It was recently pointed out to me that I’m a bowl person. It’s exactly what it sounds like: I almost always prefer a big mishmash bowl of stuff over your classic “meat and two” plate. Add to that I am a self-identified salad person, and you find yourself in the middle of a Venn diagram holding this crispy rice salad.

You, like me, may have seen crispy rice salads circulating on your social media feeds. The baked rice is such an ingenious hack because it’s relatively hands-free to make, which leaves you free to get the rest of your salad prepped. For this sweet chili crispy rice salad, I leaned into summer rolls, one of my favorite lunches, for flavor inspiration.

To make the crispy rice, I toss cooked rice in peanut butter, soy sauce, and sesame oil before spreading it on a sheet pan to bake until crispy. This gives the rice serious peanut sauce vibes without doing much work. While that’s baking, I chop up some crunchy vegetables like shredded cabbage and cucumbers, and lightly pickle carrots and radishes so they taste like the ones you’d have in a summer roll. I top the whole bowl with fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of Thai sweet chili sauce, and it’s the most satisfying, multi-textured salad bowl I’ve had in a while.

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More crispy rice salad flavors to try

You can use this crispy rice technique with practically any flavor profile you like, following a simple base formula: baked crispy rice, crunchy vegetables, dressing, a protein, and something extra for flair and flavor. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Sweet Chili Crispy Rice Salad

Serves 4

For the crispy rice:

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups cooked white rice, preferably jasmine

For the salad:

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks (about 3/4 cup)

4 red radishes, cut into matchsticks (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 cups finely shredded red cabbage

2 Persian cucumbers or 1/4 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)

4 medium scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup fresh basil, mint, or cilantro leaves, or a combination

1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, crushed

1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, plus more as needed

Make the crispy rice:

1. Heat the oven to 425 F.

2. Whisk 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in 2 cups cooked white rice until evenly coated. Spread the rice onto a rimmed baking sheet in a thin, even layer (reserve the bowl).

3. Bake until the rice is crispy and lightly browned (it will be darker around the edges), 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients and pickle the carrot and radishes.

4. Let the crispy rice cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to scrape it up from the baking sheet.

Make the salad:

1. Toss 1 peeled medium carrot cut into matchsticks, 4 red radishes cut into matchsticks, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in the reserved bowl (no need to clean). Let sit to pickle until ready to use.

2. Drain the carrots and radishes, then place in a large bowl. Add the crispy rice, 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage, 1 cup thawed shelled edamame, 2 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers, 4 thinly sliced scallions, 1/2 cup fresh herb leaves, and 1/4 cup crushed, roasted salted peanuts. Drizzle with 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce and toss to coat. Taste and season with more kosher salt and Thai sweet chili sauce as needed.

Recipe notes

(Rachel Perlmutter is a culinary producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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