30 Healthy Rice Recipes You’ll Make Again and Again
Updated: Jun. 29, 2023
Put this popular pantry staple to good use with these heavenly, hearty and healthy rice dishes.
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Chicken Burrito Skillet
We love Mexican night at our house, and I love to re-create dishes from our favorite restaurants. This burrito-inspired dish is ready for the table in almost no time! —Krista Marshall, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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Lemon Rice Pilaf
No need to buy premade pilaf mix when you can easily make your own in 20 minutes. The lemon zest adds a welcome burst of tang. —Taste of Home Test KitchenBONUS Recipe: Black Beans with Brown Rice
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Spinach Rice
I like to serve this Greek-style rice dish alongside steaks with mushrooms. It makes an elegant side that can be doubled for guests. —Jeanette Cakouros, Brunswick, Maine
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Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf
This tender side dish is perfect for the holidays or any time you want to add a special touch. Dried cranberries, currants and almonds serve up color and texture. My co-workers all make this rice pilaf for their families. —Pat Gardetta, Osage Beach, Missouri
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Tilapia with Jasmine Rice
This tender, full-flavored tilapia with fragrant jasmine rice is absolutely to die for. And it gets better—each serving has only 5 grams of fat! —Shirl Parsons, Cape Carteret, North Carolina(Here’s how to make jasmine rice, step by step.)
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Brown Rice Salad with Grilled Chicken
This delightful dish is nutritious, simple to fix and brightens up any buffet table. It's a terrific way to use up leftover chicken, and you can add veggies according to your family's liking. -Glenda Harper of Cable, Ohio
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Cilantro-Lime Rice
My family's favorite Mexican restaurant serves a similar rice as a side dish. I threw this together one night when I was making fajitas, and everyone loved it! It's such an easy side dish and pairs well with kabobs on the grill, too. —Robin Baskette, Lexington, Kentucky
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Cream of Wild Rice Soup
Tender cubes of chicken, fresh vegetables and wild rice make this soup hearty enough for a meal. You can't beat the down-home comfort of a warm bowlful. I like to serve it with whole wheat rolls. —J. Beatrice Hintz, Neenah, Wisconsin
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Lemony Turkey Rice Soup
While growing up in Texas, I spent a lot of time helping my grandma cook. Lemon and cilantro add a deliciously different twist to turkey soup. —Margarita Cuellar, East Chicago, Indiana
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Turkey Thyme Risotto
This satisfying risotto is a wonderful way to reinvent leftover turkey. I use Romano cheese, garlic and plenty of fresh mushrooms. —Sunny McDaniel, Cary, North Carolina
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Cumin Rice with Avocado
Cumin, picante sauce and avocado do a terrific job of perking up rice in this any-day side dish. —Margaret Allen, Abingdon, Virginia
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Arugula & Brown Rice Salad
When we have company, arugula with brown rice is always on the menu. It’s my go-to pick for the potluck and party circuit, and I'm always sharing the recipe. —Mindy Oswalt, Winnetka, California
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Zucchini Rice Pilaf
I created this colorful rice and veggie side dish one night by combining a few ingredients I had on hand. My husband, Robert, loved it and I have been making it ever since.—Lori Blevins, Douglasville, Georgia
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Creamy Lemon Rice
This bright rice dish has a creamy texture that's reminiscent of a lemon risotto, but without all the watching and stirring. Keep this one in your back pocket for hosting dinner guests—or a great side any old day! —Lyndsay Wells, Ladysmith, British Columbia
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Brown Rice Chutney Salad
A simple rice salad in a cafe inspired thoughts of adding Indian spices and chutney to this dish. To fire things up, mix in a small amount of hot chili oil, tasting carefully as you go. —Brooke Martin, Greenfield, Minnesota
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Roasted Butternut Squash & Rice Salad
We have end-of-season picnics for my son's flag football team. This makes enough to serve plenty of hungry boys and their families. — Dolores Deifel, Mundelein, Illinois
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Jasmine Rice with Coconut & Cherries
Our favorite coconut jasmine rice deserves a bit of color and sweetness. We add cherries, peanuts and orange zest. That does the trick. —Joy Zacharia, Clearwater, Florida
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Pumpkin-Curry Chicken over Cashew Rice
This is truly a dish that combines international flavors with homespun comfort. The sweet curry aroma alone will warm hearts on gray-sky days. For more veggie goodness, add roasted cauliflower. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho
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Curry Rice Pilaf
Salted cashews add a nice crunch to this simple rice dish flavored with curry and turmeric.
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Company Rice
This colorful side dish has proven itself the best rice recipe with family and friends. One of my late son’s friends always requested ‘that rice’ when he came over for dinner. It’s delicious served with grilled salmon, beef, turkey, lamb roast or ham. — Jayne Shiley, Campbellsport, Wisconsin
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Herbed Chicken with Wild Rice
My family is always very busy. With three kids involved in many different after-school and evening activities, it’s nice to come home to a meal that’s already prepared and ready to eat! —Becky Gifford, Conway, Arkansas
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Asian Chicken Rice Bowl
This super flavorful, nutrient-packed dish makes use of supermarket conveniences like coleslaw mix and rotisserie chicken. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for large families. —Christianna Gozzi, Asteria, New York
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Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup
Years ago, I fell hard for a lemony Greek soup at Panera Bread. It was just a special back then, but I re-created it at home so we could eat it whenever a craving hit! —Kristin Cherry, Bothell, Washington
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Scented Rice in Baked Pumpkin
This easy, delicious and healthy side is a showpiece that always delights. You can use grain, squash, fruits and nuts to suit your taste—it's impossible to go wrong! —Lynn Heisel, Jackson, Missouri
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Korean Beef and Rice
A friend raved about Korean bulgogi, which is beef cooked in soy sauce and ginger, so I tried it. It's delicious! You'll dazzle the table with this tasty version of Korean beef and rice. —Elizabeth King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Ginger Salmon with Brown Rice
Oh what fun it is to prepare a heavenly salmon with only five ingredients. My dressing serves as a glaze and a flavor-booster for the rice. —Naylet LaRochelle, Miami, Florida
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Nutty Wild Rice
You'll go nuts for this wild side dish and its hearty crunch. Served warm, this rice packs a zesty bite. Heather Webb, Channelview, Texas
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Brown Rice Mulligatawny
My friends tell me this is one of the best soups they’ve ever had. One even said it’s “perfect.” No one guesses that it’s healthy!—Sarah Ott, Blanchardville, Wisconsin.
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Carrot Brown Rice Pilaf
This versatile, colorful dish complements a variety of meats or other vegetarian entrees. To give this dish a crunchy texture and additional flavor and protein, stir in 2 cups of bean sprouts just before serving. —Paulette Cross, Lowville, New York
Originally Published: December 14, 2018
