Chicken Satay Crispy Rice Salad Bowls

A wooden bowl filled with salad greens, shredded cabbage, grilled tofu, peanuts, and a creamy dressing, with wooden salad servers and side bowls of rice, cilantro, and lime wedges.

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Satay Crispy Rice Salad Bowls

🥗🥜🥬 Loaded with so much TEXTURE and layers of FLAVOR! Juicy, curry-spiced chicken along with edamame, cucumbers, cabbage, and more. Rice is baked until crispy and it truly MAKES this dish! The finishing touch is a simple homemade peanut sauce dressing you'll LOVE!

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Dinner, lunch, Salad, Sides, Salads & Vegetables

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chicken satay salad, chicken with crispy rice, crispy rice salad, crispy rice salad bowls

Servings:

Calories: 794cal

Equipment

Ingredients

Rice

3 cups cooked rice (day-old rice works best, I use jasmine rice but basmati, white, or your favorite rice is fine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili crunch or to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Chicken

1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into bite-sized pieces (boneless skinless chicken thighs may be substituted)
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder or to taste (if you're not fond of curry powder, use an all-purpose poultry seasoning or your favorite spice blend)}
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
olive oil for cooking the chicken

Salad

2 cups coleslaw mix (or a mixture of green and red cabbage, as desired)
1 cup shelled edamame cooked and cooled
1 cup sliced cucumber (I use an English cucumber and do not peel nor seed it)
3 green onions (trimmed and sliced into bite-sized segments on the bias)
½ cup roasted salted peanuts roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped (fresh basil is a great swap)
salt as desired and to taste
freshly ground black pepper as desired and to taste

Peanut Sauce Dressing (halve the amounts below if you don't use much dressing or don't want extra)

⅓ cup cup creamy peanut butter (use a heaping 1/3 cup, I use Skippy or Jif, natural style peanut butter is fine; almond butter, cashew butter, seed butters, etc. are also fine)
¼ cup honey or to taste
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon frehly ground black pepper or to taste
1 clove garlic finely minced or pressed, optional
pinch cayenne pepper optional and to taste
optional 2 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk or as desired for a thinner consistency

Instructions

Rice - Preheat oven to 400F. To a large baking sheet lined with parchment, add the rice in a flat, even layer. Evenly drizzle with olive oil, chili crunch, toss to distribute. Chili Crisp Tip - The chili oil in it not only adds a smoky depth but also enhances the color of the rice. Start with a small amount and adjust to taste. If omitting chili oil, replace it with an extra tablespoon of olive oil to maintain crispiness.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until as crispy as desired. Toss once midway through baking to ensure even cooking.
Chicken - To a large bowl, add the chicken, soy sauce, oil, curry powder, salt, pepper, and toss to combine.
To a large skillet, add a bit of oil, the chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is done and cooked through. Flip chicken frequently to ensure even cooking. When done, set aside.
Salad - To a large bowl, or individual bowls and divided evenly or as desired, add the coleslaw mix, edamame, cucumbers, top with roasted peanuts, cilantro, salt and pepper as desired. Add the crispy rice and cooked chicken.
Peanut Sauce Dressing - To a medium bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, add all ingredients, whisk aggressively until smooth. Taste, check for seasoning and flavor balance, and make any necessary adjustments (i.e. more honey, more peanut butter, more salt, more sesame oil, etc.). If you like your sauce on the thicker side you may want to omit the coconut milk. When ready drizzle over the salad, as desired. Extra peanut sauce will keep airtight for up to 10 days in the fridge.

Notes

Storage: As with most salads, they're best enjoyed when freshly made and served. For a meal prep option, you could try keeping the components separate until serving and then combine them, noting the crispy rice will lose its texture if you refrigerate it. The peanut sauce will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Nutrition