7 Rice Bowl Recipes to Make at Home

A rice bowl consists of an assortment of vegetables and proteins served over a bed of rice. Use any type of rice to make a rice bowl, including white rice, brown rice, and basmati rice. Rice bowls require minimal prep time and are easily customizable, making them a great addition to any meal prep routine. Incorporate different elements of Japanese, Chinese, or Mexican cuisine into any rice bowl recipe for a satisfying lunch or weeknight dinner.

The following lunch and dinner recipes are easy to make and only require a few kitchen staples. All you need are a protein, some veggies, and cooked rice, which you can easily prepare in an instant pot, slow cooker, or rice cooker.

1. 1. Bibimbap: Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl served with an assortment of meat and vegetables. Typical bibimbap ingredients include sliced meats, like bulgogi beef (or marinated tofu, for a vegan option), pickles and fermented products, like kimchi or gochujang sauce (Korean fermented red chili pepper paste), namul (cooked and sautéed vegetables like greens or shiitake mushrooms), crispy raw veggies like radish, bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, carrots, kale, and zucchini, and a sunny-side-up egg, fried egg, or raw egg yolk.
2. 2. Buddha bowl: A buddha bowl is a vegetarian rice bowl featuring veggies like cabbage, sweet potatoes, and cucumber, and proteins like beans, edamame, and cashews over a bed of rice or quinoa. Substitute regular rice for cauliflower rice to make a low-carb Buddha bowl. Add complex carbohydrates to this healthy bowl with a bed of brown rice. Experiment with ingredient combos like lentils, brussel sprouts, and tofu to make this healthy recipe.
3. 3. Burrito bowls: Also called taco bowls, these rice bowls include ingredients you would typically find in a burrito. To make a burrito bowl, combine pinto beans or black beans, proteins like chicken, pork, or carne asada, and fresh lettuce over rice seasoned with lime juice. Garnish your burrito bowl with fresh cilantro and diced onions or bell peppers, then season with spices and sauces like cumin, sriracha, or chipotle sauce.
4. 4. Chinese stir-fry: Stir-frying is a cooking technique that involves cooking veggies over high heat in a wok. This method benefits veggies and quick-cooking proteins like chicken breast or pork. You can also use chicken thighs, beef, or shrimp to make your chicken stir-fry rice bowl. Simply cover a steaming bowl of white rice or fried rice with stir-fried veggies and protein. Garnish the bowl with scallions (green onions), sesame seeds, and edamame for a simple, hearty dinner.
5. 5. Donburi: Donburi is a catch-all term for rice bowls. There are endless varieties of this Japanese dish that incorporate vegetables, meat, seafood, and eggs cooked with flavorful seasonings—all on top of plain, steamed white rice. Donburi toppings include everything from grilled eel, sashimi, sweet omelets, and fried tempura.
6. 6. Katsudon: This Japanese dish consists of tonkatsu (a deep-fried pork cutlet) and dashi-steamed egg over rice. Japanese cooks typically make katsudon in an oyakodon pan—a single-serving pan similar in size to a typical donburi serving—but a frying pan also works.
7. 7. Unadon: This rice bowl features slices of unagi (freshwater eel) and steamed rice. In Japan, unadon is popular in the summer. In Tokyo, home cooks grill, steam, sauce, and grill the eel a second time using a method called shirayaki.

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