17 Best Rice Side Dishes (Easy Rice Sides Recipes for Pork, Chicken, Fish & More)
on Sep 08, 2021, Updated Nov 19, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
As a side dish, rice can be the perfect finishing touch for almost any meal. This versatile carb can be seasoned, spiced, and combined with other ingredients for exciting and interesting meals. Get inspired with these 17 delicious and easy Rice Side Dishes for pork, chicken, fish, and more!
What Can You Add to Rice to Give It Flavor?
If you’re looking to switch things up from plain white rice, there are so many ways to do it! Fresh or dried herbs add an instant boost of flavor, as does cooking your rice in a broth instead of water. Fried rice is an excellent way to add flavor to rice with add-ins like soy sauce, veggies, and eggs.
Easy Rice Side Dishes for Fish & Salmon
Steamed White Rice
Fluffy, steamed white rice is a basic dish that anyone can make. This easy side dish can even be prepared in the microwave.
Lemon Rice
Inspired by South Indian cuisine, lemon rice is a tangy and flavorful addition to any meal.
Coconut Rice
Jasmine Thai rice is cooked in rich coconut milk for the perfect complement to your midweek curry.
Risotto
With risotto, Italians swap pasta for rice. Enjoy this creamy, cheesy dinner with vegan-friendly ingredients like mushrooms and nutritional yeast.
Rice Side Dish Recipes for Chicken
Vegetable Fried Rice
Get a healthy serving of veggies with this flavorful fried rice. This is an easy and affordable side dish for chicken dinners.
Garlic Butter Rice
This versatile rice dish is flavorful, fluffy and super easy to make. Pair with honey garlic chicken and veggies for your weekly meal prep.
Parmesan Rice
Up the ante by cooking your rice in a garlic and wine broth for incredible flavor. Sprinkle fresh parmesan over cooked rice and serve with chicken.
Baked Rice
No rice cooker? No problem. Use your oven to cook fluffy white or brown rice. You can even bake chicken and rice at the same time to make meal preparation a breeze.
Spanish Rice
This versatile rice dish is spiced with cumin and chili powder and seasoned with fresh garlic. Who says rice has to be boring?
Best Rice Sides for Pork
Benihana Fried Rice
This fried rice is famous for a reason! Recreate Behinana’s classic fried rice with this simple recipe.
Perfect Basmati Rice
Fragrant basmati rice is steamed to fluffy perfection with this foolproof recipe.
Yellow Jasmine Rice
Spice up your jasmine rice with turmeric, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. Serve with spicy pork vindaloo for an Indian-inspired dinner.
Healthy Rice Side Dish Recipes
Cauliflower Rice
For those on a low-carb or keto diet, cauliflower rice is the way to go. You won’t believe how much this tastes like real rice!
Saffron Rice
Fragrant and colorful, saffron rice is a healthy side dish for any curry. Best of all, it’s ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, using the stovetop, rice cooker or microwave.
Brown Rice with Mushrooms
Swap white rice for brown and you’ll have a healthy and filling side dish that’s full of fibre.
Wild Rice Pilaf
You’ll love this savory wild rice with carrots, celery and mushrooms. Sneak some extra veggies into your meals with this healthy recipe.
Pulao Rice
Enjoy this flavorful rice and veggie dish on its own or paired with a protein of your choice. Be sure to use authentic spices for the best flavor.
Rice Side Dishes: Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic butter, or butter
- 4 cups cooked white rice, chilled
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the egg and cook until scrambled. Transfer the egg to a separate plate and set aside
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add carrots, onions, salt, and pepper.
- Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Immediately add green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until combined.
- Add cooked rice and garlic butter. Continue sautéing for a few minutes.
- Add in the cooked eggs and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Taste and season with more salt if preferred. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Great recipe! I’ve done a lot of fried rice dishes before, most of them complicated. None are better! Thank you so much for sharing.