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High protein crispy rice salad with golden chicken thighs, edamame, mint, and cilantro lime tahini dressing in a large serving bowl

High Protein Crispy Rice Salad

A satisfying, protein-packed salad with crispy baked rice, golden chicken thighs, edamame, and a creamy cilantro lime tahini dressing. Ready in about an hour and perfect for meal prep.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian-Inspired
Calories: 475

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cooked jasmine rice completely cooled or day-old
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp honey for the rice
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced
  • 21 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp corn flour
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for cooking chicken
  • 1/3 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 pinch fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2.5 tbsp fresh lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tbsp unhulled tahini
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro loosely packed
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp honey for the dressing
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for the dressing
  • 2 Lebanese cucumbers sliced into thin rounds
  • 7 oz shelled edamame beans
  • 1 handful fresh mint leaves picked from stems
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce finely shredded
  • 1/3 cup roasted cashews roughly chopped
  • 3 spring onions thinly sliced

Equipment

  • Large baking tray
  • Large skillet
  • Blender or small food processor
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven broiler to 400 degrees F. Place a large baking tray inside and let it heat for 10 minutes. Toss cooled jasmine rice with tamari, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and minced garlic until fully coated. Spread in a thin, even layer on the hot tray and bake for 14 to 18 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until golden and crisp at the edges.
  2. Toss the diced chicken thighs with corn flour, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Cook the chicken in 2 to 3 batches without crowding, 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until golden brown on all sides and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  3. Blend lime juice, tahini, fish sauce, cilantro, water, honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust lime or salt as needed. If the dressing is too thick, add water one teaspoon at a time.
  4. Finely shred the iceberg lettuce, slice the cucumbers and spring onions, roughly chop the cashews, and pick the mint leaves from their stems. Have the edamame ready to go.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, shredded lettuce, cucumbers, mint, spring onions, and edamame. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat. Scatter the crispy rice and cashews on top just before serving. Add a squeeze of fresh lime if desired.

Notes

Use completely cooled or day-old jasmine or basmati rice for best crispiness. Avoid short-grain or sushi rice. Swap fish sauce with extra tamari or omit for a vegetarian version. Tahini can be replaced with peanut butter or almond butter, thinned with a little extra water. Cook chicken and crispy rice up to 2 days ahead for meal prep. Store dressing separately for up to 1 week. Add crispy rice and cashews just before serving for best texture.