Crispy Rice Salad
Updated Jan 15, 2026
This crispy rice salad is made by roasting cooked basmati rice in the oven. Once it gets crispy, toss it with a Dijon dressing and veggies.
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My Crispy Rice Salad is So Good!
I first saw this crispy rice salad trend from my friend Kale Junkie and was immediately hooked. Every salad needs a crunchy topping, and this one was made of leftover rice baked in the oven until crispy!
Since then, I’ve seen many versions floating around, most of which use chili oil with the crispy rice. But I decided to give the crispy rice salad trend my Mediterranean spin and do a Tahdig take on it.
Persian Tahdig is the OG crispy rice, an entire pot of rice with a crispy browned bottom (it’s incredible). I used a similar idea here by mixing rice with yogurt, olive oil, and turmeric and toasting it in the oven until it was super crunchy, and then combining it with the vegetables, herbs, and dressing from this Mediterranean rice salad.
Crispy Rice Salad Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice
- Rice: Cooked basmati rice works well, but jasmine or long-grain rice also works. Just make sure it’s fully cooled before baking.
- Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is best. You can swap in sour cream if that’s what you have.
- Oil: Olive oil works, but any high-smoke-point oil is fine. You can also use cooking spray if you prefer a lighter coating. The oil is key to getting the rice extra crispy.
- Turmeric: This is mostly for color. You can leave it out or swap in curry powder or paprika if that’s what you have.
For the Salad
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained very well so the salad doesn’t get watery.
- Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers work best, but English cucumbers also work well in this crispy rice salad. Just scoop out the seeds if it’s extra watery.
- Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes both work here.
- Red onion: Dice it small. If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak it in ice-cold water for a few minutes and drain; this helps take out the bite.
- Kalamata olives: Any briny olive, such as green olives or Castelvetrano, are fine substitutes.
- Parsley: Flat-leaf parsley is what I like best, but cilantro works too.
For the Dressing
- Oil: Olive oil is standard, but avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil is what you want for this crispy rice salad dressing.
- Lemon juice: I highly recommend sticking to fresh-squeezed lemon juice. If you are a big fan of lemon, you can add a little zest as well to amp up the flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Regular Dijon works best. Whole-grain mustard is okay if that’s what you have.
- Oregano and cumin: Use dried spices. You can swap oregano for Italian seasoning or za’atar if you want to change the flavor slightly.
- Salt and black pepper: Start light and adjust after tossing since the olives add salt.
How to Make Crispy Rice Salad
Crispy Rice Salad Recipe
Crispy rice salad with oven-baked rice, chickpeas, fresh vegetables, olives, and a lemony olive oil dressing tossed together.
Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice cooled
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
For the Salad
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
- 3 Persian cucumbers diced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ red onion diced
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir the cooked cooled rice with greek yogurt, olive oil, and turmeric until well combined.
- Spread the pre-cooked rice on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is crispy. Allow to cool completely.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- In a large bowl, place the chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, and parsley. Add the crispy rice on top, pour the dressing over the salad, and gently toss to combine.
Equipment
Notes
- My Top Tip: Shake your salad dressing! I find adding salad dressing ingredients to a lidded jar and shaking them to be the easiest way to make a creamy, emulsified dressing.
- Storage: I recommend enjoying this rice salad immediately for the best texture. But if you have leftovers, store them covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will still be crisp the next day (but not as crispy).
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 0.4mg, Sodium: 511mg, Potassium: 426mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 941IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to cool your rice. Cooled, slightly dried-out rice will crisp up better! To quickly cool rice, I like to spread it out on a baking sheet and put it in the fridge.
- Stir the rice frequently while it’s baking. This will help it crisp all over and cook evenly.
- Don’t toss your rice with the vegetables until it’s cool. That way, it won’t cook the crunchy, fresh veggies when you toss the two together!
- Shake your salad dressing. I find adding salad dressing ingredients to a lidded jar and shaking them to be the easiest way to make a creamy, emulsified dressing.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with protein. I love serving this crispy rice salad as a carb-y side salad with spinach feta-stuffed chicken, harissa glazed salmon, chicken kabobs, or meat stuffed pita.
- Add dips! This salad goes great with some homemade pita along with roasted garlic hummus, baba ghanoush, or cucumber-yogurt sauce.
Comments
My daughter and I love this salad – add some protein and a full meal! And great use of leftover rice
Yay, so happy you both love it!! Thank you, Sadia!
I found this one a bit disappointing – sorry. I made in bulk so we could have it ahead over the course of the week, so kept rice and salad separate in the fridge as per the instructions. However, by the first meal (a day after cooking), the rice was already very chewy, not crisp, and the whole salad became very tough going. Not sure what went wrong!
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that! After hearing about your experience, I’ve updated the recipe notes to recommend enjoying the salad immediately for the best texture. I don’t think this one is the best for meal prep, unfortunately. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Jo!