42 Simple Rice Bowl Recipes To Use Up Leftover Ingredients
Now days when you're working from home, it's a great time to use up those pantry staples that we have on hand, crowding up the cabinets. Some of us don't even realize what we have in our pantry, and now is the perfect moment to take a stock check.
Rice is probably one of my favorite staples and I'm guessing that you have some in your pantry, too. There are so many different meals you could make with rice, and rice bowls are definitely a lifesaver in moments when you're wondering what you can cook for lunch, dinner and breakfast—leftover rice for breakfast is amazing!
Related: 37 Crazy Good Chicken Skillet Dinners to Make on Repeat
What To Put in Rice Bowls
Rice bowls are the perfect clean-out-the-fridge answer to meals and the toppings are limitless, but here are a few of our favorites:
shrimp
chicken
tofu or tempeh
a fried egg
salmon
avocado
radish
cucumbers
edamame
diced mango
kimchi
beans
sweet potato or roasted veggies
sliced scallions
toasted sesame seeds
basil, mint, cilantro
furikake seasoning
Best Rice Bowl Recipes
From Cuban Chicken Rice Bowls, Easy Vietnamese Shrimp Rice Bowls and Vegan Katsudon Rice Bowls, to Tofu Veggie Rice Bowls and the TikTok-famous Salmon Rice Bowl, there is an endless variety of options to choose from in this list of best rice bowl recipes. The common denominator is, they are all easy to whip up but taste so exotic. A double win if you ask us!
iStock
Love TikTok recipes? You'll want to try this delicious and super easy TikTok Salmon Rice Bowl recipe, created by superstar Emily Mariko.
Get the recipe: TikTok's Salmon Rice Bowl
The Domestic Man
Deliciously fragrant and tasty, this Japanese beef and rice bowl makes the perfect meal.
Get the recipe: Japanese Beef and Rice Bowl (Gyudon)
I am a Food Blog
A surprisingly easy take on Hainanese chicken rice.
Get the recipe: One-Pot Hainanese Chicken Bibimbap Rice Bowl
The Organic Kitchen
A quick, easy, healthy meal made in about 15-20 minutes!
Get the recipe: Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Cooking with Bry
If you’re looking for a cheerful, colorful and delicious rice bowl filled with protein and flavor, this chicken and chorizo rice bowl recipe is for you.
Get the recipe: Chicken and Chorizo Rice Bowl
Joyous Apron
Pan-fried crispy panko-breaded shrimp is combined with avocados, and fresh crunchy veggies then drizzled with Thai sweet chili sauce, which is actually sweet and not spicy. Served with white or brown rice!
Get the recipe: Crispy Shrimp Rice Bowls
Chef de Home
Firecracker cauliflower with marinated cauliflower florets, sauteed on high heat to keep it crunchy and then coated in sweet and spicy sauce.
Get the recipe: Skinny Firecracker Cauliflower Rice Bowls
The Modern Proper
Tender salmon paired perfectly with coconut rice, then topped with avocado, mango, cucumber and a zippy sauce that pulls the whole bowl together.
Get the recipe: Coconut Rice Salmon Bowl
The Recipe Critic
Korean ground beef and rice bowls are so incredibly easy to make and will become a family favorite! This makes the perfect weeknight meal.
Get the recipe: Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowls
Giada De Laurentiis
"This rice bowl is as colorful as it is packed with immunity-boosting antioxidants,” says Giada De Laurentiis of this Spiced Sweet Potato Rice Bowl With Fried Egg recipe from her cookbook, Eat Better, Feel Better.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Rice Bowl with a Fried Egg
Life Made Sweeter
Chili lime shrimp fajita cauliflower rice bowls are the perfect healthy meal for spring or summer. Best of all, they’re low carb, paleo, Whole30, keto-friendly and easy to customize and made with cauliflower rice, bell peppers and avocado.
Get the recipe: Chili Lime Shrimp Fajita Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Mark Boughton Photography / Styling by Teresa Blackburn
This bowl is delicious, nutritious and ready in minutes with a yummy pesto drizzle. Buy store-bought pesto or make your own!
Get the recipe: Pesto Veggie Rice Bowl
One Clever Chef
This Mexican rice bowl is flavorful, easy to make and so healthy. Made with traditional Mexican ingredients, this rice bowl is fresh and a little bit spicy.
Get the recipe: Mexican Rice Bowls
The Edgy Veg
This one-pan tofu veggie bowl with cashew garlic sauce! It’s dairy-free, vegan and healthy!
Get the recipe: One-Pan Tofu Veggie Rice Bowl
Related: 20 Rice Recipes to Remember
The Woks of Life
Lu rou fan, a Taiwanese comfort food classic of braised pork belly over rice, is probably the best recipe to come out of our kitchen this month.
Get the recipe: Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowls (Lu Rou Fan)
I Heart Umami
Juicy chicken and caramelized onions simmered in a sweet and savory sauce. With 10 ingredients or less and ready in 30 minutes!
Get the recipe: Chicken Rice Bowl with Eggs (Oyakodon)
This Savory Vegan
These chickpea lentil taco rice bowls are filled with brown rice, spinach, roasted chickpeas and vegan taco lentil meat. All topped off with chimichurri.
Get the recipe: Chickpea Lentil Taco Rice Bowls
Spices in My DNA
These crispy fish taco cauliflower rice bowls are lightened up with cilantro lime cauliflower rice, panko-crusted cod and a super delicious lime crema!
Get the recipe: Crispy Fish Taco Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Paleo Hacks
Wake up to this delicious keto low-carb breakfast bowl—a tasty pesto cauliflower rice topped with a fried egg, diced avocados and fresh spinach.
Get the recipe: Keto Pesto Cauliflower Rice Bowl
Cooking Classy
Easy Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl made in one pan! It’s a simple chicken, black bean and rice Tex-Mex style dish that’s brimming with well-seasoned, fresh flavor. With its simplicity and satisfying flavor it’s destined to become a new go-to dinner!
Get the recipe: Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Rice Bowls
Our Life Tastes Good
On the table in just 30 minutes, this taco rice bowl is perfect for a quick meal any night of the week and leftovers make for a satisfying lunch too!
Get the recipe: Taco Rice Bowls
Two Peas and Their Pod
Shrimp bowls with coconut cilantro lime rice and pineapple salsa are ready in just 30 minutes.
Get the recipe: Shrimp Bowls with Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice and Pineapple Salsa
The Girl on Bloor
These Instant Pot teriyaki chicken bowls with rice, broccoli and a five-ingredient stir fry sauce make for a delicious meal prep idea—just dump everything into one pot and dinner is ready in 30 minutes!
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
The Flavor Bender
A delicious shrimp lunch recipe packed with tangy, sweet, spicy flavors— these easy teriyaki shrimp rice bowls are quick, easy, versatile and filling!
Get the recipe: Easy Teriyaki Shrimp Rice Bowls
Half Baked Harvest
Spice-rubbed grilled chicken served up bowl style with grilled peppers, zucchini, mashed avocado, tomatoes and crumbled cheese. This easy, healthy, chicken and rice bowl is made almost entirely on the grill in under 30 mins.
Get the recipe: California Chicken, Veggie, Avocado and Rice Bowls
Grilled Cheese Social
Light, refreshing and filling, grilled chicken bowls are packed full of Vietnamese Flavor.
Get the recipe: Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Rice Bowls
Cooking for Keeps
These blackened chicken brown rice bowls are packed with spicy seared chicken, sweet potatoes, black beans, and hearty brown rice. They’re tossed with plenty of cilantro and then drizzled with an easy avocado cream sauce. Healthy and delicious!
Get the recipe: Blackened Chicken Brown Rice Bowls with Avocado Cream
The Cook Report
These spicy rice bowls are an explosion of flavor thanks to the Korean-style marinated tofu. Add your favorite toppings and a squeeze of hot sauce for an easy and healthy dinner.
Get the recipe: Spicy Rice Bowls with Marinated Tofu
Parsley Vegan
This recipe for green Thai curry brown rice bowls is a mix of beans, kale, rice and green curry—all in an explosion of delicious Thai flavors.
Get the recipe: Green Thai Curry Brown Rice Bowls
The Kitchn
These vibrant Thai chicken and brown rice bowls are topped with a rainbow of crunchy vegetables and drizzled with curried peanut sauce.
Get the recipe: Spicy Thai Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls
Well and Full
This vegan rice bowl is made with mouthwatering barbecue chickpeas and paired with long-grain brown rice and a hummus vinaigrette.
Get the recipe: Vegan BBQ Chickpea Rice Bowl with Hummus Vinaigrette
The Recipe Critic
Chipotle steak rice bowls are made with tender and juicy steak, bell peppers, corn and avocado over a bed of white or brown rice.
Get the recipe: Chipotle Steak Rice Bowls
Spoonful of Flavor
Try this Banh Mi rice bowl recipe for a twist on the classic banh mi sandwich, but without the bread! The bowl is made with pork tenderloin, pickled veggies, brown rice and Sriracha mayo.
Get the recipe: Bahn Mi Rice Bowl
Izzy Cooking
This teriyaki chicken bowl recipe is an easy 15-minute Japanese rice bowl recipe with delicious chicken teriyaki sauce. No marinading needed!
Get the recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Related: 33 Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
The Creative Bite
Cuban chicken rice bowl is an easy 20-minute weeknight dinner recipe perfect for healthy meal prep. The combination of pineapple, avocado, rice and beans paired with the Cuban spiced chicken is delicious!
Get the recipe: Cuban Chicken Rice Bowl
Recipe Tin Eats
With a mix of seasoned sautéed vegetables, Korean marinated beef and the signature fried egg, the thing that really seals the deal is the bright red, spicy Bibimbap sauce.
Get the recipe: Korean Rice Bowl (Bibimbap)
Chelsea's Messy Apron
Delicious marinated chicken with a simple cilantro pineapple salsa. This pineapple chicken is easy to throw together and mega flavorful!
Get the recipe: Grilled Chicken Caramelized Pineapple Salsa Rice Bowl
Foodie Crush
This sesame shrimp stir fry with Swiss chard, edamame and spinach, and served over brown rice for a quick, easy and healthy recipe for a weeknight dinner!
Get the recipe: Sesame Shrimp and Asian Greens Rice Bowl
Cafe Delites
Teriyaki Chicken with broccoli is a super easy chicken recipe cooked in 10 minutes with no marinating needed! Crispy and juicy skinless chicken thighs stir-fried and swimming in a beautiful flavored homemade teriyaki sauce. A hint of garlic adds a twist to a traditional Japanese Teriyaki.
Get the recipe: Easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
Plays Well With Butter
Move over chipotle, these easy and healthy vegetarian black bean burrito bowls with green rice are loaded with flavor!
Get the recipe: Grilled Veggie Burrito Bowls
Recipe Runner
Jerk chicken bowls with pineapple black bean salsa are a healthy dinner that also works great for meal prep! Coconut brown rice is topped with warmly spiced chicken and the most flavorful pineapple and black bean salsa.
Get the recipe: Jerk Chicken Bowls with Pineapple Black Bean Salsa
The Foodie Takes Flight
Made with tofu instead of pork, these Vegan Katsudon Rice Bowls are the bomb.
Get the recipe: Vegan Katsudon Rice Bowls
Up next: What’s the Ideal Rice to Water Ratio When Using a Rice Cooker?