The viral crispy rice salad gets a Caesar-inspired makeover with juicy chicken, smoky chickpeas, shredded kale, parmesan-laced crispy rice and a lovely creamy Caesar dressing. Packed with protein, this one is fabulous for meal prep and entertaining.
Table of Contents
Caesar Crispy Rice Salad, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 40 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 4 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: Cooked rice, parmesan, kale, chickpeas, cooked chicken, white miso paste
🍳 Cooking Method: Oven or air fryer
💪 Protein: 28.5g per serving
🥗 Why it Works: All the flavors of the best Caesar salad, in a high-protein, more satisfying form. Full of texture and crunch, and it keeps well
💃 Perfect For: Meal prep lunches, easy entertaining, easy high-protein dinners
A Caesar Twist on a Viral Salad
Crispy rice salads have been doing the rounds on social media, and it’s one trend that MORE than lives up to the hype. I’ve made a couple of versions of the salad (this satay crispy rice salad, Mediterranean crispy rice salad, and chicken shawarma crispy rice salad are some of my favorites), and this Caesar-inspired version is another wonderful twist on the viral trend.
I’ve swapped the traditional rock-hard croutons for smoky, crispy chickpeas, which bake alongside the crispy rice to save time. These also provide an extra boost of protein to the salad and more texture. You could also add golden baked parmesan crisps for even MORE crunch!
Kale gives the salad a little more substance, and I find it holds up better when mixed with the dressing and stored (lettuce can go soggy quite quickly).
It’s SUCH a satisfying salad that doesn’t even feel like a salad, if that makes sense? It’s hearty, filling, and PACKED with the best flavor. My boyfriend couldn’t get enough of this one and may or may not have finished roughly three bowls in a row…
Want more Caesar inspiration? Try this chicken Caesar pasta salad, chicken Caesar inspired meatballs, chicken Caesar stuffed flatbreads, or creamy high-protein chicken Caesar dip next.
Made this for dinner tonight, so so so yum. Definitely being added to my dinner rotation. Kind of addicted to the crispy rice, tbh. I even successfully made the aioli recipe suggested for the dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rice. I’m using long-grain rice (like basmati), but you can use any leftover rice you might have, or use a packet of microwave rice for ease. If you’re making rice specifically for the salad, I’ve included instructions in the recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Chicken. This is a brilliant recipe for using any leftover chicken you might have from a herby roast chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken. If I’m cooking chicken specifically for this salad, I like to use the marinade from this grilled chicken Caesar salad.
- Chorizo. Typically I’d use streaky (or American) bacon, and you can absolutely swap the chorizo for bacon here if you like. The chorizo just brings an extra hit of smoky spiciness which I love with the other ingredients.
- Kale. I’m using shredded kale instead of Romaine lettuce because I find it holds up a lot better in the salad and doesn’t go soggy – it retains that satisfying crunchiness. Because we’re using shredded kale, there’s no need to massage any dressing into it before mixing with the salad. If you’re not a kale fan, you can swap it for Romaine or another crunchy lettuce.
- The dressing. You’ll need garlic aioli (or regular or Kewpie mayo), Dijon mustard, parmesan, fish sauce (I find this is easier than using whole anchovies), lemon juice, miso paste, and lots of black pepper. I sometimes like to add a little plain yogurt to the dressing too, just to lighten it up slightly.
How to Make the Caesar Crispy Rice Salad
- Start by spreading your cooled, cooked rice onto an oven tray and mix it with olive oil, parmesan and paprika.
- Bake until lovely and crispy, then set aside.
- Toss your chickpeas with the seasoning and pop into the oven at the same time to crisp up.
- While the rice and chickpeas cook, prepare the rest of the salad, dressing, and pan-fry your chorizo (or bacon) until crispy. Add everything to a large bowl, then pour over the crispy rice and chickpeas.
- Pour your Caesar dressing on top of the salad.
- Toss very well to coat, then serve.
Watch How to Make the Caesar Crispy Rice Salad
Caesar Crispy Rice Salad FAQs
Once you mix the salad with the dressing and store it, it won’t stay AS crispy as it was originally.
This is generally fine if you’re making the salad for yourself and your family, but if you’re entertaining, I recommend mixing the rice and dressing through the salad just before serving for the best texture.
This is a common technique to soften up the kale when serving it raw, but when it’s shredded finely like it is here, it isn’t necessary.
It’ll soften up perfectly when mixed with the salad, so there’s no need to do this extra step.
Like this recipe? Try these salads next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
Chicken Caesar Crispy Rice Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Cook your rice (skip this step if you use leftover rice)Add ⅔ cup of rice to a small pot you have a lid for. Add 1 cup of water, then set over high heat until you see little bubbles starting to form on top. Pop the lid on, turn the heat right down and leave it to cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat (still with the lid on), and set aside for another 10 minutes, to finish cooking. After this, fluff up the grains with a fork, spread it onto an oven tray lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Make your cheesy crispy rice.Heat your oven to 400℉ (200°C). If you're using leftover rice, transfer it to a parchment paper-lined oven tray. If you're using your fresh rice, get the tray out of the fridge. Drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of paprika and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese. Mix the seasoning through the rice and spread it into a thin even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, to get lovely and crispy. Check the rice after 15 minutes to see how it's going – some ovens are a little uneven and you may want to rotate the tray.
- Make your crispy chickpeas.Arrange your drained chickpeas on a separate lined oven tray, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to combine the seasoning through the chickpeas, then pop into the oven for 15 minutes, until golden and a little crispy on the outside.
- Mix your Caesar dressing. Add 1/2 cup of aioli, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of miso paste, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and a very good grind of black pepper to a bowl or a jar. Use a fork to mix well to combine, using the fork to press down on and break up the miso paste into the dressing.
- Prep your salad ingredients. Set a small pan over high heat and cook your diced chorizo for a couple of minutes until crispy. Add the shredded kale, chopped scallions, cooked chorizo, chicken and grated parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl, or the serving bowl you'll serve the salad in to save on washing up.
- Mix your salad. Remove the crispy rice and chickpeas from the oven, then add to the other ingredients in your mixing bowl. Pour over three-quarters of your Caesar dressing, then toss everything so that the dressing coats everything well. Dollop the remaining dressing on top, then serve.
Made this for dinner tonight, so so so yum. Definitely being added to my dinner rotation. Kind of addicted to the crispy rice, tbh. I even successfully made the aioli recipe suggested for the dressing (had backup mayo just in case)