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Crispy Rice Salad with crab and mango is a true flavor explosion! Golden, crunchy jasmine rice, sweet diced mango, delicate crab meat and a zesty dressing packed with lime, fish sauce, and plenty of fresh herbs. This Thai-inspired salad is zesty, light, fresh and full of texture – truly a party for your taste buds 🙂

A colorful crispy rice salad in a large white bowl, topped with lime wedges, chopped herbs, peanuts, and sliced red chilies, sits on a light blue surface beside a floral plate, spoon, and small bowl of chopped peanuts.

If you are stuck in a bit of a food rut then this crispy rice salad is here to shake things up!! It is a salad, but not your average salad.

Picture this: crispy rice mixed with crab, mango and a loads fresh herbs tied together with a with an addicting dressing that hits all the flavor notes —sweet, salty, tangy and spicy.

It is just the kind of recipe I turn to when I feel like something light but, I can’t stress this enough, not boring! Why settle for a limp salad when you can make this crispy rice salad in mere minutes?

Crispy rice salad may have caught your eye trending on social media, but is NOT a new-fangled recipe. The OG crispy rice salad is Nam Khao (also known as Nam Khao Tod or Naem Khao), popular in Laos and northeastern Thailand.

The combo of , ,  and s classic in Southeast Asian cuisine and surprisingly easy to recreate at home. This is my version which brings together the essence of the original dish plus some of my own flourishes.

A colorful plate crispy rice with vegetables, tofu, red chili, fresh herbs, and crushed peanuts, surrounded by lime wedges, chopped peanuts, and a cooking pan on a light turquoise background.

Let’s take a look at the key elements that make this recipe so darned special! There’s a couple of specialist ingredients but, luckily, they are readily available.

Bowls containing crab meat, mango, cooked rice, chili oil, fish sauce, lime juice, Thai red curry paste, cornstarch, shallots, palm or brown sugar, mint, cilantro, basil, peanuts, chili, and sesame oil.

Make the crispy rice

A close-up of a pan with orange-colored rice being pressed and then stirred with a spatula, showing crispy, browned rice pieces forming on the right side.
A hand uses a wooden spatula to scrape browned, crispy rice from the bottom of an air fryer basket, revealing small clumps of golden, toasted rice.

Make the dressing and assemble the Salad

Split image: Left shows hands crumbling cooked rice mixture on a white plate. Right shows hands mixing rice with chopped vegetables and herbs using a wooden spoon. The scene is set on a light-colored surface.
A colorful plate of crispy rice with vegetables, garnished with lime wedges, chili slices, herbs, and chopped peanuts on a green background. Nearby are extra peanuts, sliced chili, and a serving pan.
A large bowl of colorful chopped crispy rice salad with grains, diced vegetables, herbs, and sliced red chilies, mixed with a wooden spoon. A small bowl of peanuts and a floral-patterned plate with more salad are nearby on a light blue surface.

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For the rice

For the dressing

For the salad

To serve

Make the crispy rice

Make the dressing

Assemble the Salad

    • Note 1: replace the fish sauce with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Use Tamari to keep the salad gluten-free.
    • Note 2: use Thai bird’s eye chili if you like it really spicy! Make sure to use gloves when handling as it is very hot.
    • Note 3: a mango that’s slightly underripe will be easier to slice and will keep its shape better.

    Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 2053mg | Potassium: 694mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2026IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.