- Pecans: Add a buttery crunch that goes with the apple. Walnuts work if that’s what’s in your pantry.
- Pomegranate Arils: These are the juicy, tart pops of color in every bite.
- Avocado Oil: Avocado oil has a neutral flavor, so it makes a great base for the vinaigrette.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup sweetens the dressing and makes it taste like fall.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is where the tang comes from, and it pairs perfectly with the Granny Smith in the salad.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds a little sharpness and helps the dressing blend into a creamy, emulsified vinaigrette.
- Shallot: It mellows into the dressing and gives it body and savory depth.
- Garlic: Fresh is the way to go here.
- Kosher Salt: A pinch for the rice, plus a bit in the dressing.
- Black Pepper: A pinch on the rice and a little in the dressing for warmth.
How to Make This Crispy Wild Rice Kale Chicken Salad
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Spread the cooked and cooled wild rice onto a baking sheet, drizzle it with the olive oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss it until every grain is coated, then spread it back out in an even layer.
Bake the rice for about 40 minutes, tossing it at the halfway point, until it’s golden and crunchy. Oven times vary, so keep an eye on it toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
While the rice is in the oven, make the dressing. Add the avocado oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste it, adjust anything you want, and set it aside.
Use the rest of the oven time to prep the salad. Remove the kale stems and chop the leaves as finely as you can, then finely dice the apple and red onion, coarsely chop the pecans, and chop the chicken.
Finally, build your salad. Add the kale, chicken, apple, red onion, pecans, pomegranate arils, and crispy rice to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss until everything is well coated. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! White rice crisps up nicely too (it’s what I use in most of my crispy rice salads). The wild rice blend just gives this one a nuttier, more fall-forward flavor.
Yes, and it’s one of the best make-ahead salads I have because kale is so sturdy. Bake the crispy rice, blend the dressing, and chop the kale, onion, pecans, and chicken up to a few days in advance. Store the crispy rice in an airtight container at room temperature so it stays crunchy, and keep the dressing in a jar in the fridge. Dice the apple and add the crispy rice right before serving so everything stays crisp.
So good. Store the kale mixture, the dressing, and the crispy rice separately, then add dressing and rice to each portion when you’re ready to eat. The kale won’t wilt into mush the way lettuce does, so it still tastes fresh on day three.
Not here. Chopping it really finely and tossing it in the dressing softens it enough, and the kale gets even more tender as it sits.
It’s naturally dairy-free and refined sugar-free. It’s gluten-free as long as your wild rice blend, rotisserie chicken, and Dijon are, so double-check the labels on those three.
Swap the pecans for pumpkin seeds. You’ll keep the crunch and lose the nuts.
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 Lorena Masso
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cups cooked & cooled wild rice blend, to save time, I buy this frozen and defrost in microwave
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups white meat rotisserie chicken, chopped
- 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, very finely chopped, the finer the better!
- 1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils
For the Maple Cider Vinaigrette
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Spread the cooked and cooled wild rice onto a baking sheet, drizzle it with the olive oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Toss it until every grain is coated, then spread it back out in an even layer.
- Bake the rice for about 40 minutes, tossing it at the halfway point, until it’s golden and crunchy. Oven times vary, so keep an eye on it toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
- While the rice is in the oven, make the dressing. Add the avocado oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste it, adjust anything you want, and set it aside.
- Use the rest of the oven time to prep the salad. Remove the kale stems and chop the leaves as finely as you can, then finely dice the apple and red onion, coarsely chop the pecans, and chop the chicken.
- Finally, build your salad. Add the kale, chicken, apple, red onion, pecans, pomegranate arils, and crispy rice to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss until everything is well coated. Serve and enjoy!
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