Looking for easy rice recipes? Want to know how to use up the rice in your storecupboard? Try our ideas here, then check out our fried rice recipes.

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If you have a bag of basmati rice, make our spring veg pilaf, Mexican rice or classic egg fried rice. Cooked a paella and have some paella rice left over? Check out our Spanish-style chicken and chorizo rice. Looking for other ways to use risotto rice? Try our arancini balls.


Easy rice recipes

Nasi goreng ayam

This chicken fried rice is a classic Indonesian dish, with heat coming from galangal and white pepper, and a touch of sweetness from the kecap manis. It's a great rice-based meal with plenty of flavour and texture.

Indonesian nasi goreng on three plates

Crispy rice squares with sushi-style topping

Transform sushi rice into these party-friendly squares, the perfect base for an avocado, sriracha and pickled ginger topping.

Rice squares topped with sushi on top on a black plate with chopsticks on the side

Pilau rice

Ground turmeric gives rice a lovely golden yellow colour – serve this pilau rice alongside a range of Indian-style curries.

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A bowl of yellow pilau rice with bay leaves and a cinnamon stick

Lamb biryani

Skip the takeaway and recreate this Indian classic at home. Tender, melt-in-the-mouth lamb takes the spotlight, accompanied by subtly spiced rice and saffron cream.

Plate of lamb biryani topped with pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves

Fragrant rice with ghee and whole spices (shada pulao)

The scent of onions caramelising is universally regarded as wonderful – in this case, it’s made even more so with ghee coating the rice with its nutty aroma.

A bowl of rice topped with crispy onions on a dinner table

Chicken fried rice

This simple rice dish is ideal for using up any left-over rice or chicken, plus it’s ready on the table in just 20 minutes.

a bowl of fried rice with chunks of chicken and peas topped with hot sauce and a pair of chopsticks

Egg fried rice with bacon

Our comforting recipe for egg and bacon fried rice is a quick and easy substitute for anyone craving a midweek Chinese takeaway. Did we mention it only takes 20 minutes to make?

Egg and Bacon Fried Rice

Hainan chicken rice

Make the condiments while the chicken cooks, and this recipe from Malaysian street food restaurant Med Salleh will be quicker than it first appears.

Decorated red plate topped with Hainan Malaysian chicken and rice dish with fresh cucumber slices

Ethiopian Dorho Sebhi

Combine cooked rice with chilli-spiked chicken and eggs to make this dorho sebhi – a dish originating from the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Large pot of chicken and eggs in a brown sauce

Mexican rice

This vegan Mexican rice has a great kick of spice. It can be eaten on its own or, if you want to add some protein, it’s good with beans, crumbled feta, cooked chicken or prawns stirred through.

Spicy Mexican rice

Pilaf rice with spring veg

Add plenty of colour to your midweek meals with this nourishing vegetarian one-pot, packed with plenty of greens and lots of aromatic spices.

Golden onion and spring veg pilaf

Perfect risotto

With a little bit of know-how (and some soothing, meditative stirring), a creamy, umami-rich risotto with perfectly cooked rice is guaranteed. Here’s how to master this comfort-food classic.

Seafood risotto in a bowl with spoon

Rice pudding with cardamom

Everyone loves creamy baked rice pudding and it makes a great easy sharing dessert to serve up for family after Sunday lunch. This version uses fragrant cardamom for a subtle spiced finish.

cardamom rice pudding

Portuguese seafood rice

A celebration of all things seafood, this colourful rice dish calls for plenty of paprika, garlic, mussels, king prawns and oregano. It's by Sabrina Ghayour and is inspired by her travels to Porto.

Portuguese seafood rice

Cheat’s chicken pilaf traybake

Add a bit of spice to your basmati rice with cinnamon, cumin and turmeric for an easy midweek dinner.

Easy Chicken and Rice Pilaf Recipe

Preserved lemon, spinach and cherry tomato pilaf

Packed with subtle perfume flavours and zesty preserved lemons, this vegan pilaf is a hearty all-in-one midweek meal for the family to enjoy.

Spinach Rice Pilaf Recipe with Tomatoes and Lemon

Thai crab fried rice with prik nam pla

Spice up your rice with crab, broccoli and prik nam pla - a punchy Thai dipping sauce. Discover more of our best crab recipes here.

Thai Fried Rice Recipe with Crab and Prik Nam Pla

Spiced green bean and tomato rice

Sabrina Ghayour takes a classic Persian recipe, loobia polow (rice cooked with green beans and meat), and made it veggie for a showstopping meat-free main. Check out more of our impressive veggie mains.

Vegetarian Rice and Beans Recipe with (Loobia Polow)

Baked chorizo and squash rice with manchego crust

Make this low-calorie baked rice dish with crispy manchego crust and butternut squash for a filling midweek meal ready in 50 minutes. Check out more of our low-calorie recipes here.

Baked Squash Recipe with Chorizo

Tofu fried rice

Check out our vegan fried rice with smoked tofu. Make this quick and easy recipe for a low-calorie midweek meal for two.

Vegan Fried Rice Recipe with Tofu

Spicy fried breakfast rice

Check out our simple rice dish with spicy red chillis, salty-sweet bacon jam and soft boiled eggs. This low-calorie breakfast recipe is quick, easy and ready in 20 minutes.

Breakfast Fried Rice

Buttery leek and smoked trout kedgeree

Our super simple kedgeree recipe is made with buttery leeks and smoked trout. This flavoursome dish is ready in just 30 minutes, an easy midweek meal for two.

Smoked Trout Kedgeree with Leeks on a grey oval plate served with boiled eggs sliced into quarters

Warm red rice, herb and salmon salad

Try this nutritious, spice-packed rice salad for a midweek meal. Red rice is thought to be healthier and more nutritious than even brown rice, so this is a great, healthy option.

Warm Salad Recipe with Red Rice and Salmon

Supplì al telefono

Supplì are Italian snacks made from a ball of rice, egg and tomatoes - typical of the Roman diet. Here we suggest using leftover cooked risotto to make these gooey, cheesy bites.


olive's paella

A spectacular crowd-pleasing dish, our paella uses chicken, chorizo, pancetta and seafood to pack-in tonnes of flavour. Serve from a huge paella pan for extra impact.


Spinach and risotto-stuffed tomatoes

A simple vegetarian main (as long as you can find a veggie alternative to Parmesan), made from leftover risotto, pine nuts and lots of spinach. Great served with mash and greens.


Lebanese rice and lentils with caramelised onions

This recipe for Lebanese rice and lentils with caramelised onions is a storecupboard winner and is ready in just 40 minutes, making it a perfect option for an easy midweek meal.

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Baked Spanish rice with chicken and chorizo

A spicy Spanish one pot. Made with chicken and chorizo and plenty of hot smoked paprika, this is a gutsy rice dish that is sure to impress friends and family.

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