Best Bang Bang Chicken Crispy Rice Salad

If you ask me, crispy rice is one of the best things you can add to a salad.

This Asian-inspired dish turns simple ingredients into a satisfying meal that’s all about contrast. Crunchy pan-fried rice and fresh vegetables meet with a creamy, spicy bang bang sauce that ties everything together.

The chicken gets a quick coating of five-spice before hitting the skillet, while the peanut butter dressing brings that sweet-savory-spicy combination everyone loves. Toasted sesame seeds scattered on top add an extra bit of crunch.

It’s the kind of meal that feels special but comes together without much fuss, perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this recipe, boneless, skinless chicken breast is your best bet since it cooks quickly and gets nice and crispy when pan-fried. If you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs will also work great and tend to stay a bit more juicy, though they may take a few extra minutes to cook through. You can use fresh or frozen chicken – just make sure frozen chicken is completely thawed and patted dry with paper towels before cooking to help it get that crispy exterior. When shopping, look for chicken breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly, and if you have a really thick piece, you can always butterfly it or pound it to an even thickness.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty adaptable, so here are some swaps you can make if needed:

• Chicken breast: You can easily swap chicken breast for chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat. Tofu or tempeh also work great for a vegetarian version – just press the tofu well and cook it until crispy.
• White rice: While white rice gets nice and crispy, you can use brown rice or jasmine rice instead. Just note that brown rice will take longer to cook initially and may need a bit more time to crisp up.
• Five-spice: If you don’t have five-spice powder, you can make a quick substitute with equal parts cinnamon, ground ginger, and a pinch of cloves and fennel seeds.
• Peanut butter: Almond butter or cashew butter work just as well for the bang bang sauce. For nut allergies, try sunflower seed butter – it gives a similar creamy texture.
• Rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can replace rice vinegar. Just use a little less as they’re slightly stronger in flavor.
• Gem lettuce: Any crisp lettuce works here – try romaine, butter lettuce, or even iceberg if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sesame oil: This adds a distinct nutty flavor that’s hard to replicate, but if you’re out, a small drizzle of toasted nut oil or extra olive oil will do in a pinch.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making crispy rice is adding it to the salad while it’s still hot, which steams the vegetables and turns everything limp – let the rice cool completely or even chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes before mixing.

Another common error is overcrowding the pan when cooking the chicken, which causes it to steam instead of getting a nice sear, so make sure your pan is hot and the chicken has enough space to develop that golden crust.

Don’t skip thinning out the peanut butter with hot water, because thick peanut butter won’t coat the salad evenly and you’ll end up with clumps instead of a smooth, creamy dressing.

Finally, wait until just before serving to add the dressing and toss everything together – if you dress the salad too early, the rice will absorb all the sauce and lose its texture.

What to Serve With Bang Bang Chicken Crispy Rice Salad?

This salad is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some extra Asian-inspired sides to round out the meal. A simple miso soup or hot and sour soup makes a great starter and keeps the flavor profile going. If you want something on the side, try some steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt or some vegetable spring rolls with sweet chili sauce for dipping. Since the salad already has lots of textures and flavors going on, you don’t need much else – maybe just some prawn crackers or wonton chips if you’re feeding a crowd and want something extra to munch on.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep the components separate if you can – store the crispy rice in an airtight container at room temperature, and the chicken, veggies, and dressing in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This way everything stays fresh and the rice keeps its crunch.

Make Ahead: This salad is perfect for meal prep! Cook the chicken and rice ahead of time, prep your veggies, and whisk up the bang bang sauce. When you’re ready to eat, just crisp up the rice quickly in a pan and toss everything together for a fresh-tasting meal.

Assemble: If you’ve already mixed everything together, the salad will keep in the fridge for about 2 days, though the rice won’t be as crispy. Give it a quick toss before eating, and maybe add a few extra sesame seeds on top to bring back some of that texture.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 850-1000
• Protein: 38-48 g
• Fat: 32-42 g
• Carbohydrates: 95-115 g

Ingredients

For the rice and salad:

• 120g white rice
• 1.25 cups water
• 1 large gem lettuce
• 1-2 carrots
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 fresh lime, juiced

For the bang bang chicken:

• 275g chicken breast
• 1.5 tsp five-spice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the peanut dressing:

• 30g peanut butter
• 20ml soy sauce
• 12ml sesame oil
• 18ml rice vinegar
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1/2 red chili
• 1.5 tbsp boiling water

For the garnish:

• 15g sesame seeds

Step 1: Cook the Rice and Prepare Mise en Place

• 120g white rice
• 1.25 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large gem lettuce
• 1-2 carrots
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 red chili

Bring 1.25 cups water to a boil in a pot, add the white rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and rice is tender.

While the rice cooks, prepare all your vegetables: shred the gem lettuce, grate the carrots, slice the spring onions into rounds, cut the cucumber into thin batons, and mince the red chili.

I like to keep my vegetables separate until assembly so they stay crisp and fresh—it makes a big difference in the final texture of the salad.

Step 2: Season and Cook the Chicken

• 275g chicken breast
• 1.5 tsp five-spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1.5 tbsp boiling water

While the rice is cooking, pat the chicken breast dry and season both sides generously with the five-spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken and sear for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of boiling water to the pan, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Once cooked, remove the chicken to a cutting board, let it rest for a few minutes, then shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Step 3: Make the Bang Bang Sauce

• 30g peanut butter
• 1.5 tbsp boiling water
• 20ml soy sauce
• 12ml sesame oil
• 18ml rice vinegar
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• minced chili from Step 1

While the chicken rests, prepare the sauce by combining the peanut butter with 1.5 tablespoons of boiling water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth and combined.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced chili, and sugar, then whisk everything together until you have a smooth, pourable sauce.

Taste and adjust the balance of flavors—I find the sauce should be slightly spicy, tangy, and nutty all at once, so add a touch more lime juice if it needs brightness.

Step 4: Assemble the Salad Base

• cooked rice from Step 1
• prepared vegetables from Step 1
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 fresh lime, juiced

Fluff the cooked rice from Step 1 with a fork and transfer it to a large serving bowl.

Add the shredded lettuce, grated carrots, sliced spring onions, and cucumber batons from Step 1 to the rice.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice from 1/4 fresh lime over the vegetables and rice, then toss everything together gently until combined and evenly coated.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

• shredded cooked chicken from Step 2
• bang bang sauce from Step 3
• 15g sesame seeds

Arrange the shredded chicken from Step 2 on top of the rice salad base.

Pour the bang bang sauce from Step 3 generously over the chicken and salad, then sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over the top.

Toss everything together just before serving so all the components are well coated with the sauce and flavors are combined.

Best Bang Bang Chicken Crispy Rice Salad

Delicious Best Bang Bang Chicken Crispy Rice Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Calories 925 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the rice and salad::

• 120g white rice
• 1.25 cups water
• 1 large gem lettuce
• 1-2 carrots
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 fresh lime, juiced

For the bang bang chicken::

• 275g chicken breast
• 1.5 tsp five-spice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the peanut dressing::

• 30g peanut butter
• 20ml soy sauce
• 12ml sesame oil
• 18ml rice vinegar
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1/2 red chili
• 1.5 tbsp boiling water

For the garnish::

• 15g sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Bring 1.25 cups water to a boil in a pot, add the white rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and rice is tender. While the rice cooks, prepare all your vegetables: shred the gem lettuce, grate the carrots, slice the spring onions into rounds, cut the cucumber into thin batons, and mince the red chili. I like to keep my vegetables separate until assembly so they stay crisp and fresh—it makes a big difference in the final texture of the salad.
• While the rice is cooking, pat the chicken breast dry and season both sides generously with the five-spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken and sear for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add 1.5 tablespoons of boiling water to the pan, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a cutting board, let it rest for a few minutes, then shred it into bite-sized pieces.
• While the chicken rests, prepare the sauce by combining the peanut butter with 1.5 tablespoons of boiling water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth and combined. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced chili, and sugar, then whisk everything together until you have a smooth, pourable sauce. Taste and adjust the balance of flavors—I find the sauce should be slightly spicy, tangy, and nutty all at once, so add a touch more lime juice if it needs brightness.
• Fluff the cooked rice from Step 1 with a fork and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Add the shredded lettuce, grated carrots, sliced spring onions, and cucumber batons from Step 1 to the rice. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice from 1/4 fresh lime over the vegetables and rice, then toss everything together gently until combined and evenly coated.
• Arrange the shredded chicken from Step 2 on top of the rice salad base. Pour the bang bang sauce from Step 3 generously over the chicken and salad, then sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over the top. Toss everything together just before serving so all the components are well coated with the sauce and flavors are combined.