Let’s be honest: leftover rice is rarely exciting. It’s dry, a little clumpy, and often destined for the microwave. But with one simple trick — a sheet pan and a little oil (and spice!) — you’re not reheating rice. You’re upgrading it.
If you’ve ever scraped the bottom of a rice pot and secretly loved those toasty, crunchy bits (or peeled the entire crust off a pot of tahdig!) – THAT’S crispy rice. It’s all about the crrrrunch — nutty, golden nuggets of caramelized crispiness. That texture alone could carry a dish, but when tossed with fresh toppings and punchy sauces, it becomes the foundation of something truly next level.
So move over boring ‘ole sushi salad, and let your CRISPY RICE sushi salad begin!
CRISPY RICE SUSHI SALAD
Crispy Rice
4 cups leftover jasmine rice
2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp chili garlic paste, sambal oelek or chili crisp
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp grapeseed or avocado oil
Salad
1-2 cups leftover salmon, tuna or kani
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup edamame, thawed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup spicy mayo
1/4 cup sweet sauce
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the rice out. Add the soy sauce, chili paste, sesame oil and grapeseed oil and stir until incorporated. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until the rice is crispy but not burned.
Transfer the crispy rice to a large bowl. Top with flaked salmon, cucumber, edamame, scallions, avocado and sesame seeds. Drizzle with spicy mayo and sweet sauce and serve.
Related Recipes:
sushi salad
crispy rice carrot salad with harissa
crispy rice latkes
chili lime crispy salmon
Is there any way to substitute the chili garlic paste with a more standard kitchen ingredient?