71 Creative Rice Recipes Using Our Favorite Pantry Staple
When it comes to versatile, healthy ingredients, rice tops our list. It’s a people-pleasing pantry staple worth having around, whether you prefer classic jasmine, hearty short-grain brown, or deliciously nutty black rice—we like to keep all three, plus a few more, on hand. From an easy weeknight stir-fry to our best risotto, you’ll be all over these recipes like white on...well, you know.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova1/71Crispy Green Rice Pilaf
It’s worth planning ahead for this vibrant, springy pilaf recipe that’s made all the better by day-old rice.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li2/71
Chicken with Schmaltzy Rice and Kale
The scallion-ginger oil served alongside the chicken and rice puts this recipe over the top.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen3/71
Spicy Pork Bowl With Greens and Carrots
Giving pork tenderloin a bulgogi-influenced makeover makes it flavorful, fast-cooking, and weeknight-friendly.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough4/71
Orange Fish in Parchment
Because the fish, which is flavored with garlic, chile, ginger, and turmeric, is sealed in a pouch before it's baked, it stays extra moist and flavorful with no risk of drying out.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski5/71
Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup
If you want this take on classic chicken soup to have a similar consistency to congee, add 10–15 minutes to the cooking time.
- Alex Lau6/71
Spiced Dal With Fluffy Rice and Salted Yogurt
In this dish, lentils get a double dose of tartness from lime-marinated red onion and a drizzle of tangy yogurt.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Food Styling by Simon Andrews7/71
BA’s Best Risotto
With four ways to dress it up, this simple risotto recipe is worthy of a dinner party—but it's also delicious topped with nothing at all.
- Ditte Isager8/71
Black and Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash
Fresh herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, can be subbed for the microgreens.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani9/71
Bejeweled Rice
You can fold all the toppings into the rice and it’ll still be delicious—but you won’t get as much of a wow factor.
- Alex Lau10/71
Easiest Chicken Adobo
We get that sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky chicken adobo flavor with minimal effort. Lazy folks, rejoice!
- Photo by Chelsie Craig11/71
Risi e Bisi
Like risotto, but a bit lighter and brighter. Oh, and there’s pancetta.
- Alex Lau12/71
Fluffy Rice Pilaf with Curry
A flavorful, curry-packed rice pilaf that's just as good for a main as it is a side.
- Alex Lau13/71
Fried Brown Rice With Kale and Turmeric
Yes, fried rice for breakfast counts if there's an egg (or 3) in it!
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou14/71
Rice Bowls with Flaky Cod
Kedgeree often calls for smoked fish, but for a light weeknight meal, we prefer steaming fresh fish right on top of the rice.
- Photo by Alex Lau15/71
Pickled Rice Tabbouleh
Pickle brine (any kind will do!) lends a distinctive tang to the rice, giving the whole dish a nice, lively jolt.
- Alex Lau16/71
Herbed Chicken Salad over Crispy Rice
As you’re crisping the rice for this chicken salad recipe, the leeks and carrots may look very dark. Don’t be scared or angry at us; the veggies aren’t burnt, they’re just deeply caramelized and will add lots of flavor to the final dish.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski17/71
Wild Rice Dressing
This savory wild rice dish is the ultimate gluten-free stuffing, doubling as a holiday-appropriate grain salad with lots of fresh herbs.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Frances Boswell18/71
Soy-Ginger Dinner Scramble
Ginger and soy sauce make scrambled eggs for dinner feel like more than a cop-out.
- Photo by Alex Lau19/71
Dirty Rice with Black-Eyed Peas and Scallions
You can now make the famous dirty rice from Commander's Palace in New Orleans at home. Bring your own Mardi Gras beads.
- Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, Food Styling by Alison Attenborough, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski20/71
Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Mascarpone
You make a shrimp stock so that this decadent risotto (hello mascarpone) is bursting with shrimp flavor.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura21/71
Turmeric Rice Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Pack the various components—sautéed rice, dressing, and cranberry-herb mixture—separately if transporting for a potluck. Dress and assemble just before serving.
- Alex Lau22/71
Gochujang-Braised Chicken and Crispy Rice
Long-grain rice is not starchy enough to hold together, so make a batch of short-grain a day ahead and you’ll be good to go.
- Photo by Heidi's Bridge23/71
Steak, Snap Pea, and Asparagus Stir-Fry
You can probably make it faster than you can say it.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou24/71
The Garlickiest Fried Rice
Crispy fried garlic on top, garlic oil leftover, and rice fried up in all of it. Garlic heaven.
- Photo by Alex Lau25/71
Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)
This stunning crispy rice, also known as tachin, is buttery and rich. It's easier to make than it seems.
- Laura Murray26/71
Chicken and Rice Soup With Green Chiles and Ginger
This chicken and rice soup has everything we're craving, plus a big handful of crushed peanuts on top.
- Photo by TED+CHELSEA CAVANAUGH, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou27/71
Chicken and Cucumber Rice Bowls
Protein, whole grains, crunchy vegetables, and a kick-in-your-pants sauce—yep, this packable lunch has it all.
- 28/71
Broccoli and Egg Fried Rice
A pan full of veggie-packed fried rice is one of the easiest and most satisfying weeknight dinners we know of.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen29/71
Confetti Rice with Chicken in Spicy Garlic Broth
We took a page from chef and author David Tanis and added a bunch of seedy, pickley things to our sushi rice.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone30/71
Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile Oil
This comforting, fried garlic-topped chicken soup tastes like it took hours to make but comes together in a flash.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens31/71
Arancini (Stuffed Italian Rice Balls)
This is a labor of love that will make other people love you, which is reason enough to give this recipe a try.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell32/71
Citrus Shrimp Rice Bowls
Why make a marinade and a dressing when you can make one tangy, spicy-sweet sauce that works as both?
- Christopher Testani33/71
Baked Minty Rice with Feta and Pomegranate Relish
If you’ve given up on stovetop rice methods, you’ll love this hands-off oven technique.
- 34/71
Congee With Spring Vegetables and Green Garlic Oil
If you don’t want to make the chicken stock from scratch for this congee recipe, simmering some store-bought broth with a few slices of bacon and ginger for 20 minutes or so will give you a huge head-start on flavor.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott35/71
Rice with Parsley, Almonds, and Apricots
Rice suddenly got a lot more interesting.
- Alex Lau36/71
Chicken with Crispy Rice
If you make the stock ahead of time for this chicken recipe, the fat will solidify when chilled so it’s easy to lift off.
- Alex Lau37/71
Chorizo and Shrimp Paella
Bomba rice is a short-grain, starchy type, and its ideal texture is tender but chewy in the center, like al dente pasta. Try not to overcook.
- Alex Lau38/71
Carolina Rice Pudding with Mixed Citrus
This sweet, creamy, and simple recipe hits all the classic flavor profiles.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott39/71
Kimchi Fried Rice
Full disclosure: We streamlined and simplified this recipe so that it could be makeable by a home cook. At Baroo, virtually every element on the plate is a product of painstaking labor and time; to taste the original, get thee to Los Angeles.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro40/71
Mango Sticky Rice
Coconut sticky rice with mango is a classic Thai dessert. This easy method eliminates the need for any special equipment.
- Eva Kolenko41/71
Wild Rice Salad with Corn, Blueberries, and Almonds
A tangy and nutty rice salad to serve with broiled fish, pan-roasted pork chops, or roast turkey.
- Shay Harrington42/71
Ham and Sausage Jambalaya
You can use kielbasa or any kind of dry-cured pork sausage, but spicy andouille gives this jambalaya a nice kick of heat.
- Ted Cavanaugh43/71
Fried Rice With Spring Vegetables and Fried Eggs
Any cooked rice or grain will work in this stir-fry, but for best results make sure they are completely cooled—overnight is ideal.
- Alex Lau44/71
Beef Jerky Fried Rice
Think of this recipe as a template, not a dictum. If you don’t have beef jerky on hand, use leftover short ribs or spareribs, try some Chinese sausage, or skip the meat altogether. The technique is what is key here, not the specific ingredients.
- Alex Lau45/71
Onigiri
Make sure to rinse the rice in several changes of water before cooking so that it isn’t too gluey.
- Alex Lau46/71
Coconut Rice and Peas
If you opt for canned instead of dried beans in this recipe, they won’t be quite as creamy, but you’ll save yourself some time.
- Matt Haas47/71
Parachute's Steak-and-Egg Bibimbap
The combination of white rice and sweet brown rice ups the ante in this Korean classic.
- Yossy Arefi48/71
Rice Bowl with Fried Egg and Avocado
Brown rice—higher in fiber and other nutrients than its white counterpart—is the perfect vehicle for this quick, protein-heavy meal.
- Photo by Peden + Munk49/71
Stir-Fried Black Rice with Fried Egg and Roasted Broccoli
Using black rice really mixes things up and adds some flair to any weeknight meal.
- Alex Lau50/71
Tofu Yum-Yum Rice Bowl
No dish is quite as happy and hearty as a rice bowl with an egg on top.
- Peden + Munk51/71
Migas Fried Rice
Ready to get a little crazy? This dish is a mashup of Thai, Chinese, and Southwest cuisines.
- Alex Lau52/71
Black Rice Salad with Cilantro Pesto
This is definitely a main event-type of salad, not a side dish.
- Alex Lau53/71
Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
It’ll take a couple of hours to make the homemade broth and cook a whole chicken (your house will smell amazing) for this soup recipe. If you’ve had a long day, use 2 quarts store-bought broth and shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken.
- Bobbi Lin54/71
Herb Rice with Green Garlic, Saffron, and Crispy Shallots
This rice dish is based on one of the most famous Persian polos (pilaf), known as sabzi polo.
- Kyle Johnson55/71
Herby Black Rice Salad with Radishes and Ricotta Salata
If you want to take this dish to go, make the rice before you leave and pack the vinaigrette in a little jar on the side.
- Laura Murray56/71
Curry-Poached Chicken With Rice and Scallions
Easy, flavorful, and healthy. A poached chicken miracle!
- Kamil Bialous57/71
Wild Rice with Watercress and Hazelnuts
The sturdier your cress, the longer this salad will hold up at room temperature.
- Marcus Nilsson58/71
Baked Rice with Gingery Short Ribs
Look for basmati rice with a slightly golden hue—that indicates that the rice has been properly aged.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio59/71
Stuffed Cabbage With Lemony Rice and Sumac
Vegetarian cabbage rolls filled with fragrant warm rice, buttery pine nuts, and sour sumac.
- Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima60/71
One-Pot Gingery Chicken and Rice With Peanut Sauce
We took loose inspiration from Hainanese chicken rice to create this weeknight-friendly dish.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Food Styling by Simon Andrews61/71
Risotto With Mushrooms and Thyme
The path to perfect risotto is all about treating the rice right, but the added umami from torn mushrooms and thyme sure doesn’t hurt.
- Photo by Laura Murray62/71
Cornbread Stuffing Fried Rice
Think outside the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich box and make this crispy, crunchy, can’t-stop-eating it dish.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova63/71
Pork and Shiitake Congee
Since congee can take hours to make on the stovetop, we came up with a clever trick: Rinse the rice and freeze it overnight.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio64/71
Chicken and Rice Meatballs With Hummus
Gluten-free meatballs are as easy as adding cooled cooked rice instead of bread to ground meat.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li65/71
Tahini Rice Crispy Treats
Rice Krispies Treats meet sesame halva in these savory-sweet six-ingredient bars (salt doesn’t count!).
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Yekaterina Boystova66/71
Arroz con Gandules (Rice With Pigeon Peas)
This deeply flavorful Puerto Rican rice dish is to pernil as stuffing is to turkey—a holiday meal wouldn’t be the same without it.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones67/71
Lemony Lentils and Rice With Caramelized Onions
This recipe is inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich, and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties.
- Photo by Alex Lau68/71
Rice Porridge With Dashi
A deeply savory rice porridge topped with kimchi, scallions, peanuts, and shallots.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton69/71
Tomato Fried Rice
Lightning-fast weeknight fried rice with flavor-concentrated cherry tomatoes. How? It’s a little salting trick.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk70/71
Tomato and Parmesan Risotto
Use the smallest tomatoes you can find at the market for this recipe—they’ll be extra sweet.
- Photograph by Chelsie Craig71/71
Chile Peanut Rice
Leftover basmati rice gets gussied up with earthy fried mustard seeds and curry leaves, sweet caramelized, crunchy peanuts, and spicy chiles.