One-Bowl Rice Dishes from Around the World
Rice is the world's most popular food, and many rice-based meals are served in a single bowl. This roundup features a selection of some of the world's favorite one-bowl rice recipes. By no means is it exhaustive, but it's a good place to begin exploring. Try your hand at versions of Spanish paella with seafood, chicken, and chorizo; West African jollof rice; Puerto Rican mamposteao with shrimp and adobo; and more great rice meals.
Crispy Tofu Bibimbap with Mustard Greens and Zucchini
Cookbook author Michael Natkin’s version of the Korean dish bibimbap — rice topped with a mix of pickled and cooked vegetables — forgoes the usual runny fried egg on top to be a delicious vegan dish.
Hashweh (Spiced Lamb and Rice Pilaf)
Hashweh, which literally means “stuffing” in Arabic, is often used to fill proteins like chicken and lamb. Studded with spiced lamb and crisp nuts, the fragrant pilaf is a meal in itself. For special occasions, cookbook author Reem Kassis tops it with slow-roasted, melt-in-your-mouth leg of lamb.
Pork Fried Rice
Maxwell Cozzi
This Japanese-style pork fried rice from 2000 F&W Best New Chef Takashi Yagihashi was his favorite childhood after-school snack. It comes together in just 25 minutes, thanks to the inclusion of quick-cooking Chinese barbecued pork.
Seafood and Chicken Paella with Chorizo
Pork-loving chef Tamara Murphy makes her own chorizo for her excellent paella. For the seafood in the dish, she breaks with tradition by sautéing the shrimp and steaming the mussels and clams before adding them to the paella during the last few minutes of cooking; this keeps the seafood moist and delicious.
Indonesian Coconut Rice with Chicken and Zucchini
Luscious is the word for this Indonesian version of chicken and rice. Coconut milk spiced with cumin and coriander cooks into the rice and sauces the whole dish.
Jambalaya with Andouille Sausage, Chicken, and Shrimp
Smoky, gently spiced andouille sausage and a spoonful of Creole seasoning give deep flavor and mild heat to this jambalaya, while the trinity of onion, green pepper, and celery provide a classic aromatic base to the dish. Parboiled rice is perfect for this recipe, since it cooks to tenderness just as the andouille, chicken, and shrimp reach doneness.
California Wappa Rice Bowls
Snow crab, especially the legs of the crab, yields tender, clean chunks of meat, perfect for topping these steamed savory rice bowls. To gently cook the crabs, steam them for 20 to 25 minutes over high heat, let cool slightly, and remove the meat.
Beef Fried Rice
Stir-fry the sirloin, watercress, and egg while the rice cooks, so that you'll be ready to assemble the dish at the last moment. Soy sauce and a drizzling of sesame oil flavor the combination perfectly. If you prefer, use strips of pork tenderloin instead of beef.
Rice and Sweet Corn Porridge with Dried Scallops
Chef Corey Lee's summery porridge is a cross between traditional Chinese congee and Italian risotto.
Chicken and Rice Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon
We like to serve this Mediterranean-inspired salad warm, but it's also good slightly chilled. Be sure to check the seasonings, though; cold dishes often need more salt and pepper than those served hot.
Italian Wedding Risotto
Inspired by the classic Italian wedding soup, this heartier risotto is filled with just-wilted spinach and topped with crispy, garlicky meatballs. Use a cookie scoop to quickly portion out the meatballs; make a double batch and freeze half to whip up this risotto in a flash. Remove the risotto from the heat while it's still a little soupy — it will thicken slightly as it rests.
Hung's Clay Pot Rice
As a student at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Top Chef winner Hung Huynh learned to cook with the Chinese trinity — GGS, or ginger, garlic, and scallions. He uses all three here to flavor his earthy, mushroom and bacon-studded clay pot rice.
Island Jollof Rice
Jollof is a wildly popular dish across West Africa, and there are many regional variations. This recipe, inspired by chef Eric Adjepong, includes smoked fish, turkey bacon, and Scotch bonnet chiles.
Shrimp Fried Rice with Coconut and Pickled Onions
"I've served this dish since day one at Straits," says chef Chris Yeo. For his exquisite version of fried rice, known in Southeast Asia as nasi goreng, he adds two surprise ingredients: quick-pickled onions and nutty shredded coconut.
Mamposteao with Shrimp and Adobo
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
This Puerto Rican mamposteao recipe — similar to dirty rice — starts with a homemade adobo spice blend and combines rice and beans with aromatics and citrus-marinated shrimp.
Rice with Duck and Apricots
Chef George Mendes' signature dish includes poached duck breast and homemade duck confit. For ease of making this at home, buy the confit instead and forgo the breast.
Khao Dtom Moo Saap (Rice Congee with Pork Meatballs)
Chef James Syhabout flavors his meatballs simply with fish sauce and soy sauce. They’re served in his soothing congee with assorted condiments, including cilantro, garlic oil, and chile vinegar.
Morisqueta con Costillas de Res en Salsa Roja (Rice with Saucy Braised Beef Ribs)
Morisqueta is Mexico's unsung rice-bowl hero found in regions along the Pacific, specifically Michoacán. It's essentially a taco in rice form: rice topped with a saucy pork, beef, or seafood guisado, beans, raw cabbage for texture, and some crema to pull it all together.
Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani
This fragrant spiced lamb and rice dish from Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan is just one of the many biryanis she features quarterly at her Nashville restaurant, Chauhan Ale and Masala House. The dough that covers the biryani while it cooks is not meant to be eaten. Instead, crack off the dough lid and discard before serving, then scoop out the saffron-laced rice and lamb beneath.
Salmon Rice Bowl with Ginger-Lime Sauce
In Vietnam, palate-cleansing ginger is typically served with rich foods like duck. Here, a pungent ginger dipping sauce is paired with salmon.
