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2 Comments This chicken and rice salad is one of those recipes you’ll find yourself making over and over again. It’s packed with crunchy veggies, juicy chicken and a creamy dressing with just the right amount of spice. The best part? You can serve it warm, lukewarm or straight from the fridge, making it perfect for busy weekdays, meal prep or an easy lunch.
Table of contents
Tip from Simone
One of the reasons I love this chicken and rice salad is that it’s incredibly easy to adapt. It’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables (and leftover chicken) from the fridge, meaning you’ll effortlessly add more vegetables to your meal while wasting less food.
The first time I made this rice salad with chicken was when I had lots of leftovers in the fridge and it just seemed like a happy accident. Since then I’ve made this countless times and it’s one of my favorite mealprep recipes as well.
Recipe Ingredients
For this easy rice salad you’ll need the following base ingredients. Make sure to always check the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breast – diced and pan-fried until golden. You can also use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken. Having some cooked chicken on hand is always a good idea! If you want to change the source of protein you can also use things like crispy tofu or tempeh. Those are great substitutions
- Rice – white rice (basmati or pandan) works perfectly, but brown rice, black rice or wild rice are all delicious alternatives. Alternatively you could also use different grains.
- Peas – cook them together with the rice during the last few minutes. I use frozen peas but you can use fresh peas as well
- Carrot – grated for extra crunch and natural sweetness.
- Red bell pepper – adds colour and freshness.
- Spring onions – for a mild onion flavour. If you love raw onions you can also use red onions or yellow onions.
- Red chilli – remove the seeds if you prefer less heat.
- Coconut oil – for frying the chicken. Olive oil also works well.
Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard (or another spicy mustard)
- Ginger syrup
- Lemon juice or vinegar
- Chilli powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional toppings: I love adding some crunchy peanuts and fresh cilantro, but you can also use different flavors and use cashew nuts or fresh parsley instead. Other fresh herbs are great too. Think fresh basil, fresh oregano or even a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
Variations
This recipe is wonderfully flexible. You can also add:
- Sugar snap peas
- Mangetout
- Green beans
- Sweetcorn
- Grated or grilled zucchini
- Arugula, lamb’s lettuce , romaine lettuce or spinach for an even fresher salad
- cherry tomatoes or cucumbers will work great too
- avocado for some healthy fats
Don’t eat chicken? Replace it with fried tempeh, tofu or even grilled salmon.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Salad
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add the peas during the last few minutes of cooking. Drain well and let cool slightly.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Grate the carrot and finely chop the bell pepper, spring onions and chilli.
- Combine the rice, peas, chicken and vegetables in a large bowl.
- Mix all dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Stir the dressing through the salad or serve it separately.
- Finish with chopped peanuts and fresh coriander.
The salad is delicious warm, at room temperature or chilled. You can serve it as it is or pair it with some light soup, crusty bread and a glass of white wine (thats totally optional of course.)
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The flavors actually become even better the next day.
Freezer: The rice and chicken freeze well, but the fresh vegetables lose their crunch. For the best result, freeze only the cooked rice and chicken and add fresh vegetables after thawing.
Reheating: While you can certainly enjoy this chicken and rice salad cold, you can also reheat it easily. I like to do this in a skillet on medium heat. Don’t cook for too long as you do not want the chicken to dry out.
FAQ Chicken and Rice Salad
Absolutely. It’s perfect for meal prep and tastes even better after the flavors have had time to develop.
Yes! This salad is delicious warm, lukewarm or cold.
Almost anything works. Green beans, sugar snaps, zucchini, cucumber, sweetcorn or leafy greens are all great additions.
Add sriracha, harissa, piri piri sauce or gochujang to the dressing for an extra kick.
Yes, leftover rice is actually ideal and makes this recipe even quicker to prepare.
Absolutely. You can keep it simpler by just using a good extra virgin olive oil and pair it with a delicious vinegar and some salt and pepper. I also love making this with simply mayonaise, crispy chili oil and a splash of lemon juice.
More Rice Recipes
Simple Tomato Rice Recipe with Chicken and Chorizo
Chicken and Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 150 g chicken breast in cubes
- 150 gr rice
- 100 gr peas
- 1 carrot grated
- 2 spring onions sliced
- 1/2 bell pepper diced
- 1 red pepper seeds removed, chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Dressing
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp spicy mustard
- 1 tbsp ginger syrup
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- pepper and salt
To serve
- 2 tbsp peanuts chopped
- fresh coriander
How to make the chicken and rice salad
- To make the salad, start by cooking the rice according to the package directions. During the last few minutes, add the peas so they thaw well. Drain and set aside.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and/or other spices to taste and heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken cubes until tender and golden brown. Add the chicken to the rice.
- Chop the remaining ingredients and grate the carrots. Add all the vegetables to the rice salad.
- To make the dressing, mix all ingredients together and stir well.
- Serve the rice salad with the dressing.
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Love how inviting and vibrant it is! Happy Easter!
Thanks so much! Happy Easter to you too!