21 Tasty Rice Bowl Recipes (2025)

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Tips for prepping rice bowls Cooking your rice Turkey, pork & beef Meatless rice bowls Chicken rice bowl ideas You May Also Like... Reader Interactions Leave a Comment FAQs

By: Denise Bustard2 Comments
Posted: 7/16/21Updated: 7/16/21

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These 21 delicious rice bowl recipes work great for meal prep, or can be served fresh. These recipes are perfect for an office lunch or re-heatable dinner. Many of them are even freezer-friendly!

Rice bowls are a staple in my meal prep routine! They're great because they are a healthy, well-rounded meal that leaves me feeling full but not over-full.

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Not only that, but rice bowls are often freezer-friendly, meaning you can build up a good freezer stash and thaw as needed.

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Tips for prepping rice bowls

Types of rice

When it comes to the type of rice, I choose basmati. Why basmati? It is soft and fluffy like white rice, but has a low glycemic index, like brown rice. This means it breaks down more slowly and does not spike your blood sugars in the same way as instant rice.

Portion size

Even though basmati rice is on the lower end of the glycemic index, it is still important to keep an eye on your portion size. I aim for ½ cup of cooked rice per portion. Loaded up with veggies and protein, it's plenty filling.

Storage

Cooked rice has the worst rap when it comes to food safety. However, rice is perfectly safe to eat when cooked and stored properly:

cool and refrigerate quickly
store for 4-6 days (personally I have a 4 day rule for leftovers)
reheat until steaming hot, and only reheat once

Rice is also safe to freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge and re-heat until steaming hot.

Cooking your rice

I am a bit of a rice snob. If you want perfect, fluffy rice, I urge you to check out the following posts:

Stove top:

How to Cook Brown Rice
3 Tips for Perfect Fluffy Rice
7 Easy Rice Recipes

Instant Pot:

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Instant Pot Brown Rice

Turkey, pork & beef

Instant Pot Cajun Rice and Sausage

This instant pot cajun rice and sausage is an easy one pot meal made with smoked andouille sausage, basmati rice, carrots, onion, tomatoes, and celery.

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Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls

These turkey taco meal prep bowls with turkey taco meat, corn, pico de gallo and brown rice are simple, but filling. Make them ahead for four delicious lunches.

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Korean-Inspired Turkey Meal Prep Bowls

These ground turkey meal prep bowls have a delicious Korean-inspired sauce! Packed with flavor and under 400 calories per bowl, you can prep this recipe on the weekend for healthy and delicious lunches through the week.

Check out this recipe

Honey Garlic Beef Rice Bowls

Honey garlic beef rice bowls have juicy shredded beef, crunchy carrots and bell peppers, and a tangy sesame vinaigrette. Served cold, they work well for meal prep or for a simple dinner.

Check out this recipe

Meatless rice bowls

Instant Pot Fiesta Rice Bowls

These instant Pot fiesta rice bowls are a vegetarian, gluten-free recipe that works great for meal prep! Just dump it all in the Instant Pot, press the button, and you're done!

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Instant Pot Chickpea Curry (Vegan)

This Instant Pot vegan chickpea curry cooks chickpeas, carrots, potatoes and green beans in a fragrant Indian curry sauce. Made with vegan ingredients, the Instant Pot makes it hands off and simple to prepare.

Check out this recipe

Vegan Sushi Meal Prep

This vegan sushi bowl meal prep has all the flavors of sushi without the rolling! Made with cucumber, carrots, radish, edamame, rice and a sriracha mayo dressing.

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Korean BBQ Chickpea Bento Bowls

Korean BBQ chickpea bento bowls with zucchini, carrots, brussels sprouts and korean BBQ chickpeas served over rice. Vegan and GF.

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Vegan Slow Cooker Tikka Masala

This vegan slow cooker tikka masala is PERFECT for meal prep! It makes an easy freezer crockpot meal, and leftovers keep (and can be frozen) for healthy plant-based lunches.

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Perfect Egg Fried Rice (+ Variations)

Showing you how to cook perfect egg fried rice! Made with a simple ingredient list including rice, carrots, beans and eggs tossed in a simple soy and sesame oil sauce. It's kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and perfect for using up what you have in your fridge and pantry.

Check out this recipe

Chicken rice bowl ideas

Maple Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (30 Minutes)

A simple cashew chicken stir fry packed with veggies, sprinkled with cashews, and tossed in a sticky maple ginger stir fry sauce. Works great for an easy weeknight dinner or for meal prep.

Check out this recipe

(Make Ahead) Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowls

Make these chicken fajita lunch bowls for healthy lunches through the week! Inspired by a Mexican bean salad, this recipe combines bell peppers, baked chicken breast and rice with a delicious fajita-vinaigrette.

Check out this recipe

Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls

These Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls have chicken breast, broccoli and asparagus tossed in a sweet and savory honey sesame stir fry sauce. Perfect for healthy meal prep lunches!

Check out this recipe

Healthier Firecracker Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

Healthier firecracker chicken meal prep bowls are sweet and spicy! Lightened up compared to classic recipes, but still super flavorful. Gluten-free and ready in 35 minutes.

Check out this recipe

Spicy Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry

This Instant Pot Thai curry has a creamy, spicy and flavorful sauce, and comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner. Rich, fragrant, and absolutely delicious.

Check out this recipe

The Best Dang Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

This crock pot teriyaki chicken recipe is seriously the BEST! With juicy chicken breasts simmered in a sticky sauce that is better than your favorite take out. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Check out this recipe

Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls (Meal Prep)

Thai chicken lunch bowls have roasted vegetables and chicken served over rice with a tangy homemade peanut sauce. Easy to prep and keeps well for four days!

Check out this recipe

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Reader Interactions

Sara says
Posted on 4/26/20 at Posted on 4/26/20

So many great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Reply
- Denise says
  Posted on 5/27/20 at Posted on 5/27/20
  I hope you find a good one!
  Reply

FAQs

How do you add flavor to rice bowls? ›

Another great way of adding in some additional flavor to your rice bowls is to marinate your meats. For example, try marinating the beef in this Cabbage Roll Bowl in onion, paprika, garlic powder along with salt and pepper and cooking with canola oil along with shredded cabbage for some added flavor.

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What kind of rice is used for rice bowls? ›

They're the ultimate meals for mixing and matching all kinds of healthy ingredients. Here's a basic outline of what's in a rice bowl: Rice – Start with a base of white rice, basmati or jasmine rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. If you struggle making rice, try this Instant Pot Rice recipe.

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Are rice bowls healthy for weight loss? ›

Studies that have analyzed the effects of serving size have shown that reducing the size of the rice bowl reduces calorie intake, body weight, and blood sugar levels ( 28 ). Therefore, rice can be weight-loss-friendly or calorie-dense, depending on the serving size.

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How to layer a rice bowl? ›

Arranging your Rice Bowl

Structure - Put some delicious Rice in a bowl.
Base - Mix into or place on top of Rice.
Toppings - Sprinkle diced Veggies & Fruits all over.
Sauce - Drizzle all over!
Enjoy - !!!

Sep 28, 2018

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What is a good seasoning to add to rice? ›

Spices

Cumin.
Curry powder.
Paprika.
Red pepper flakes.
Garlic powder.
Onion powder.
Chili powder.
Cajun seasoning.

More items...

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What's a good flavoring for rice? ›

Stir in a tiny bit of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and/or cloves — exercise restraint and be sure to taste. Add up to 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, sausage, chorizo, or chopped ham. Add up to 1/2 cup dried shrimp or a couple of mashed anchovies. Season with any spice mixture .

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How healthy are rice bowls? ›

Rice is a rich source of carbohydrates, the body's main fuel source. Carbohydrates can keep you energized and satisfied, and are important for fueling exercise. Brown rice, especially, is an excellent source of many nutrients, including fiber, manganese, selenium, magnesium, and B vitamins.

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Do you eat rice bowls hot or cold? ›

They are customizable to what you have and need to use up; they're usually pretty quick and simple. And best of all, they can be super colorful and full of good and healthy ingredients. Another plus? They are delicious served warm or cold, which also makes them great as meal prep for lunches through the week.

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What is a traditional rice bowl called? ›

Donburi (丼, literally "bowl", also abbreviated to "-don" as a suffix, less commonly spelled "domburi") is a Japanese "rice-bowl dish" consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice.

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What is the best rice to eat when losing weight? ›

Brown rice is the most recommended variety for those hoping to lose weight. Loaded with dietary fibre, brown rice boosts metabolism and has 111 calories for every 100 grams.

How many cups of rice should I eat a day to lose weight? ›

At the end of the day, total calories matter, but not all calories are created equal. For your rice portion size, use the following as a guide: Women: ½ – 1 cup cooked (depending on how much you exercise) Men: 1 – 1½ cups cooked.

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Can you eat rice bowls cold? ›

Eating cold rice increases your risk of food poisoning from Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that survives cooking and may cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting.

What does Chipotle put in their bowls? ›

What is in a burrito bowl at Chipotle? Cilantro lime rice, pinto beans, grilled chicken, charred corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shredded cheese.

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How do you flavor rice before cooking? ›

Cook your rice in chicken or veggie stock instead of water to impart flavor. Add herbs and spices. Don't be shy. Fry up aromatics.

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How do you add flavor to frozen rice? ›

Seasonings: Sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic powder, or your favorite spices to elevate the taste of the rice. Fresh Herbs: Chopped cilantro, parsley, or green onions can add freshness and brightness to your rice.

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How do you add flavor to a dish? ›

Or, add a dash of hot pepper sauce. Add a tangy taste with citrus juice or grated citrus peel: lemon, lime or orange. Acidic ingredients help lift and balance flavor. Use small amounts of ingredients with bold flavors such as pomegranate seeds, chipotle pepper or cilantro.

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How do you eat Chinese food with rice bowls? ›

Hold your rice bowl up and use your chopsticks to pick from the dishes and for your rice. Aim for the morsel you want in the shared plate and pick it into your bowl as smoothly as you can. Don't fumble about the dish, stab the food with your chopsticks, or use your soup spoon.

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