You can never have too many of these quick and easy “emergency” meals. Things you can whip up with very little effort, using things you probably have on hand. I love this One Pot Veggie Rice Bowl because it uses very few dishes, requires next to no chopping, and it’s perfect for people with limited cooking equipment (dorms, RVs, hotel stays). Plus, as always, there are plenty of ways to customize it. ;)
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Cooking Rice and Eggs Together in One Pot
Last summer when talking about favorite potato salad recipes with our community, several people mentioned that they boil eggs for their salad right along with the potatoes in one pot. That got me thinking. It takes about 15 minutes to steam rice, which is really close to the amount of time it takes to hard boil an egg. So I had to try cooking rice and hard boiled eggs at the same time in one pot. Guess what? IT WORKS. But you definitely want to make to wash your egg(s) well first. ;)
Single Serving Recipe
This recipe is designed to be a quick and easy single serving meal for one. It’s perfect for those who are traveling or living in housing with limited cooking equipment. You can scale this up, if needed, by adjusting the number of servings in the recipe card below. Cooking times do not need to be adjusted if scaling the recipe up. Here is a similar recipe for One Pot Chicken Teriyaki and Rice that feeds four.
Use a Pot or Rice Cooker
The instructions below are for making this recipe using a saucepot on a burner or hotplate, but you can also do this using a rice cooker. To use a rice cooker, just add everything to the rice cooker in the same order as described below, then select the cook function. The only caveat with using a rice cooker is that you have a little less control over the cooking time, so if the programmed cooking time is too long, you may end up with an egg yolk that is a little green around the edges.
A green-tinged egg yolk is a classic sign that an egg has been overcooked. It does not mean that the egg is bad, rotten, or unsafe to eat and in most cases, it does not affect the flavor. It’s simply a chemical reaction between the naturally occurring hydrogen, sulfur, and iron in the egg that happens with a certain amount of heat exposure.
Can I Use Brown Rice?
This recipe is best used with white rice. Brown rice needs about three times longer to cook, at which point your egg and vegetables will be far overcooked. For best results, cook the brown rice separately.
What Else Can I Add to My Veggie Rice Bowl?
The other great thing about this bowl is just how flexible it is. You can use any type of frozen veggie mix (a stir fry mix works great), you can adjust the seasonings to your liking, and you can add all sorts of fun toppings if you happen to have them on hand! Here are some things that would taste great as an additional topping for your veggie rice bowl:
- Avocado
- Sesame seeds
- Leftover cooked meat (ham, rotisserie chicken, etc.)
- Shredded carrots
- Kimchi
- Cucumber
- Sautéed spinach
- Teriyaki sauce
- Jalapeño
- Cilantro
- Red bell pepper
One Pot Veggie Rice Bowl
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1/2 cup long grain white rice ($0.31)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1 cup frozen vegetables ($0.38)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 2 tsp soy sauce, divided ($0.04)
- 1 large egg ($0.21)
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.05)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.11)
- 1 Tbsp sriracha (or to taste) ($0.11)
Instructions
- Add the rice, garlic, and frozen vegetables to a small saucepot.
- Combine the water with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, then pour that into the pot. Stir to combine with the rice, vegetables, and garlic.
- Wash one large egg well, then place it in the center of the pot, on top of the rice.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat on to high, and allow the water to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low, and allow the water to continue to simmer for 15 minutes without removing the lid or stirring.
- After 15 minutes of simmering, turn the heat off. Remove the egg from the pot and replace the lid right away. Allow the rice to rest with the heat turned off and the lid in place for another five minutes.
- After removing the egg from the pot, place the egg in a bowl of ice water or place it under cold running water for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.
- After letting the rice and veggies rest for five minutes, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Season the rice and veggies with the sesame oil and another 1 teaspoon soy sauce, or to taste.
- Transfer the rice and vegetables to a bowl. Peel the egg and slice it in half or into quarters, then place it on top of the rice. Top the bowl with sliced green onion and a drizzle of sriracha.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make A One Pot Veggie Rice Bowl – Step by Step Photos
Combine ½ cup long grain white rice, 1 cup frozen vegetables, and one clove of minced garlic in a small saucepot.
Combine 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Add that to the saucepot and stir everything to combine.
Wash one large egg well, then place it in the center of the pot on top of the rice. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow the water to come up to a full boil. Once the water reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer over low for 15 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring.
After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and remove the egg from the pot. Replace the lid on the pot and let the rice rest for 5 more minutes. Place the hot egg in a bowl of ice water or run under cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.
After letting the rice rest with the heat turned off and lid on for five minutes, remove the lid and fluff the rice and vegetables with a fork.
Season the rice and vegetables with ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil and another teaspoon of soy sauce, or to taste.
Transfer the rice and veggies to a bowl. Peel your egg, cut it in half or quarters, and add it to the bowl. Top the bowl with sliced green onion and a drizzle of sriracha to taste. Enjoy!
This was kind of gross. Sorry. Might be good for college students or something though. Followed exactly.
Love this recipe, but curious if it can be done in a rice cooker, with the egg made separately. Love your recipes, have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed in any of them.
I think I’ve seen people put an egg in their rice cooker in dishes like this, so I’d give that a shot!
This was a great recipe. I cut up fresh veggies instead of the frozen, which took a little extra time, but was easy and delicious.
Thanks
If you decide to use brown rice and cook it separately, do you continue the recipe without the rice? Or do you continue the recipe with already-cooked brown rice?
You definitely can’t use already cooked rice. If you want to make this with brown rice, you’d pretty much need to cook all three components (the rice, vegetables, and egg) separately, then combine them in the bowl after.
If I wanted my egg yolks a little jammy, what would you recommend? Should I remove them from the rice early?