The versatility of rice knows no limits. Whether you're looking for a fancy weeknight dinner (homemade risotto, anyone?) or a simple meal-prep bowl to spice up boring lunches, the staple grain can be part of any—and every—meal. These quick and easy recipes will give you plenty of inspo for transforming this humble ingredient into deliciously sweet and savory dishes. We bet you already have plenty on hand.
From filling dinners to simple side dishes, rice is an all-star ingredient. With these recipes, you can skip delivery and make some takeout favorites right at home, like perfect fried rice or even your own sushi rolls! If you’ve never had rice as a dessert, now’s the time. Mango coconut rice makes a great end to a homemade Thai meal, while rice pudding can be topped with practically anything for a customizable sweet treat. Intimidated by risotto? Understandable. Luckily, we’ve got tons of easy recipes that’ll have you feeling like a pro in no time. If you're just feeling lazy, no stress. Sometimes even the best home cooks need a night off from a big dinner production. Rice is great for that too! Just throw some veggies and protein on a bed of rice, and you’ve got yourself the perfect easy meal.
Is the fear of gummy or undercooked rice keeping you from fully enjoying making it? We totally get it. Check out our foolproof guide to perfect your technique. If you usually go for white rice, switch it up by trying brown or wild instead.
Rice not your thing? Try these weeknight pasta dinner recipes instead. On a cauliflower kick? Try out our favorite cauliflower rice recipes for a veggie variation.
Paella Verdura
This vegan paella practically screams fresh. Packed with veggies, this dish comes together in under an hour, and even better, most of the cooking happens in the oven. Briefly returning the skillet to the stovetop after baking is the key to achieving a crispy rice crust on the bottom, often referred to as socarrat (meaning “burnt” in Catalan).
Get the Paella Verdura recipe.
Mushroom Risotto
We've gotta be honest: The required stirring of risotto is honestly kind of therapeutic. Plus, stirring the rice into a rich, creamy mixture is complemented by button mushrooms, peas, fresh herbs, and a generous helping of grated Parmesan—it's 100% worth it.
Get the Mushroom Risotto recipe.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
This comforting soup is sort of like an earthy version of chicken noodle soup. Wild rice brings some subtle floral, smoky flavors, while bone-in chicken thighs provide enough fat and flavor for a rich homemade stock. Topped with crispy chicken skin "croutons", we dare you to find a meal that can ward off the blustery cold like this one.
Get the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup recipe.
Spicy Crab Roll
This spicy crab sushi utilizes inexpensive imitation crab, called surimi, to create the beloved creamy and piquant roll. If you’ve got fresh crab on hand—lucky you!—it would be delicious in surimi’s place.
Get the Spicy Crab Roll recipe.
Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls
This vegan recipe is a bit of a culinary road trip through some Jamaican staples: sweet fried plantains, aromatic rice and peas, and tofu in a jerk marinade. To add a touch of crunch, acidity, and color, we top it all off with a simple red cabbage and carrot slaw that is just as delicious on its own as it is in the bowls.
Get the Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls recipe.
Shrimp and Rice
This particularly easy recipe is packed with smart cooking know-how. Rather than just topping plain rice with sautéed shrimp, you'll instead build flavor in the pan before steaming the rice. This means first cooking the aromatics in butter, then toasting the rice in the skillet, and cooking the rice in a combination of white wine and chicken broth rather than plain water. 😍
Get the Shrimp and Rice recipe.
Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Is there anything more comforting than a chicken & rice casserole? We actually don't think so. It's the type of recipe we turn to time after time again during the fall and winter, just like roast chicken or our tortellini soup.
Sweet Corn Shrimp & Rice Skillet
This light but satisfying dinner starts with a vibrant sauce made with some of our favorite sunny, bright flavors: sweet bell peppers, nutty white miso, and earthy turmeric, along with plenty of garlic and ginger. Topped with garlicky sautéed shrimp, this meal comes complete with protein, carb, and plenty of veg.
Perfect Fried Rice
You'll never throw leftover rice away again! Fried rice is a quick and delicious way to transform leftovers into something greater than the sum of its parts. Though we sometimes think of certain ingredients being typical (eggs, garlic), the only things you need to make fried rice are heat, rice, and oil. Anything else you add is up to you!
Get the Perfect Fried Rice recipe.
Tomato Fried Rice Salad
How does a bowl of warm, savory grains and tender greens with crumbly feta on top sound to you? If you're a fan of our classic Greek Salad, this fried rice salad might just be your new favorite. With much of the same toppings plus an element of hearty carbs added, it's as much a salad as it is a rice bowl.
Get the Tomato Fried Rice Salad recipe.
Porcupine Meatballs
The rice in this recipe not only gives a fun porcupine-like appearance to classic meatballs, but also a heartier, contrasting texture.
Get the Porcupine Meatballs recipe.
Baked Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Parmesan
If you’ve never made risotto because you didn’t want to stand there stirring forever, then this recipe is for you. It packs all the satisfying flavor of a slow-stirred version into a fraction of the hands-on time. This is all possible because you'll bake the risotto rather than cooking it on the stovetop...and did we mention that it all comes together in one pot? It's the ultimate hands-off dinner.
Pesto Rice & Bean Soup
This one-pot pesto rice & bean soup can be as adaptable as you’d like it! When it comes to choosing your type of grain, we recommend going with a short-grain brown, especially of the “sticky” variety. These glutinous grains have a lightly sweet flavor and the rice retains its shape during a longer cook, resulting in a satisfying al dente bounce once tender.
Get the Pesto Rice & Bean Soup recipe.
Shrimp Risotto
Even “fancy” seafood risottos like this one are easy to whip up at home. The trick is to first marinate the shrimp, then cook them in the same skillet we cook the rice. The result: The skillet retains a subtle, briny essence that forgoes the need to make a shrimp stock.
Get the Shrimp Risotto recipe.
Pizza Rice
Think of this as pizza with a different foundational carb: rice instead of bread. It's still delicious, and you don't need to wait for that dough to proof and rise. Customize this any way you want, using whatever kind of rice you want (glutinous brown rice is a personal fave, but any variety will do) and any cheese and toppings you desire. 😎
Get the Pizza Rice recipe.
Mediterranean Shrimp & Rice Soup
A simple, warm, and hearty soup is what we crave all winter long. This one, filled with savory shrimp, filling brown rice, and good-for-you veggies, not only hits the spot, but keeps you full and warm all day long.
Curried Chicken & Garlic Golden Rice
Believe it or not, you CAN have a hearty, delicious meal on your table in less time than it takes to order delivery. Coating frozen, thinly sliced chicken breasts in a curry-ginger yogurt sauce ensures your chicken is loaded with flavor. Paired with garlicky curried rice, spinach, and bright and crunchy quick-pickled onions, this easy weeknight dinner checks all our boxes.
Ochazuke
Rice is immersed in fragrant tea in this adaptable, warming dish. As to what kind of tea, the playing field is open! Whatever you choose—sencha, genmaicha—will create that soupy texture that's perfect for a variety of toppings.
Get the Ochazuke recipe.
Easy Mexican Rice
Packed full of flavor and veggies, this side dish is addictively delicious enough for us to eat for breakfast (maybe stuffed into a breakfast burrito or with a fried egg on top), lunch (alongside a Mexican corn salad), and dinner (tossed into a bonus layer of this cheesy taco casserole).
Get the Easy Mexican Rice recipe.
Kimchi Fried Rice
This recipe has six ingredients, but honestly: It’s all about the rice and kimchi. We love how easy this dish is to whip up with what you have on hand. Leftover rice from last night's takeout and kimchi staring at you from the fridge? You're halfway there to creating this easy, adaptable fried rice.
Get the Kimchi Fried Rice recipe.
Taylor Worden is Delish's Assistant Digital Food Producer, where she creates recipe galleries, recipe updates and more. She was previously a freelance editor on the food team for Good Housekeeping, where she also contributed entertainment and culture pieces as a freelance writer. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism and a lifelong love of writing. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, testing out a new pasta recipe, or rewatching one of her favorite shows.
