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30+ Easy Recipes That Start with Brown Rice

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer (and The Kitchn's Dinner Therapist), with more than 10 years professional experience. Since graduating from The French Culinary Institute, I've authored 3 cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen.
published Aug 11, 2022
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Credit: Shelly Westerhausen

Open my pantry at any given time and you’re guaranteed to find at least one bag of brown rice. Along with canned beans, pasta, and tuna, brown rice is a cheap pantry staple that can be easily transformed into a nearly endless variety of easy dishes. Aside from being an affordable kitchen ingredient, brown rice is also a rich source of fiber and magnesium, so it’s a healthful addition to any meal.

If you’re like me, and you’ve been staring at that bag of brown rice in pantry it’s time to finally put it to use. Cook a pot over the stove (or make it in your oven) at the beginning of the week, then use it for rice bowls, a super-quick pan of fried rice, or as a way to bulk up a bowl of soup or a salad. Ready to get cooking? Here are more than 30 brown rice recipes that are your ticket to easy weeknight meals and sides.

Rice Bowls

Rice bowls are my favorite way to turn brown rice into a meal. Pile on an assortment of vegetables, beans, lentils, or meat for protein, and finish it off with a simple, savory sauce. You can use either short-grain or long-grain brown rice for these!

1 / 10
Butternut Squash and Broccolini Rice Bowl with Soy Chorizo
This easy vegetarian one-bowl meal starts with one of our favorite grocery store shortcuts: a package of frozen brown rice.
Go to Recipe
2 / 10
Spicy Thai Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls
These vibrant Thai chicken and brown rice bowls are topped with a rainbow of crunchy vegetables and drizzled with curried peanut sauce.
Go to Recipe
3 / 10
Crispy Tofu Bowl with Caramelized Fall Veggies
In this hearty vegetarian grain bowl, crispy caramelized butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and protein-packed tofu are tossed in a savory-sweet glaze and piled onto warm brown rice.
Go to Recipe
4 / 10
Korean-Style Beef and Broccoli Bowl
Love the sweet and spicy flavors of Korean bulgolgi? This weeknight riff with flank steak is ready faster than takeout.
Go to Recipe
6 / 10
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls with Avocado and Green Tahini
A hearty vegetarian grain bowl packed with spicy roasted cauliflower, avocado, and a simple green tahini sauce.
Go to Recipe
7 / 10
BBQ Tofu Salad Bowls
On the nights I'm craving salad for dinner but also want a meal that's warm & comforting, these BBQ tofu & roasted vegetable bowls hit the spot.
Go to Recipe
8 / 10
How To Make Slow Cooker Steak Burrito Bowls
Fire-roasted tomatoes do double duty in slow cooker burrito bowls.
Go to Recipe
9 / 10
How To Make Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Veggie burrito bowls are a one-stop shop with tender brown rice, smoky pinto beans, and fresh veggies, all topped with a dollop of citrusy sour cream.
Go to Recipe
10 / 10
Jerk Chicken Rice Bowls Recipe
This weeknight take on Jamaican jerk chicken features a quick, flavor-packed blender marinade — and lots of delicious serving suggestions.
Go to Recipe

Fried Rice

If you have leftover brown rice, there’s no better way to turn it into dinner than by making a quick pan of fried rice. Cold, cooked rice is actually better than a freshly cooked pot when making fried rice, since the grains are a little bit dried out and less likely to clump together when being stir-fried.

1 / 11
Pork Fried Rice
Tossed with crumbles of ground pork, a couple of eggs, and frozen vegetables, this is the easiest way we know to turn leftover brown rice into a pan of savory pork fried rice.
Go to Recipe
2 / 11
Kimchi Fried Rice with Extra Greens
A heaping cup of kimchi plus whatever leafy greens you have handy give this fried rice a fun twist.
Go to Recipe
3 / 11
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp fried rice is a one-pan wonder, full of plump shrimp, fluffy eggs, and toasty rice that can be adapted to your mood and the contents of your refrigerator.
Go to Recipe
4 / 11
Trader Joe's Orange Chicken Fried Rice
This riff on chicken fried rice comes together with three TJ's freezer-aisle favorites: Mandarin orange chicken, a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, and a box of pre-cooked brown rice.
Go to Recipe
5 / 11
Breakfast Fried Rice
Eggs, sausage, and, yes, cheese go into this comforting breakfast fried rice.
Go to Recipe
6 / 11
Breakfast Fried Rice with Bacon
A quick and easy, one-pan recipe for breakfast fried rice loaded with eggs and vegetables.
Go to Recipe
8 / 11
Fried Rice Recipe
Perfect for when you want to go classic or as a great starting point to a version of your own.
Go to Recipe
9 / 11
Spam Fried Rice Recipe
Crispy, meaty Spam is a fantastic addition to change up your fried rice.
Go to Recipe
10 / 11
Chinese Sausage Fried Rice Recipe
Chinese sausage is the easiest way to amp up the flavors in fried rice.
Go to Recipe
11 / 11
Fried Rice with Scallops and Five-Spice
The whole recipe can be prepared in 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner or a last-minute potluck item.
Go to Recipe

Other Favorite Rice Main Dishes

Nutty brown rice can be a whole lot more than a side dish! Brown rice is a good addition to everything from meatless casseroles to soups.

1 / 10
Stuffed Pepper Soup
This is everything you love about stuffed peppers, in soup form. Stick with brown rice, as it holds up to cooking and reheating better than its white counterpart.
Go to Recipe
2 / 10
Chicken and Rice Soup
A whole chicken is simmered to make a rich broth, with tender chicken and rice. This dish is thrifty, but tastes super-luxe.
Go to Recipe
3 / 10
Toasted Grain Soup with Crispy Mushrooms and Kale
This vegetarian soup is supremely satisfying, thanks to a winning combination of veggies, herbs, beans, and grains.
Go to Recipe
4 / 10
Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
The mix-and-match filling means you’ll never tire of serving stuffed bell peppers.
Go to Recipe
5 / 10
Burrito-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves are stuffed with all the best burrito ingredients, then nestled into salsa and topped with cheese.
Go to Recipe
6 / 10
Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Skillet
This deconstructed stuffed pepper skillet is ready in half the time. It's packed with beans, rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, and plenty of spices, then topped off with melty cheese.
Go to Recipe
7 / 10
30-Minute Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Elevate leftover rice and chicken into a comforting chicken & rice soup that you can make it in less than 30 minutes.
Go to Recipe
8 / 10
Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice Skillet
This 20-minute skillet dinner, made with garlic, onions, tomato paste, and chicken broth, takes inspiration from Spanish-style rice.
Go to Recipe
9 / 10
Veggie Burgers
These hearty homemade veggie burgers are loaded with beans, mushrooms, sweet potato, oats, and brown rice.
Go to Recipe
10 / 10
Fiesta Chicken Recipe
This flavor-packed weeknight dinner only takes 25 minutes from start to finish.
Go to Recipe
Credit: Shelly Westerhausen

Open my pantry at any given time and you’re guaranteed to find at least one bag of brown rice. Along with canned beans, pasta, and tuna, brown rice is a cheap pantry staple that can be easily transformed into a nearly endless variety of easy dishes. Aside from being an affordable kitchen ingredient, brown rice is also a rich source of fiber and magnesium, so it’s a healthful addition to any meal.

If you’re like me, and you’ve been staring at that bag of brown rice in pantry it’s time to finally put it to use. Cook a pot over the stove (or make it in your oven) at the beginning of the week, then use it for rice bowls, a super-quick pan of fried rice, or as a way to bulk up a bowl of soup or a salad. Ready to get cooking? Here are more than 30 brown rice recipes that are your ticket to easy weeknight meals and sides.

Rice Bowls

Rice bowls are my favorite way to turn brown rice into a meal. Pile on an assortment of vegetables, beans, lentils, or meat for protein, and finish it off with a simple, savory sauce. You can use either short-grain or long-grain brown rice for these!

1 / 10
Butternut Squash and Broccolini Rice Bowl with Soy Chorizo
This easy vegetarian one-bowl meal starts with one of our favorite grocery store shortcuts: a package of frozen brown rice.
Go to Recipe
2 / 10
Spicy Thai Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls
These vibrant Thai chicken and brown rice bowls are topped with a rainbow of crunchy vegetables and drizzled with curried peanut sauce.
Go to Recipe
3 / 10
Crispy Tofu Bowl with Caramelized Fall Veggies
In this hearty vegetarian grain bowl, crispy caramelized butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and protein-packed tofu are tossed in a savory-sweet glaze and piled onto warm brown rice.
Go to Recipe
4 / 10
Korean-Style Beef and Broccoli Bowl
Love the sweet and spicy flavors of Korean bulgolgi? This weeknight riff with flank steak is ready faster than takeout.
Go to Recipe
6 / 10
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls with Avocado and Green Tahini
A hearty vegetarian grain bowl packed with spicy roasted cauliflower, avocado, and a simple green tahini sauce.
Go to Recipe
7 / 10
BBQ Tofu Salad Bowls
On the nights I'm craving salad for dinner but also want a meal that's warm & comforting, these BBQ tofu & roasted vegetable bowls hit the spot.
Go to Recipe
8 / 10
How To Make Slow Cooker Steak Burrito Bowls
Fire-roasted tomatoes do double duty in slow cooker burrito bowls.
Go to Recipe
9 / 10
How To Make Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Veggie burrito bowls are a one-stop shop with tender brown rice, smoky pinto beans, and fresh veggies, all topped with a dollop of citrusy sour cream.
Go to Recipe
10 / 10
Jerk Chicken Rice Bowls Recipe
This weeknight take on Jamaican jerk chicken features a quick, flavor-packed blender marinade — and lots of delicious serving suggestions.
Go to Recipe

Fried Rice

If you have leftover brown rice, there’s no better way to turn it into dinner than by making a quick pan of fried rice. Cold, cooked rice is actually better than a freshly cooked pot when making fried rice, since the grains are a little bit dried out and less likely to clump together when being stir-fried.

1 / 11
Pork Fried Rice
Tossed with crumbles of ground pork, a couple of eggs, and frozen vegetables, this is the easiest way we know to turn leftover brown rice into a pan of savory pork fried rice.
Go to Recipe
2 / 11
Kimchi Fried Rice with Extra Greens
A heaping cup of kimchi plus whatever leafy greens you have handy give this fried rice a fun twist.
Go to Recipe
3 / 11
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp fried rice is a one-pan wonder, full of plump shrimp, fluffy eggs, and toasty rice that can be adapted to your mood and the contents of your refrigerator.
Go to Recipe
4 / 11
Trader Joe's Orange Chicken Fried Rice
This riff on chicken fried rice comes together with three TJ's freezer-aisle favorites: Mandarin orange chicken, a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, and a box of pre-cooked brown rice.
Go to Recipe
5 / 11
Breakfast Fried Rice
Eggs, sausage, and, yes, cheese go into this comforting breakfast fried rice.
Go to Recipe
6 / 11
Breakfast Fried Rice with Bacon
A quick and easy, one-pan recipe for breakfast fried rice loaded with eggs and vegetables.
Go to Recipe
8 / 11
Fried Rice Recipe
Perfect for when you want to go classic or as a great starting point to a version of your own.
Go to Recipe
9 / 11
Spam Fried Rice Recipe
Crispy, meaty Spam is a fantastic addition to change up your fried rice.
Go to Recipe
10 / 11
Chinese Sausage Fried Rice Recipe
Chinese sausage is the easiest way to amp up the flavors in fried rice.
Go to Recipe
11 / 11
Fried Rice with Scallops and Five-Spice
The whole recipe can be prepared in 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner or a last-minute potluck item.
Go to Recipe

Other Favorite Rice Main Dishes

Nutty brown rice can be a whole lot more than a side dish! Brown rice is a good addition to everything from meatless casseroles to soups.

1 / 10
Stuffed Pepper Soup
This is everything you love about stuffed peppers, in soup form. Stick with brown rice, as it holds up to cooking and reheating better than its white counterpart.
Go to Recipe
2 / 10
Chicken and Rice Soup
A whole chicken is simmered to make a rich broth, with tender chicken and rice. This dish is thrifty, but tastes super-luxe.
Go to Recipe
3 / 10
Toasted Grain Soup with Crispy Mushrooms and Kale
This vegetarian soup is supremely satisfying, thanks to a winning combination of veggies, herbs, beans, and grains.
Go to Recipe
4 / 10
Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
The mix-and-match filling means you’ll never tire of serving stuffed bell peppers.
Go to Recipe
5 / 10
Burrito-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves are stuffed with all the best burrito ingredients, then nestled into salsa and topped with cheese.
Go to Recipe
6 / 10
Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Skillet
This deconstructed stuffed pepper skillet is ready in half the time. It's packed with beans, rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, and plenty of spices, then topped off with melty cheese.
Go to Recipe
7 / 10
30-Minute Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Elevate leftover rice and chicken into a comforting chicken & rice soup that you can make it in less than 30 minutes.
Go to Recipe
8 / 10
Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice Skillet
This 20-minute skillet dinner, made with garlic, onions, tomato paste, and chicken broth, takes inspiration from Spanish-style rice.
Go to Recipe
9 / 10
Veggie Burgers
These hearty homemade veggie burgers are loaded with beans, mushrooms, sweet potato, oats, and brown rice.
Go to Recipe
10 / 10
Fiesta Chicken Recipe
This flavor-packed weeknight dinner only takes 25 minutes from start to finish.
Go to Recipe

Side Dishes

We can hardly consider brown rice without thinking of it as a side dish that can be partnered with just about anything we cook for dinner. You might be used to cooking brown rice on the stovetop, but don’t forget about the slow cooker or the oven method (which is nearly foolproof).

1 / 7
Stovetop Brown Rice
Forget the crunchy or mushy stuff that you may have suffered through in the past — we've got our method locked down.
Go to Recipe
2 / 7
Brown Rice in the Oven
If brown rice is your nemesis, there is one method I think you’ll agree is a winner: cooking brown rice in the oven.
Go to Recipe
3 / 7
Slow Cooker Brown Rice
Need a set-it-and-forget-it method for meal prepping rice while your oven is busy? Here's how to cook brown rice in the slow cooker.
Go to Recipe
4 / 7
Mushroom Rice Pilaf
This creamy mushroom and herb-flecked skillet makes the perfect side to anything you're cooking for dinner, or better yet top it with a yolky poached or fried egg to make it the star of your plate.
Go to Recipe
5 / 7
Curried Corn and Coconut Rice
The coconut rice and curried corn in this recipe could very well be eaten separately, and they would make fine additions to lunch or dinner, but the combination of the two is truly special.
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6 / 7
Chopped Brown Rice Salad with Grapes and Pecans
While I think this brown rice salad is at its very best if tossed shortly before serving, it also holds up well to refrigeration.
Go to Recipe
7 / 7
Brown Rice Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cherries
I recommend making this hearty salad in advance, if you can. It gets even better after sitting in the fridge overnight.
Go to Recipe

This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: 30+ Easy Recipes That Start with Brown Rice