Think Korean fried chicken in crispy rice salad form. This twist on the viral recipe is incredibly moreish, incredibly easy and jam-packed full of complex flavor. We’ve got juicy charred chicken, crispy spicy rice and crunchy veggies all tossed with a sweet, spicy gochujang sesame dressing. Brilliant for meal prep and entertaining.
I have been on a BIG rice kick for the past couple of months. From this life-changing loaded baked rice, festive baked rice to these Mediterranean chicken rice bowls, one pot golden chicken and rice AND the satay crispy rice salad which went a wee bit viral on social media, I’ve really been loving playing around with it.
And this version is very special. It combines a few of my favorite things – Korean fried chicken (or Korean grilled chicken), sweet and spicy flavors and of course, rice!
It’s also very simple to make and super customizable, based on what you have on hand and what you like. Make the chicken and rice specially for the salad, or use leftover cooked rice and cooked chicken for ease. Everything is tossed in a very zingy sweet and spicy gochujang dressing that ties it all together.
Ingredients
- Chicken. While I suggest cooking the chicken with the gochujang marinade for this recipe (I’m using chicken thighs), you can definitely use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken (it’s great with satay chicken or miso grilled chicken, too). It’s also a brilliant way to use up any leftovers you may have from a herby roast chicken.
- Gochujang paste. This gorgeous Korean fermented chili paste is one of my most beloved ingredients. You can find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or you can pick it up from Amazon.
- Rice. I’ve included instructions in the recipe if you’re cooking rice specifically for the salad, but it’s a great way to use up leftovers. I’m using long-grain rice (like basmati), but you can use any. If you’re cooking a different type of rice, follow the packet instructions as it may have a different cooking time.
- Red cabbage. Swap this for white cabbage if you like, or you could use spinach or kale. Or for ease, use a shredded cabbage mix from the store.
- Cilantro. I know this is a divisive herb, so swap it out for mint, Thai basil, chives or flat-leaf parsley if you like.
- Sweet chili jam. You could also use sweet chili sauce, though if you have time, I recommend trying out my recipe. It’s a wonderful shortcut to flavor and one of the most used condiments in my kitchen. If you don’t have any, use more honey.
How to make it
Marinate your chicken, then pop into the oven until super charred. Mix the rice with the gochujang paste, sesame oil and a little salt, then spread out onto an oven tray and bake until crispy.
While the chicken and rice is in the oven, prepare the rest of your salad ingredients and make the gochujang sesame dressing. Add everything to a large bowl, then top with the chopped chicken, crispy rice and pour over the dressing. Serve with dollops of garlic aioli, sweet chili jam, or chili oil.
Got a question?
Once it’s tossed with the dressing and left to sit, the rice won’t stay as crispy as it was when it came out of the oven. This doesn’t hugely matter if you’re making it for yourself as it still tastes wonderful. If you’re entertaining, I recommend adding the crispy rice and the dressing just before serving. All the other ingredients can be mixed and prepared a couple of days ahead of time if needed.
You could add frozen (thawed) peas, or green beans, bean sprouts, asparagus or broccoli florets. Swap the cilantro for mint, Thai basil or chives. I love to add a drizzle of extra sweet chili jam, garlic aioli (or spicy gochujang aioli), or chili oil to serve as well.
Watch how to make it
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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 😊.
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Korean Grilled Chicken Crispy Rice Salad
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Think Korean fried chicken in crispy rice salad form. This twist on the viral recipe is incredibly moreish, incredibly easy and jam-packed full of complex flavor. We’ve got juicy charred chicken, crispy spicy rice and crunchy veggies all tossed with a sweet, spicy gochujang sesame dressing. Brilliant for meal prep and entertaining.
Ingredients
For the Korean grilled chicken –
- 1lb/500g skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam (or more honey)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
For the salad –
- 2 cups of cooked rice (or 2/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice)
- 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 red or white cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup of frozen edamame beans, thawed
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- A handful of cilantro (coriander), chopped
- 3 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
For the gochujang sesame dressing –
- 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam (or sweet chili sauce)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon of ginger paste)
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
Instructions
- Cook your rice (skip this step if you use leftover rice). Add 2/3 cup of rice to a small saucepan you have a lid for. Add 1 cup of water, then set the pan over high heat. When you see the water looking foamy on top, pop the lid on, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat (still with the lid on), and set it aside for another 10 minutes, to finish steaming. After this, fluff up the grains with a fork, then spread it onto an oven tray lined with parchment paper and pop it into the fridge to cool, for at least 10 minutes.
- Cook the chicken (skip this step if you’re using leftover/rotisserie chicken). Heat your oven to 430F/220C fanbake. Mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Transfer to a parchment paper lined oven tray and cook for 25 minutes, until deeply charred.
- Make the crispy rice. Line a separate oven tray with parchment paper and add your cooked rice. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste and then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine well, then transfer to the oven with the chicken for 25 – 30 minutes to crisp up. 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. Check it at 20 minutes too as it can easily burn and all ovens are different again.
- Make the gochujang dressing. To either a jar you have a lid for, or a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Pop the lid on the jar and shake well to create a silky smooth dressing, or mix the dressing in the bowl with a fork. PRO TIP: You can loosen the dressing with a little water if you like.
- Assemble the salad. Once the chicken is ready, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Add it to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl you’d like to serve the salad from), along with 1 cup of edamame beans, shredded cabbage, diced carrots, diced cucumber, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro and the sesame seeds. Pour the crispy rice on top, then pour over the gochujang dressing. Toss to combine, then serve.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: It’s best to serve the salad right after you’ve added the crispy rice and the dressing, as the rice will soften over time and lose its crispiness. This is fine if you’re making this for yourself, but if you’re entertaining, wait until you’re ready to serve before finishing the salad. Once mixed, it will keep well, for four days in the fridge.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Play around with the salad ingredients, based on what you like and what you have on hand. You could add frozen (thawed) peas, or green beans, bean sprouts, asparagus or broccoli florets. Swap the cilantro for mint, Thai basil or chives.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: salads
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 250g
- Calories: 333
- Sugar: 10.7g
- Sodium: 671.1mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32.8g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 78.3mg
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