12 Tasty Brown Rice Recipes

First up in our brown rice recipes...how to brown rice the fast way! Ever wanted to cook brown rice, until you saw the 1 hour cook time? Who has 1 hour to cook rice on a weeknight? But we’ve found the “fast way” to cook brown rice. It’s not instant, but it cuts down the time investment for sure. In just 35 minutes, you’ve got a big pot of nutritious brown rice that cooks perfectly every time!

Also try: Instant Pot Brown Rice

Here’s one to file under dinnertime basics: this Easy Rice Bowl! This tasty dinner features these easy black beans, a trick to make a bland can of beans taste amazing in 5 minutes. Pair it with brown rice and colorful veggies. The kicker? A zingy cilantro lime ranch that you’ll want to bathe in. These bowls were so tasty and easy, we knew we had to share (we simply inhaled them).

Tip: For a fast meal, make the brown rice in advance using the method above.

This tangy brown rice salad is a tasty side dish or lunch salad that saves well and is great to make ahead! It combines long-grain white or brown rice with black beans in a protein-packed side dish. The rice is seasoned with cumin, garlic, and cider vinegar, then mixed with bell peppers, green onions and rice. It's plant based, vegan and gluten free, so it works for a variety of diets!

This vegetarian red beans and brown rice recipe is a flavor-packed, budget-friendly meal with ingredients that are accessible in most supermarkets! Zesty and nutrient-dense, it’s full of red beans, legumes, and Cajun spices. It's a fan favorite recipe that always gets rave reviews!

Here's a fantastic brown rice recipe: dress up leftovers as fried rice! There’s something about the chewy clumps of eggs and the savory ginger and soy-infused bites that feels positively life giving. Usually we make fried rice on the fly without a recipe. But after years of tinkering, we wanted to share our master method. It tastes just like takeout from your favorite restaurant!

Also try: Shrimp Fried Rice

Got a pressure cooker? This brown rice recipe for the Instant Pot is deliciously savory seasoned, and it tastes 100 times better than you'd imagine from these humble ingredients. French lentils and brown rice cook perfectly together, and the brown rice cooked much faster than on the stovetop! The finished dish is incredibly versatile: use it for a lunch salad, taco filling, bowl meal, nachos, or as a side dish.

Here's another fantastic brown rice recipe: black beans and rice! Here long-grain brown rice is jumbled with black beans and green bell pepper, and seasoned with cumin, lime and cilantro. It’s the a great side to serve with tacos or any Latin-style meal, or as a lunch idea (it saves well for eating throughout the week). 

Here's an unexpected rice recipe that will amaze you (we promise). This vegetarian meatloaf has been gaining fans for years and years. Our families beg us to make it, and we've heard countless people say: "Wait, there's no meat in this?" The texture and flavor are strikingly similar to meat: and it's so satisfying! Whole grain brown rice does the trick with a few other secret ingredients.

This Hawaiian bowl of seasoned raw fish, brown rice and crunchy veggies has caught on here on the mainland, and everybody’s doing it! Because poke is that good. And guess what? You can easily make poke in the comfort of your own home: it’s perfect for a weeknight meal, or even better for a showy meal for entertaining.

Also try: Ahi Poke or Vegan Poke Bowl

Here's a fantastic brown rice recipe for fall: stuffed acorn squash! You know that scent of onions, celery and leeks cooking in butter? Well, this recipe delivers it in spades. Squash is roasted until tender, then it’s draped in a toasted pecan rice stuffing that makes your kitchen smell like paradise! Everyone we’ve served it to becomes a believer…and then immediately asks for the recipe.

Want the magic in the flavor of sushi without the prep? Try this healthy sushi bowl! It's filled with the flavors of sushi roll, with brown rice, a tangy soy ginger vinaigrette, crunchy veggies, and even a nori paper garnish to taste remarkably like the real thing. It makes for a tasty fast and easy dinner!

Last up in our brown rice recipes: cauliflower curry! Everybody loves this cauliflower coconut curry recipe. It's ready in just over 30 minutes, featuring sweet potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, and chickpeas. Add to that a sauce of coconut milk spiced with curry powder and garam masala to make your entire kitchen smells amazing. Serve with brown rice for a complete meal.