Chicken Rice Salad

Turn leftovers into this delicious filling salad with rice, chicken, and a herby mint dressing.

Updated Oct 17, 2025, Published May 27, 2025

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

This flavorful Chicken Rice Salad recipe is one of my favorite weekday dinners. It’s light yet filling and can easily be adapted depending on what I have in the fridge.

A person holds a round dish filled with a colorful rice chicken salad made of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and fresh basil. Lime halves and a kitchen towel are nearby on a gray surface.

This version combines leftover rice and tender chicken with a crisp salad. Top everything with a minty, creamy homemade dressing. Allow it to marinate briefly, and let all the different flavors come together!

A round dish with diced lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bacon, and tender chicken over rice, topped with creamy herb dressing.

Delicious, hot, or cold, this salad is the perfect way to use up leftovers all year round. It’s even great for meal prep!

Recipe Tip

Serve the salad with my easy focaccia or garlic bread.

A bowl of creamy Rice Chicken Salad with cherry tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, and a fresh basil garnish.

Chicken Rice Salad Ingredients

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!

Cooked and cooled white rice: Use any rice you have to hand. I prefer parboiled, but basmati and jasmine are also great options.
Cooked chicken: Use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
Serrano ham: Crisp the ham in the oven for added savory flavor and texture.
Cucumber: Use Persian or English cucumbers and dice them to add bite-sized crunch.
Grape tomatoes: Chopped into quarters, they bring sweetness to the dish.
Red onion: I like my red onion diced very finely for subtle sharpness without being too overwhelming.
Gem lettuce: Can swap for romaine.
Dressing: You’ll need crème fraîche, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, fresh mint leaves, and lime juice.
Seasoning: Sea salt and pepper enhance all the other flavors. Adjust to your taste.

Serve it as a dip

Finely chopped, this tasty rice salad doubles as a dip for tortilla chips or warm pita bread.

How to Make Rice Chicken Salad

Prepare the ingredients: Cook the Serrano in the oven until crispy. Arrange the rice and chicken, diced cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, Serrano ham, and gem lettuce onto a serving platter or in a large bowl.
Mix the ingredients for the dressing: crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, chopped fresh mint leaves, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper.
Top the salad with the dressing. Serve.

Possible Variations

Rice: Replace with wild rice, orzo, pasta, quinoa, couscous, or chickpeas.
Add cheese: Mozzarella balls (also known as bocconcini), feta, diced cheddar, and even grated Parmesan would be tasty additions.
Chicken: Swap for tuna, cooked sausage, turkey, salmon, etc.
Fresh herbs: Replace mint with parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, or green onions. You can even mix and match.
Veggies: Try diced red pepper, celery, courgette, avocado, arugula, or cherry tomatoes.
Dressing: Use sour cream, Greek yogurt, or olive oil for a bold vinaigrette. Or combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, honey, and peanut butter for a creamy Peanut Sauce.

Recipe Tip

Adjust the ratio: If you prefer a lighter dish, use less rice or chicken and add more lettuce and vegetables.

FAQs

What type of rice should I use for this recipe?

I use parboiled rice, but you can also use basmati, jasmine, or brown rice.

The rice salad is too dry for my taste. How can I fix this?

You can either make extra dressing or add a splash of olive oil.

How many days will the salad last?

Due to the lettuce and cucumber (which both tend to get soggy over time), it’s best eaten fresh.

What can I serve the rice salad with?

This salad can stand on its own as a complete meal at lunch or dinner, but it can also be served as a side salad with my garlic focaccia bread and a delicious roast chicken.