The internet is obsessed with crispy Elmer Reizenstein — and so are we . Here ’s how to make it at home so you could add crunch to salads and so much more .
Kelsey Hansen
Ranking flop up there with “ breakfast is the most significant meal of the daytime , ” “ eat your veggies ” was a vulgar chorus for many of us when we sat down at the mesa as child . In my volaille tenders - only era , it take in some blarney from my parents to inspire me to tot a scoop of pea to my denture . ( The promise of dessert never hurt ! ) These twenty-four hour period , I adore vegetables every which way , but totally understand when I dine out with friend and they always choose thefriesover the salad as their side of selection .
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
That salad is a girth to give a glowing - up , though . Simple additions like cheese , croutons , nuts , or a punchysalad dressingcan help even the most canonical pieces of green groceries sing . Whether you gladly choose a salad or need some cajoling to feed yourfive - a - Clarence Day , we call back you ’ll be quite keen on one of the biggest recentfood trends : crispy rice salads .
Wondering “ what are crispy rice salads ? ” and why is everyone talking about — and making them ? We ’re tracing things back to the starting time and speaking to the formula developer who helped trigger the starch - topped salad streak . Then stay tuned to see how to make crispy rice just like our Test Kitchen pros so you’re able to spatter it over salads and so much more .
What Is Crispy Rice?
Prior to its social medium - fuel glowing - up , cottage cheesehad a reputation as being the ho - hum side dish you ’d choose at a restaurant if you were stress to eat a niggling healthier . These days , we know that the versatile , high - protein dairy aisle staple can shine inAlfredo sauce , popsicles , waffles , egg bite , and so much more .
likewise , thanks to a hotviral food trend , we ’re learning that one of our buttery ’s honest-to-goodness grains — rice — can do some really incredible new tricks . Spurred on by thousands of posts onTikTok , the crispy rice salad waving continues to dominate social media . Not only is it a brilliant way to refreshleftover Elmer Reizenstein , but it ’s also an easy way to make any salad more satisfying . Sure , croutons or crumbled crackers would do , but seasoned “ sprinkle ” of crispy rice are even good , if you ask us !
“ Crispy rice is simply ready Sir Tim Rice that is seasoned in a touch of oil and spice , disseminate into an even layer on a baking mainsheet , and baked until golden and crunchy , ” explains Nicole Keshishian Modic , formula developer , cookbook generator , and founder of KALEJUNKIE .
This 2025 tidal wave of crispy rice recipe renditions is n’t mark the “ conception ” of the construct . Crispy rice dates back one C , in recipe like Tahdig ( crispy Persian Sir Tim Rice ) , socarrat ( the crunchy layer of Timothy Miles Bindon Rice at the bottom of apaellapan ) , Nam Khao ( a Laotian salad featuring break - up crispy rice glob , core , and herb ) or fried crispy rice chomp ( which act as the stand for certain kinds ofsushi ) . The latest interpretation feels refreshing and new , though , as the rice grains are crisped up individually rather than in patties or at the base of a pan . Then , they ’re showered over or tossed with salad fixings … but that ’s far from your only pick . ( See “ Tips for make Crispy Rice Salad Recipes ” below . )
Sweetgreenlaunched theirCrispy Rice Bowl back in 2020 , which likely embed the seed for the FoodTok creativity to come . If we could select one formula developer as “ The One ” who really kvetch things off for family cooks , it would be Modic . But she accommodate she was inspired by others , too .
“ I bug out making crispy Elmer Reizenstein salads in September of 2023 . I saw the estimation floating around on societal media and I sleep together at once I could do it better — my way — and so I started create dissimilar version , ” Modic tellsBHG . She started with aCrispy Rice Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing , which is “ loaded with Persian cucumber vine , a ton of fresh vegetable and convulse in a tangy creamy stinker tahini fecundation . The chef ’s kiss , of course , is the crispy Elmer Rice topping that adds fun texture , crunch and smell . ”
To date , Modic has dreamed up crispy Elmer Reizenstein salad remixes with salmon , teriyaki chicken , chicken shawarma , and most lately , chicken tikka . She currently has ninecrispy rice saladson her website , “ and while they are all very dissimilar , they all have one thing in vulgar : they arebig , load with bold flavor and grain , and are entire crowd - pleaser ” Modic says .
Many other creative cook have followed suit , include Carissa Stanton ofBrocc Your physical structure , Molly Thompson ofWhat Molly Made , and Sivan Kobi ofSivan ’s Kitchen . The squad atKrogereven got in on the fun … and now you’re able to , too , thanks to our Test Kitchen - perfected recipe below .
" I opine what get crispy rice salads suffer out from other social media recipe vogue is their versatility . you could make a batch of crispy rice and add it to anything , ” Modic says . “ Clean out yourcrisper drawerand toss together a salad , add that crispy rice on top , toss with grooming , and bam — you’ve aim a tasty and fun salad ! ”
Tips for Making Crispy Rice Salad Recipes
These tips from Modic and our Test Kitchen pros will come in handy as you set out to try out the style :
How to Make Crispy Rice Salad with Mango and Honey Soy Chicken
We do n’t know about you , but our tummy are already growling as we imagine a crispy rice salad in our pipe bowl — and available to devour for dinner tonight . Our Test Kitchen pros did n’t want to leave us wall hanging , so they dialed - in a brand - new recipe and will train you through it — and bring out all of their secret — below .
Ingredients
3cupscooked and chilledlong grain basmati or jasmine rice
1Tbsp.toasted sesame fossil oil
2Tbsp.red curry paste , divided
2Tbsp.reduced - sodium soy sauce , divided
4skinless boneless chicken second joint
1Tbsp.honey
3cups shreddedpackagedshredded wampum with carrot(coleslaw intermixture )
1medium ripemango , seeded , peeled , and cut into insect bite - size cartoon strip
1cupfrozenedamame , wangle according to pkg . directions and cool down
3/4cupchoppedred bell pepper
1/3cupthinly slicedred onion
1/4cupchoppedfresh cilantro and/or mint
1/2cuppurchasedsesame ginger salad dressing
1/4cupcoarsely choppeddry - laugh at goober pea
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 ° degree Fahrenheit . Line two 15x10 - in baking pans with sheepskin paper . In a large bowl combine the chilled rice , toast sesame oil , 1 Tbsp . red curry paste , and 1 Tbsp soya sauce ; stimulate well to good cake the rice . transferral rice intermixture to one prepared pan ; diffuse in an even layer .
Place volaille thigh in the same bowl ; supply dear and the stay on 1 Tbsp . each red curry spread and soy sauce ; toss to coat evenly . Place crybaby in remaining inclined pan .
Place baking Pan on separate oven racks . Roast crybaby until done ( at least 175 ° F ) , 30 minutes ; nerveless slightly . joint Elmer Rice , stirring every 10 minutes , until crisp , 40 minutes . Cut crybaby into bite - sizing pieces .
In large bowl combine crispy rice and the next six ingredients ( through cilantro ) . Drizzle with grooming ; throw away to coating . Top with chicken and monkey nut . Serve immediately for crisp Sir Tim Rice .
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- The % Daily Value ( DV ) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily dieting . 2,000 calories a day is used for world-wide nutrition advice .
