23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (2024)

As our editors often say, rice is a highly versatile pantry powerhouse — possibly the world's most popular ingredient. Whether you've neglected a bag of rice for too long or want to try something new, we have a selection of rice recipes from cuisines around the world. Try a simple rice pilaf or fried rice, or another staple rice dish. If you are looking for simple sides and bases full of flavor and perfectly fluffy, start here.

01of 23

Lemon Brown Rice with Garlic and Thyme

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (1)

Even the simplest bowl of rice holds possibilities. Use brown rice and transform bland into bold by stirring in butter, lemon, and garlic for an easy side that goes with everything.

Get the Recipe

02of 23

Saffron Rice Pilaf with Cherries and Pistachios

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (2)

Saffron not only gives this rice pilaf its jewel-toned hue, it permeates each grain with smoky, earthy, aromatic notes. This dish has hits of flavor from the fruity cherries, fresh cilantro, and toasty, salty pistachios, while fresh lime juice brightens every forkful.

Get the Recipe

03of 23

Greek Rice Salad

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (3)

This bright, punchy rice salad is packed with all the flavors we love from Greek cuisine: crunchy vegetables, juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, and salty feta cheese.

Get the Recipe

04of 23

Bacon Fat Fried Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (4)

1999 F&W Best New Chef Rocco DiSpirito fries rice in savory bacon fat, then imparts a smoky sweetness and balanced acidity with jammy pineapple preserves and crisp fresh chopped pineapple.

Get the Recipe

05of 23

Coconut Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (5)

Coconut rice gets its barely sweet flavor and rich texture from using coconut milk as part of the rice cooking liquid.It may look deceptively plain, but it’s the perfect accompaniment to many Asian, African, and Caribbean curries, stews, and soups.

Get the Recipe

06of 23

Island Jollof Rice

Incredible depth of flavor sets jollof rice apart from other seasoned rice dishes. This version of the beloved West African dish was inspired by Eric Adjepong's Ghanaian roots.

Get the Recipe

07of 23

Mexican Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (7)

Cooking this rice in a blend of canned tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño pureed with the juices from the canned tomatoes gives it extra flavor and a rich color.

Get the Recipe

08of 23

Jamaican Rice and Peas

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (8)

Jamaican rice and peas — seasoned with the special trinity of thyme, scallion, and garlic — is a staple dish of the island.Briana Riddock shares her mom's recipe, with woodsy and fruity flavors from the allspice berries, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper.

Get the Recipe

09of 23

Nam Khao Tod (Crispy Rice Salad)

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (9)

Cooked and cooled rice is seasoned with curry paste and dusted with a generous coating of rice flour then fried until über-crunchy in this dish from Night + Market chef Kris Yenbamroong.

Get the Recipe

10of 23

Royal Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (10)

Chefs Saqib Keval and Norma Listman of Masala y Maíz in Mexico City marry aspects of Indian and Mexican cuisines in this colorful dish, a hybrid of biryani and toasted, pilaf-style rice that is cooked in coconut milk with mint, almonds, and golden raisins.

Get the Recipe

11of 23

Bacon Ginger Fried Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (11)

Kylie Kwong ensures the eggs stay fluffy throughout this dish by scrambling them, then setting them aside. Then, stir-fry the onion, bacon, ginger, and all of the aromatics and combine the rice and soy before adding them back to the dish.

Get the Recipe

Fried Forbidden Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (12)

For a robust take on the Indonesian fried rice dishnasi goreng, Sang Yoon stir-fries black rice, sometimes called forbidden rice, with bacon and roasted garlic.

Get the Recipe

13of 23

Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice)

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (13)

Sabzi polois a staple on the Persian New Year's table. It's made with basmati rice and layers of fresh herbs, but what is most coveted is thetahdig — the crunchy crust that forms on the bottom of the pot during cooking.

Get the Recipe

14of 23

Kimchi Fried Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (14)

Andrew Zimmern grew attached to this rice dish while on a trip to Hawaii. It's a flavorful side for any meal or on its own for lunch with a crisp salad.

Get the Recipe

15of 23

Caramelized Red Onion Rice with Tamarind

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (15)

In her bookFresh India, Meera Sodha uses sweet-and-sour tamarind paste to turn plain rice into a show-stealing side in just 40 minutes.

Get the Recipe

16of 23

Brazilian Black Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (16)

This dish from chef Aladim Alves traces its roots to Brazil in the 1970s. It combines richly flavored Bahian seafood with whole-grain black rice mixed with garlic and onion cooked in butter.

Get the Recipe

17of 23

Shrimp Fried Rice with Coconut and Pickled Onions

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (17)

For his exquisite version of fried rice, known in Southeast Asia asnasi goreng, Chris Yeo adds quick-pickled onions and nutty shredded coconut.

Get the Recipe

18of 23

Herbed Steamed Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (18)

Chef April Bloomfield uses chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives, and tarragon, to flavor this 30-minute rice base or side.

Get the Recipe

19of 23

Brown Rice Pilaf with Toasted Almonds and Parsley

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (19)

Emily Farris adds toasted almonds and chopped parsley to this super-simple, gluten-free brown rice dish.

Get the Recipe

20of 23

Golden Fried Rice with Asparagus and XO Sauce

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (20)

Stir-frying rice with egg yolks is a technique that hails from Chinese imperial cuisine, says chef Lucas Sin of Junzi restaurant. It gives the dish a buttery richness and beautiful golden color. A generous amount of onions, garlic, scallions, and fresh ginger builds a foundation of flavor.

Get the Recipe

21of 23

Crispy Coconut Sticky Rice

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (21)

Chef JJ Johnson makes fragrant, lightly sweetened coconut rice, which he pats into a skillet and crisps to serve.

Get the Recipe

22of 23

Thai Basil Fried Rice with Radishes

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (22)

Fish sauce, Thai basil, and lime juice season this 20-minute fried rice from Phoebe Lapine.

Get the Recipe

23of 23

Sticky Rice Dressing

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (23)

Chef Joanne Chang's addition of Chinese sausage to this rice-based stuffing makes makes the rice deliciously sweet and savory.

Get the Recipe

23 Rice Recipes for Your Side Dish Repertoire (2024)

FAQs

What are good combinations with rice? ›

Cook up a large batch of Minute® Instant Jasmine Rice and try out a few other Asian-inspired stir-ins:
  • Teriyaki, oyster or hoisin sauce.
  • Stir-fried, fresh or steamed veggies.
  • Chicken.
  • Shrimp.
  • Beef.
  • Tofu.
  • Ginger (ground or fresh)
  • Chili sauce such as sriracha or chili garlic sauce.

How to make rice amazing? ›

15 Thirty-Second Ways to Jazz Up Plain Rice
  1. Stir in a tablespoon or more of butter.
  2. Stir in a tablespoon or more of olive oil.
  3. Drizzle with soy sauce.
  4. Add lots of pepper.
  5. Stir in a couple of tablespoons minced fresh herbs, ideally warmed first in melted butter.
Oct 18, 2019

Who is the number one rice in the World? ›

After India attained the top spot in global rice exports, the renowned food and travel guide, 'Taste Atlas', has crowned Indian Basmati rice as the 'Best Rice in the World'. This recognition places Indian Basmati rice among the top six rice varieties globally.

What is America's favorite rice? ›

Discover the Best Recipes with America's Favorite Rice: Mahatma® Rice.

What are good sauces for rice? ›

Pesto is great on rice. Grated cheese is great on rice, as is sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney. Also, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce or hoisin sauce.

What can I do with cooked white rice? ›

It seems like I always cook more rice than I need, but that might not be such a bad thing. Leftover rice is one of the most versatile ingredients—use it to make soups, stir-fries, casseroles, rice pudding, and even breakfast.

How many cups of rice per person? ›

A standard serving size for rice ranges between 1/2 cup and 1 cup per person. The precise amount may vary depending on the rice type being cooked, but generally, 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cooked rice per serving is appropriate.

What vegetables go well with rice? ›

Stir-fry vegetables: You can sauté your favorite vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and snow peas, and add them to rice. Grilled vegetables: Grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and asparagus make a great addition to rice dishes.

What is the best combination for white rice? ›

White rice can be served with peas and beans or with lean cuts of meat, fish, and vegetables to make balanced and nutritious dishes. You can also enjoy it in one-pot meals like pelau and sambar rice or in rice bowls and stuffed bell peppers.

What can you not do with rice? ›

Keep rice in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating. When you reheat any rice always check the dish is steaming hot all the way through. Uncooked rice can contain spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. This bacteria can cause food poisoning.

How to jazz up white rice? ›

Toast Herbs and Spices Before or After Cooking

“To give your rice that extra flavor, try dicing herbs like oregano or cilantro into very small pieces and sprinkle them on top of the rice for about five minutes and cover with a lid,” says Cuban chef Luis Pous, partner and executive chef at Calle Dragones Miami.

What can I add to white rice to make it taste better? ›

Use butter and salt

One of the most basic ways to add a little extra flavor to plain white rice is pretty simple and can often easily be done with ingredients you already have at home. All you need to do is add a little bit of butter and salt, which can help make the rice fluffier and richer.

What is the top 3 rice in the world? ›

The longer the grain, the better the rice, and the best basmati grains have a slightly golden hue." Basmati was followed by Arborio from Italy and Carolino Rice from Portugal in the second and third positions, respectively.

What is the most popular dish in the world? ›

Pizza is ranked as the most popular food in the world, according to a survey by TasteAtlas. On average, Americans eat 18 acres of pizza a day, highlighting its popularity in the USA. Pasta is the second most popular food globally, after pizza. Almost 14.5 million tons of pasta are consumed worldwide annually.

What is the most famous dish in the world? ›

​Pizza​ Italian pizza is probably the most famous food in the world.

Is rice the number one food in the world? ›

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, rice is one of the most consumed grains in the world, serving as a dietary cornerstone for numerous cultures and cuisines, stretching from Asia to Europe and from the east to the west.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 5633

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.