20+ Easy Rice Recipes - Budget Bytes

Rice is a great inexpensive ingredient that you can easily incorporate into your everyday meals. Not only is it budget-friendly, but its also shelf stable and very filling! You can add it as a base ingredient to different rice bowl recipes or jazz it up with lots of flavor and spices to serve as a side dish to your main meal. However you decide to enjoy it, we’ve gathered 25 of our top Rice Recipes including chicken and rice recipes, rice bowl recipes, rice recipes for dinner, and easy rice recipes!

Collage of six easy rice recipes with title text in the center.

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Get ready to dive into 25 delicious, affordable, and easy to make rice recipes that we’re sure you and your whole family will enjoy!

Chicken And Rice Recipes

One Pot Chicken And Rice

One Pot Chicken and Rice

Close up of chicken being scooped out of the skillet.

This hearty and delicious chicken and rice combines rich and flavorful rice with well seasoned chicken or an easy one pot meal.

4.64 from 94 votes

$5.82 recipe / $1.46 serving Get the Recipe

This super popular One Pot Chicken and Rice dish is packed with rich and delicious flavor and since everything cooks in one pot, no flavors are lost! It’s easy, cozy, and ultra satisfying.

One Pot Teriyaki Chicken And Rice

One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

This One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice is an easy and satisfying meal that the whole family will love. It also meal preps well for lunches all week!

4.30 from 51 votes

$6.26 recipe / $1.57 serving Get the Recipe

Juicy chicken, rice, stir fry vegetables, and a yummy teriyaki sauce come together to make this easy One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice!

Southwest Chicken Skillet

If you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner, this Southwest Chicken Skillet is it! Precooked chicken makes this dinner possible in about 30 minutes.

4.81 from 181 votes

$6.76 recipe / $1.69 serving Get the Recipe

A quick & easy Southwest Chicken Skillet made with beans, salsa, rice, and comes together in under 30 minutes…um, sign me up please!

Chipotle Lime Chicken And Rice

Chipotle Lime Chicken and Rice

This easy one-pot chipotle lime chicken and rice is tangy, smoky, spicy, and incredibly delicious. Makes a great main dish or meal prep!

4.54 from 30 votes

$9.16 recipe / $2.29 serving Get the Recipe

The flavor in this Chipotle Lime Chicken and Rice is simply undeniable. There is a hefty dose of spices, tangy lime juice, and a bunch of flavor from the chicken that cooks right in the same pot. So delicious!

Arroz Con Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken And Rice)

Arroz Con Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice)

Over head view of arroz con pollo in a red Dutch oven.

This scrumptious Puerto Rican chicken and rice dish is a weekly staple at my house. Arroz con Pollo is an easy one-pot meal, that's ready in no time and is perfect for meal prep and freezer meals.

4.81 from 21 votes

$12.30 recipe / $2.46 serving Get the Recipe

This mouth-watering, budget-friendly, Arroz Con Pollo is a one pot Puerto Rican chicken and rice dish. It has tons of flavor and is perfect for a cozy, weeknight dinner meal.

Creamy Chicken And Rice Skillet

Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet

Close up of chicken and rice being scooped out of the skillet with a wooden spoon.

This easy one pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet makes a comforting weeknight dinner during those long, dark winter months! Makes great leftovers, too!

4.82 from 43 votes

$7.12 recipe / $1.78 serving Get the Recipe

This Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet is probably one of the most well-love comfort food recipes of all time! It’s creamy, cheesy, and all made in one skillet.

Rice Bowl Recipes

Sushi Bowls

Completed sushi bowl from above on a dark background.

Sushi Bowls are a fast, easy, and inexpensive alternative to your favorite sushi bar. Get your sushi fix without spending a fortune.

4.99 from 57 votes

$8.824 recipe / $2.21 each Get the Recipe

When you’re craving sushi, but you want something that’s easy to make and easy on the budget – these Sushi Bowls will hit the spot!

Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls

Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Cilantro Lime Ranch

Close up overhead view of a roasted cauliflower taco bowl topped with cilantro lime ranch and a black fork in the middle

These light and flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls have tons of color, flavor, and texture to keep you coming back for more! Great for meal prep!

4.88 from 58 votes

$8.31 recipe / $2.08 serving Get the Recipe

Taco and burrito bowls are my favorite!! Especially when they’re made with fresh ingredients like these Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls! Vibrant, flavorful, and perfect for lunch or dinner.

Sesame Tempeh Bowls

These Sesame Tempeh Bowls are a great vegan alternative to sesame chicken and only take about 20 minutes to make. An easy fast vegan meal prep!

4.63 from 40 votes

$6.74 recipe / $1.69 serving Get the Recipe

These quick & easy Sesame Tempeh Bowls are made with a simple stir-fry sauce and served with rice and frozen broccoli florets. Perfect for meal prep!

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls

Taco Chicken Bowls

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls are the ultimate “set it and forget it” easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love.

4.88 from 193 votes

$10.31 recipe / $1.72 serving Get the Recipe

These Taco Chicken Bowls are made in a slow cooker so they’re perfect for busy families, college students, and even bachelors. You just dump all your ingredients together in the pot, let it cook, and you have an easy weeknight dinner meal!

Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls

Close up overhead shot of a poor man's burrito bowl with melted cheese

These easy no-frills burrito bowls are super fast and affordable. They're the perfect satisfying weeknight meal for times when money is tight!

4.84 from 66 votes

$7.07 recipe / $1.18 serving Get the Recipe

Burrito bowls have become super popular over the past few years, but if you don’t have a lot of money for fancy take-out, you can certainly indulge in these simple, Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls! Simple ingredients, easy to customize, and still very filling.

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls include fragrant jasmine rice, tender pork meatballs, homemade teriyaki sauce, and broccoli florets for an easy meal prep friendly meal!

4.77 from 95 votes

$8.86 recipe / $2.22 serving Get the Recipe

If you haven’t noticed we’re kind of obsessed with meatballs here at Budget Bytes. These Teriyaki Meatball Bowls are covered in a homemade teriyaki sauce and served with jasmine rice and broccoli florets. Absolutely delish!

Rice REcipes For Dinner

Cajun Sausage And Rice Skillet

Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet

Side view of a skillet full of Cajun Sausage and Rice

This easy Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet is the perfect easy and filling weeknight dinner, packed with plenty of smoky-spicy flavor!

4.87 from 195 votes

$7.21 recipe / $1.80 serving Get the Recipe

Our super popular Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet might just be your new favorite recipe! It’s made with similar ingredients as jambalaya, but it’s a slightly scaled back, simplified version, perfect for quick weeknight dinner.

One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp ANd Rice

One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice

overhead view of lemon garlic shrimp and rice in a skillet

You only need one pot and 8 ingredients to make this easy and flavorful Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice. Fast, easy, and delicious!

4.73 from 58 votes

$7.53 recipe / $1.88 serving Get the Recipe

This One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice dish is packed with flavor and comes together in just 30 minutes! Not only is it easy to make, but it’s also very impressive for serving to company (or a special date night!)

Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet

Southwest Lentils and Rice Skillet

This Southwest Lentils and Rice Skillet is packed with veggies and bold flavors for a super filling, budget-friendly, and easy to make one pot skillet meal!

4.93 from 38 votes

$5.65 recipe / $1.41 serving Get the Recipe

This Southwest Lentils and Rice Skillet is a simple one pot meal made with brown lentils, white rice, lots of veggies, and bold spices. It’s budget-friendly and great for meal prep!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

All the ingredients and flavor of stuffed bell peppers cooked in one skillet for an easy, free-form bowl meal. It's UNstuffed Bell Peppers!

4.68 from 88 votes

$8.29 recipe / $1.38 serving Get the Recipe

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good stuffed bell pepper, but even better if I can throw all the same ingredients into one skillet for a super easy Unstuffed Bell Peppers meal! #winwin

Puerto Rican Rice And Beans

Puerto Rican Style Red Beans and Rice

Overhead shot of a white bowl of red beans and rice.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans is a dish with bold flavors, it's easy to prepare, and it's budget-friendly! Make it a meal with a side of ripe yellow plantain slices, or serve it as a sidekick to any protein.

4.77 from 17 votes

$8.24 recipe / $0.69 serving Get the Recipe

Puerto Rican Style Red Beans and Rice can be a meal on its own with a side of ripe yellow plantain slices or you can serve it as a sidekick to any protein!

Broccoli Cheddar Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

This Broccoli Cheese Casserole recipe is a classic side dish made with a creamy homemade cheese sauce, rice, and broccoli florets.

4.73 from 79 votes

$6.56 recipe / $1.09 serving Get the Recipe

Broccoli Cheddar Casserole is a classic rice dish! It’s cheesy, comforting, and perfect as a Thanksgiving side, or just a tasty addition to dinner any night of the week!

Easy Rice Recipes

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried Rice is a fast, easy, delicious, and budget-friendly meal that you can whip up with ingredients on hand at any time!

4.97 from 26 votes

$4.5 recipe / $1.13 serving Get the Recipe

Vegetable Fried Rice is a classic rice dish that’s fast, easy, filling, and delicious! You can mix and match veggies and add some meat if you want for the perfect lunch or dinner meal!

Mushroom Rice

This simple mushroom rice combines earthy mushrooms, savory garlic, rich butter, and flavorful vegetable broth for a simple yet flavorful side dish.

4.94 from 29 votes

$2.93 recipe / $0.73 serving Get the Recipe

No need for box flavored rice dishes, try this super flavorful Mushroom Rice instead! Savory garlic, rich butter, and vegetable broth really amps up the flavor; and it’s perfect to serve on the side with baked chicken, roasted pork tenderloin, or even homemade meatloaf.

Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is an easy yet flavorful side dish that uses only a few simple ingredients, and it's sure to liven up any dinner plate!

4.82 from 11 votes

$2.40 recipe / $0.30 serving Get the Recipe

This Tomato Rice recipe is similar to Mexican rice (although not authentic) and is the perfect side to liven up your dinner plate! It’s made with simple ingredients that give it a bright & savory flavor.

Coconut Rice

This savory coconut rice features fragrant jasmine rice, rich coconut milk, and savory garlic for a simple yet delicious side dish.

4.86 from 55 votes

$2.88 recipe / $0.48 serving Get the Recipe

Just 5 ingredients is all you need to make this rich, savory, and insanely delicious Coconut Rice!

Cilantro LIme Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice

This Cilantro Lime Rice recipe is bright, flavorful, easy to make with just a few ingredients, and will make any meal more delicious!

4.95 from 18 votes

$2.50 recipe / $0.42 serving Get the Recipe

Cilantro Lime Rice is a big favorite of mine and it tastes great with burrito bowls, taco bowls, or as a side dish with any Mexican meal!

Yellow Jasmine Rice

This savory Yellow Jasmine Rice combines warm and fragrant Indian spices and chicken broth to make the most flavorful rice you’ve ever tasted!

4.71 from 154 votes

$2.01 recipe / $0.34 serving Get the Recipe

This Yellow Jasmine Rice is incredibly flavorful and delicious! It’s one of our most popular rice recipes for good reason. If you haven’t tried it yet, make it NOW!

Creamy Rice Pudding

finished rice pudding in the pot topped with sliced almonds.

Creamy Rice Pudding is a simple, delicious, and inexpensive dessert full of warm flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.