Chicken Wild Rice Salad is a fantastic summer meal! Juicy chicken is tossed with wild rice, tons of veggies & a delightful vinaigrette for this easy, tangy chilled salad!
Making this cold rice salad is so simple, using a boxed rice, then adding protein and vegetables, makes this a full and hearty meal. A great thing about this cold rice salad recipe is that it is so versatile, you can add or remove ingredients based on your taste preference.
Chilled Wild Rice Salad
This recipe is one of those salads that could easily be a side or main dish. I am a big fan of substituting ingredients for lower cost alternatives or items you already have on hand. In the picture above, I used celery instead of snow peas. I think it would also be wonderful with diced raw zucchini in it. Green bell pepper can be used in place of red, but it does look prettier with that splash of color. It is a hearty, healthy and delicious dish!
Why you’ll love this cold rice salad recipe!
- Full and delicious meal. This recipe is packed with ingredients that are healthy, delicious and will not leave you hungry. Each ingredient provides flavor and health benefits, this makes for a fantastic meal plan for your busy week.
- Low cost recipe. If you want to not only save time but also money, this dish is a great option. The simple ingredients are inexpensive but satisfying, you will save a ton of money and feed a lot of people.
- So easy to prepare. It is an inexpensive and easy dish to make during a busy weeknight or on the weekend to enjoy at a backyard BBQ.
Cold Wild Rice Salad Ingredients
Rice: You will need 1 box (6 oz) of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice for the base of this salad. Also, feel free to use a generic equivalent if you prefer too. There is a ready-made version called “Ready rice” that works perfectly in this salad too! No prep work needed!
Lemon juice: Adding in the juice of 1 lemon [about 2 tablespoons], will give this rice a fantastic citrus taste.
Chicken: For great flavor and added protein, use 3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced.
Onions: Use 4 green onions, sliced thin, to give nice subtle flavor to this cold salad.
Red pepper: Add 1 red pepper, diced, to add some amazing color and sweet flavor to this rice dish.
Peas: You will want to use about 1 cup of snow peas or sugar snap peas, cut in half. You can steam them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to soften them a bit.
Avocado: For some healthy fats, add in 2 medium avocados, diced.
Pecans: You need 1 cup of chopped pecans to add a great crunch to this dish.
Dressing Ingredients
Garlic: For amazing flavor, use 2 cloves of garlic, minced. You can also use packaged minced garlic, one clove is equal to 1 tablespoon.
Mustard: Add in 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard for a great spiced taste.
Salt: To balance all the flavors, use ½ teaspoon of salt.
Pepper: For added taste, add in ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Sugar: You need ¼ teaspoon of sugar for just a bit of sweetness to this dressing.
Vinegar: Use ⅓ cup of seasoned rice wine vinegar for a great robust flavor in this dressing.
Olive oil: Add in ⅓ cup of light olive oil to help absorb the amazing flavors of this rice dish.
Easy step by step on how to make Cold Rice Salad
Prep
Begin by cooking the box of rice as per the boxed directions, use the seasoning packet if one is included. You want the rice cold to complete the salad, once it is finished cooking you can cool it down by placing it in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Next, prepare the chicken breasts by cooking and seasoning to your preference. You can also save time and energy by using a store bought rotisserie chicken. Chop or shred the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside until ready to use. You can also give this recipe for how to make shredded chicken a try too!
Then, wash and slice/dice the green onions, red pepper, peas, and avocado. Set aside.
Dressing
In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and olive oil and blend lightly. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.
Assemble
In a large bowl, combine the chilled rice, cooked chicken and all the chopped vegetables. Then pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine all together.
Serve cold rice salad immediately and enjoy!
Cold Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz Long Grain Wild Rice mix
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 3 grilled chicken breasts diced
- 4 green onions sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas cut in half
- 2 avocados diced
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Dressing Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Rice wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup Olive oil
- 2 TBSP Garlic minced
- 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ¼ tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Prep: Begin by cooking the box of rice as per the boxed directions, use the seasoning packet if one is included. You want the rice chilled to complete the salad, once it is finished cooking you can cool it down by placing it in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. (NOTE: to save time, you can use the "ready rice" product!)
- Next, prepare the chicken breasts by cooking and seasoning to your preference. You can also save time and energy by using a store bought rotisserie chicken. Chop or shred the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside until ready to use.
- Then, wash and slice/dice the green onions, red pepper, peas, and avocado. Set aside.
- Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, red wine vinegar, and olive oil and whisk. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, combine the rice, chicken and all the chopped vegetables. Then pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine all together. Serve cold rice salad & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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How long is this cold rice salad good for?
You can keep the leftovers from this dish stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. When ready to enjoy again, just give it a good stir to mix the dressing well.
What goes well with this cold rice salad?
Because this dish is a whole meal, you do not really need a lot to go with it. Although, if you wanted to leave the chicken out of the salad and prepare it separately that would create a nice full meal.
Can I freeze cold wild rice salad?
You sure can! This is a great recipe to freeze for use later, the ingredients will hold up well after being frozen and thawed This is a great dish to meal plan with, you can freeze and use over the course of a couple weeks or months.
If you loved this salad recipe, try more of our favorites here!
- Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
- Fiesta Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
- Fancy Fruit Salad
- Orange Cream Fruit Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
- Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
- Berries and Cream Salad
- Cream Cheese Grape Salad
- Berry Spinach Salad
- Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe
- Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
- Spinach Chicken Pasta Salad
- Pizza Pasta Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
Cold Wild Rice Salad is a sensational, filling and delicious dish! This wild rice salad recipe is loaded with great flavors and vibrant colors, a perfect side or main dish.
Jo Ann MacMillan says
Thid was excellent. Even myh friend who is a PICIKY EATElR oved it. It was very good and easy to make.
Thank uyou for sharing!!
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked it Jo Ann!! WE love it over here!