50 Ways to Use Leftover White Rice

One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice Recipe

Another winner, winner, chicken dinner! You can’t miss when budget-friendly chicken thighs are cooked to golden brown, nestled into a bed of rice and vegetables, and dressed with a honey-chile sauce. This is truly a one-pan recipe, making clean-up a breeze.

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

If you’ve ever experienced the disappointment that is a bland eggplant boat hidden under copious amounts of sauce and cheese… rest assured, this isn’t that. A variety of dried spices provide a wealth of warm, aromatic flavors, while ground lamb delivers a distinct richness, and fresh mint provides a pop of herbaceous energy.

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

Although the yellow and green squash give this chicken and rice casserole a colorful appearance, you can use one or the other, if you prefer.

Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Recipe

Have dinner ready when you come home with this ultimate, slow-cooker Jambalaya. Featuring chicken, shrimp and smoked sausage, this classic Creole rice dish is perfect for the slow-cooker as all the flavors blend together over time in a marvelous way. As a simple one-pot meal, bring Jambalaya to your next potluck as a crowd-pleasing dish that doesn't skimp on flavor or presentation. Don’t be afraid of making too much because leftover Jambalaya still tastes great warmed up the next day with a splash of your favorite hot sauce.

Broccoli and Rice Casseroles Recipe

Whether it’s for a special occasion or weeknight meal, this broccoli and rice casserole—complete with chicken and lots of cheese—is destined to impress. These mini casseroles are perfectly portioned and come together in 20 minutes, plus they’re brimming with flavor.

Sheet Pan Paella Recipe

No paella pan? No problem. You can still make authentic-tasting paella with a sheet pan. This sheet pan paella is full of flavor, and with this method, all the components from the rice to the sausage and even the seafood turn out perfectly.

Creamy Rice with Scallops Recipe

This recipe is impressive enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight. Smoky, salty bacon tastes delicious with naturally sweet foods like corn and scallops. Here, we combined all three ingredients in this sophisticated risotto-like dish made with Arborio rice.

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice Recipe

The classic Creole dish, updated so you can make it in a quarter of the time thanks to the Instant Pot.

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup Recipe

Look for andouille near the smoked sausages in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Click here for the recipe. 

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

A little heavy cream adds body and richness to classic chicken and rice soup, and collard greens make it heartier and more nutritious. If you're looking for a tasty side, we recommend this Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Recipe that gets extra flavor from chives and whole-grain mustard.

Spiced Tilapia with Coconut Rice Recipe

Two pantry staples—black pepper and turmeric—team up to fight inflammation and add bold flavor to this fast-fix tilapia. Dressing up microwave rice with coconut milk is a smart kitchen hack you’ll turn to again and again.

Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Our basic gumbo recipe is a force to be reckoned with. This deliciously easy recipe tastes like it came straight out of the Big Easy.

Beef Crumble Fried Rice Recipe

This family favorite only takes half an hour to make. High heat and cornstarch make the beef extra crispy, and the soy sauce and red pepper add flavor to the dish. If you wanted to bulk the meal up a little bit, consider adding a vegetable like spinach.

Single Serving Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe

Cooking for one doesn’t have to be boring or a hassle. This easy and delicious dinner comes together in one pan and in less time than it takes to go through a drive-thru.  

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe

Jambalaya is a classic Creole dish that combines rice with a variety of other ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, peppers and some type of meat or shellfish.  This easy one-dish meals features both smoked sausage and shredded rotisserie chicken.

Easy Oven Rice Recipe

For anyone who’s ever struggled with cooking rice on the stovetop (and no, it’s not just you…), this easy oven rice recipe is for you. Say hello to your new foolproof method for perfect, fluffy rice—every time. The only real “tricks” to nailing this baked rice recipe are avoiding over-stirring and fighting the urge to “peek” while the rice is cooking. 

Combination Fried Rice Recipe

Use a mix of whatever meat you have on hand in this combination fried rice. Spicy chili-garlic sauce adds a kick and, once opened, it keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Arancini (Cheesy Italian Rice Balls) Recipe

For perfectly fried, mozzarella Arancini, dip a rice ball into flour and shake off any excess. Dip floured ball into egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finish by coating completely in breadcrumbs. Repeat.

Perfect 3-Step Rice Recipe

You never knew "plain" rice could taste this good. Create the perfect pot of fluffy, well-seasoned rice every time with this foolproof method. 

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

If there's a more satisfying meal to make for cool weather, we haven't found it. Gumbo is a stay-inside-and-cook-all-day kind of dish that warms you inside and out. While Louisianans have firm ideas about what goes into a proper gumbo, there are infinite variations.

Instant Pot Rice Recipe

This easy Instant Pot Rice recipe yields the perfect pot of fluffy white rice—i.e. the ideal blank dinner canvas. To amp the flavor up a bit, upgrade your pot to Instant Pot Coconut Rice, Instant Pot Green Rice, or Instant Pot Saffron Rice. 

Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice Recipe

This dirty rice gets its flavoring from chicken sausage, paprika, cayenne pepper, and even a poblano chile. Just add a serving of hot cornbread.

Breakfast Fried Rice Recipe

A microwave might heat rice quickly, but it doesn’t add any flavor. Devote a few extra minutes to making breakfast fried rice in the morning, and last night’s leftovers will be totally transformed. If dishwashing seems like too much of a chore that early in the day, we’ve got great news for you.

Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup Recipe

If you’re looking for gumbo-flavor without the daylong cook time, check out this recipe that utilizes leftover Thanksgiving turkey. No leftover turkey on hand? No worries, just buy a turkey breast and bake or pick up a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store for a simple swap.

Pineapple Fried Rice with Spam, Shrimp, and Cashews Recipe

This vibrant dish is as easy to make as it is gorgeous. We love the effortless way the recipe combines elegant ingredients with pantry staples.

Smoked Chicken, Squash, and Rice Soup Recipe

Smoked chicken, which you can pick up from your favorite barbecue restaurant, gives this soup a nice depth of flavor. Lime juice, avocado, and cilantro add a Latin accent.

Red Beans and Rice with Fried Eggs Recipe

Red beans and rice is a tried and true standby for good reason—at it’s simplest, the dish is hearty, tasty, comes together fast, and can be whipped up with ease, even during those hectic weeks you can’t seem to make it the grocery store.

Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe

You will never order take out again once you discover how fast it is to whip up this tasty, one-pan Shrimp Fried Rice. This delicious take on everyone’s favorite fried rice, ready in just 15 short minutes, is the perfect dish for a late summer meal.

Taco Rice Recipe

It may sound odd, but this Tex-Mex style dish actually hails from Japan. It’s origins are from Okinawa, specifically, where it was made popular due to the high US military population who were stationed there in the 1960’s. Today, you’ll find it at casual family restaurants and fast food spots all over Tokyo.

Turkey and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

This gumbo is a great use for leftover roasted turkey, though cooked chicken will also work. We skip the long-stirred roux here in favor of filé powder, a thickener made from the sassafras plant; look for it on the spice aisle. For the best results, stir in the filé powder off the heat.

Zucchini Rice Gratin Recipe

Inspired by Julia Child's classic recipe for Tian de Courgettes au Riz (zucchini gratin), my version is comforting yet fresh and clean--it's not overloaded with heavy cream or cheese.

Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe

This super simple Instant Pot rice pudding is creamy, rich, comforting, and has just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. The recipe is pretty much hands off, but thanks to your pressure cooker nobody will be able to tell you hardly put in any effort. It’s perfect for a cold winter night, but it would also make a wonderful breakfast since it’s not overly sweet.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Pesto Rice Recipe

Hull the tomatoes as gently as possible. If you break the skin, they will over-soften while baking and could fall apart.

Fried Rice with Everything Bagel Seasoning Recipe

This quick-cooking dish brings together the wildly popular seasoning on an "everything bagel"--plus the classic bagel toppings of smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, and capers--with Asian fried rice, to delicious effect (we love it for breakfast). For the best, tender-chewy fried-rice texture, use day-old cooked rice, straight from the refrigerator.

Sheet Pan Fried Rice Recipe

Top fried rice with rich, runny egg yolk and creamy Sriracha mayo for added texture and flavor. You don't need a wok for perfectly cooked fried rice, simply preheat a sheet pan, add oil, and use day-old or microwavable rice. Make sure the rice kernels are separate so that they are evenly toasted and won't glob together.

Creamy Corn-Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Infused with a rich corn broth, this corn- and mushroom-studded risotto is a stellar way to celebrate the last of the season’s harvest. The pureed corn broth adds a subtle sweet creaminess that builds as the risotto cooks. Feel free to sub in your favorite mushrooms; steer clear of large portobellos—their dark gills will discolor the finished dish.

Duck Confit Dirty Rice Recipe

Go next-generation with this Acadian classic by getting “dirty” with shards of prepared duck confit in place of sausage or ground meat.

White Cheddar and Bacon Risotto Recipe

With a flavor reminiscent of loaded potatoes, kids are bound to love this risotto. Frozen peas cook in just two minutes and add a sweet, fresh pop to the dish.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding Recipe

Thanksgiving in Korea, called Chusok, celebrates the new rice harvest, and dessert is always made from the new crop. Here's a tribute to an old tradition.

Gohan (Cooked Rice) Recipe

If your kitchen isn't equipped with a rice cooker, add it to your must-have list. If you like rice, a rice cooker makes it much easier, and also comes in handy with this dish in order to cook the rice to absolute perfection. If you don't have a rice cooker, use a large pot instead. 

Shrimp Malacca with Rice Recipe

I found this recipe by Maurice Moore-Betty in a late-1970s issue of House & Garden while I was still in college, and I've been making it ever since. Moore-Betty was an Irish-born author, cooking teacher, and all-around lovely man who advised many a prominent Manhattan hostess.

Rice Pudding Brûlée Recipe

Do you love rice pudding? Do you love crème brulee? This just might be your new favorite dessert.

Simple Whole Chicken with Roasted Broccoli-Mushroom Rice Recipe

Each member of the family can enjoy his or her favorite piece of the bird with this recipe.

Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl Recipe

Spice up dinner with a Tex-Mex classic at home with this easy, warming Southwest chicken recipe, served on a bowl of flavorful rice and topped with a sprig of cilantro. Lime juice gives it a summery zest while cayenne and jalapeño pepper add a nice kick. Perfect for pairing with margaritas.

Jambalaya Recipe

Build deep flavors by sautéing the aromatic trinity of onion, celery, and pepper in the andouille drippings with herbs, garlic, and spices.

Creole Seafood Jambalaya Recipe

"My family has been making a version of this dish for generations."--chef John Besh

Jambalaya de Covington Recipe

This recipe (which is made with smoked turkey, ham, and sausage) comes from Covington, Louisiana, the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, north of Lake Pontchartrain. This recipe from a Louisiana kitchen is made with a caramel-colored roux. When preparing it, stir the oil-and-flour mixture constantly as it cooks and do not let it over-brown.

Instant Pot Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Looking for a vegan dish that doesn’t taste like it’s missing anything? We’ve got it right here. This Instant Pot vegan risotto is creamy and perfectly cooked with a slight “bite” to it. The lemon is subtle yet bright, and the mushrooms and stock add a great savory flavor.

Sushi Burrito Recipe

Sushi burritos were created in 2008 by Peter Yen, founder of the Bay Area's popular Sushirrito, as a way to combine two of his favorite foods: sushi and burritos. You'll need a bamboo sushi-rolling mat, which you can find at kitchenware stores, Asian grocery stores, or online.

Basic Risotto Recipe

There’s a reason so many restaurants put risotto on their menus: It’s not a dish most people attempt to cook at home. Risotto has a reputation for being fussy—and that’s not totally untrue. The dish requires a little attention and stirring, but at its core, it’s really just rice and broth.