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34 Leftover Rice Recipes That Will Give You A Head Start On Dinner

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chicken fried rice   delishcom
Parker Feierbach

Leftover rice is one of the best blank slates ever. Crisp it up by frying it with any protein or your favorite veggies, add it to buddha bowls or lettuce wraps, or mix it in casseroles or soups. The possibilities are literally endless. The main things to know are never, ever throw away extra rice, and when you make rice, double it up and plan to use the leftovers for easy meals in the coming days. Looking for more shortcuts to make your weeknights easier? Check out our favorite recipes to make with a rotisserie chicken and our easiest pasta dinners.

1

Fried Rice

fried rice
Parker Feierbach

If you have leftover rice on hand, Fried Rice is your first go-t0.

Get the recipe from Delish.

2

Spicy Salmon Bowl

spicy salmon bowl
Parker Feierbach

There is something magical about grain bowls. They are perfect for meal prepping and packing up for lunches. All of the components are great on their own, and once they're tossed together, they somehow become even better.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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3

Classic Stuffed Peppers

stuffed peppers
Parker feierbach

The bell pepper is an excellent vessel for stuffing meat, rice, and, of course, cheese. It's strong enough to hold its shape in the oven, and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with just about anything.

Get the recipe from Delish.

4

Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps

asian chicken lettuce wraps
Parker Feierbach

Adding leftover rice to these lettuce wraps stretches the filling, and the rice soaks up those flavors like a dream!

Get the recipe from Delish.

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5

Ahi Poke Bowls

poke bowl
Parker Feierbach

Freshen up leftover rice with a little vinegar and it works beautifully in Poke Bowls.

Get the recipe from Delish.

6

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

thai fried rice
Lucy Schaeffer

Rather than soy sauce like a traditional Chinese fried rice would use, Thai fried rice uses fish sauce. A sauce called, prik nam pla, which is fish sauce and Thai red chilis, is used in the dish and served along with it as an additional garnish.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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7

Buddha Bowls

buddha bowls
Ethan Calabrese

The beauty about grain bowls is that they're infinitely adaptable. You can roast just about any veggie and it'll taste amazing in this recipe.

Get the recipe from Delish.

8

Caramelized Beef With Rice

caramelized beef with rice
LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

Caramelized Beef With Rice is a rich-in-flavor and weeknight-friendly dinner that cooks in under 10 minutes!

Get the recipe from Delish.

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9

Pizza Rice

pizza rice delishcom
Lucy schaeffer

Think of it as pizza with a different foundational carb: rice instead of bread. It's still delicious, and you don't need to wait for that dough to proof and rise.

Get the recipe from Delish.

10

BLT Rice Bowls

blt rice bowls
JUDY KIM

BLTs are breaking out from bread.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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11

Kimchi Fried Rice

kimchi fried rice
Andrew Bui

This recipe has six ingredients, but it’s all about the rice and the kimchi. If there are any leftover rice containers from last night’s take out, fried rice begs to be on the menu. If you also have kimchi on hand (which you should), there is no better time to make Kimchi Fried Rice.

Get the recipe from Delish.

12

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

chicken wild rice soup
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This comforting soup is sort of like an earthy version of chicken noodle soup.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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13

TikTok Salmon Rice Bowl

tiktok salmon rice bowl delishcom
Justin Sullivan

We recreated Emily Mariko's viral TikTok for one of the best healthy lunches we have ever seen.

Get the recipe from Delish.

14

Copycat Panera Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

creamy chicken  rice soup
Ethan Calabrese

If you love this at Panera, just wait until you try it at home.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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15

Pork Fried Rice

pork fried rice
Ethan Calabrese

Aside from the rice and the eggs, everything can be substituted. Any combo of cooked and cooled rice (it crisps up better), eggs, aromatics (like onion, shallots, green onions, garlic, ginger), and protein (pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, whatever!) will turn out amazing.

Get the recipe from Delish.

16

Kimbap

kimbap
June Xie

Turn leftover rice into the snack or lunch of your dreams.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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17

Beef Fried Rice

beef fried rice recipe
Judy Kim

Transform leftover rice into better-than-takeout stir fry.

Get the recipe from Delish.

18

Mediterranean Shrimp & Rice Soup

mediterranean shrimp  rice soup  delishcom
FitMenCook™

This healthy and delicious soup is one you can really feel good about.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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19

Pineapple Fried Rice

pineapple fried rice
Parker Feierbach

To give this rice more an island vibe, we fried the rice and veggies in coconut oil. And if you're feeling fancy, consider serving the rice in pineapple bowls...preferably under our garlicky ginger shrimp.

Get the recipe from Delish.

20

Beef & Broccoli Buddha Bowls

beef and broccoli buddha bowls
Chelsea Lupkin

A Buddha bowl you won't believe.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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