Crispy Rice & Salmon Salad

The baking sheet does double duty here. The rice goes in first, tossed with olive oil and soy sauce and spread in a single layer, and halfway through the oven time the salmon goes on the same sheet to cook alongside it. Both come out at the same time; the rice golden and crunchy, the salmon ready to flake into pieces. Letting both cool to your preferred temperature before assembling the salad is the step that gives you control over whether this eats warm, at room temperature, or fully cold.

The dressing, olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and ground ginger, has an Asian-inspired sharpness that ties the sweetness of the mango and the richness of the salmon together without flattening either. The edamame adds protein and a pop of green that makes the bowl look as good as it tastes. One baking sheet, two bowls, and a salad that turns leftover rice into a reason to make dinner.

Why This Recipe Works

Day-old rice works better than freshly cooked because it has had time to dry out in the fridge; the lower moisture content means it crisps faster and more evenly in the oven without steaming. The soy sauce does two things: it adds flavor and its salt content draws out additional moisture from the rice surface, which accelerates crisping. The mango is the ingredient that ties the Asian-inspired dressing to the salmon, its sweetness balances the soy and vinegar sharpness and complements the fish in a way that makes the bowl taste more coherent than a list of its ingredients would suggest.

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Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Jasmine rice – preferably left-over rice, but freshly cooked can also work.
• Salmon fillet
• English cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Mango
• Edamame
• Tamari soy sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Honey
• Ground ginger
• Mint

Before you begin, watch this quick video below, it shows how the recipe comes together and what to look for along the way.

How to Make Crispy Rice & Salmon Salad

Step 3 – Boil shelled edamame for three to four minutes in salted water. Drain and allow to cool.

Divide the salad over 2 plates or bowls and garnish with mint.

Alternatives & Substitutes

• If you’re not a fan of rice, replace it with another grain (farro, freekeh, wheat berries, spelt or try couscous or quinoa) and make that one crispy. This post will show you how to make crispy grains.
• Instead of salmon, you can use any other protein, chicken, turkey, beef, tofu, pulled pork.
• Vary the vegetables and fruit in this salad, think about cabbage, avocado, beans, pickled onions, bell pepper and so many more.

Another example of a crispy grains salad is this Corn & Black Bean Salad with Crispy Quinoa. Quinoa not really a grain, but the salad follows the same principle as this Crispy Rice & Salmon Salad.

Storage Note

This salad is best eaten the day it’s made. The crispy rice will soften overnight as it absorbs the dressing, and the mango will start to oxidize. If you want to prep ahead, store the components separately, dressing in a jar, rice on its own, remaining ingredients in a container and assemble just before serving. The edamame and cucumber keep well for a day; the salmon is best made fresh.

Other Salmon Salads to Try