Southwest Crispy Rice Salad with Chicken

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Southwest Crispy Rice Salad with Chicken

This Southwest crispy rice salad is full of chicken, black beans, corn, fresh veggies, and crispy rice with a zesty honey lime vinaigrette. It's a flavorful, protein and fiber rich salad that's perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Chicken + Poultry, Dinners, Salads

Cuisine: Southwest

Keyword: crispy rice salad, southwest crispy rice salad

Servings: servings

Author: Danae Halliday

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
2 chicken breasts (1 pound)

For the Crispy Rice

2 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice cooled, leftover rice works great
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Zest of a lime
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt

For the Salad

15 ounce can black bean drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
3 green onions sliced thin
1 red bell pepper diced
1 jalapeno seeds removed and finely chopped
1 English cucumber diced
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/3 cup pepitas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the dried spices and salt for the chicken in a small bowl then season the chicken breasts evenly with them. Place them on one of the prepared baking sheets.
In a mixing bowl combine the ingredients for the crispy rice. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to toss everything together until the rice is completely coated.
Dump the rice out onto the other baking sheet and spread it out into a single layer.
Place both the chicken and rice into the preheated oven.
Bake the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. (25-30 minutes depending on the thickness). Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into cubes.
For the rice, bake for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
While the rice and chicken bake prep the salad ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl.
Combine all of the ingredients for the honey lime vinaigrette in a jar, cover with the lid and shake until well combined.
Add the rice and chicken into the salad bowl and toss everything together with the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Storage - The salad will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition