12 Dinners Built on a Bag of Rice
Twelve rice dinners — skillets and fried rice, bakes and casseroles, curries and stews — with cost per serving, protein, and cook time for each.
A five-pound bag of rice costs about $5 and covers roughly 50 servings — ten cents a plate before anything goes on top. That's the whole reason rice dinners stay cheap no matter what protein you pick: the base is nearly free, so the grocery bill is just the topping.
Anychef catalog data: 97 rice dinners in our library at a median $2.20 a serving, 43 of them under $2, at a median 35 minutes and 32g of protein. Grouped by how they're cooked.
Skillets and fried rice
1. Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Rice
40g protein520 cal$2.30/serving30 min
Tender beef strips with broccoli, peppers, and onions in a savory soy glaze, a quick weeknight meal that reheats beautifully.
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2. Chicken Taco Skillet with Black Beans
30g protein400 cal$1.80/serving18 min
One-pan dinner with seasoned shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and rice cooked together and finished with cheese and cilantro.
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3. Beef Taco Skillet
36g protein640 cal$2.40/serving35 min
Seasoned beef, rice, beans, and bubbling cheddar all in one skillet, taco night with only one pan to wash.
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4. Ham Fried Rice
22g protein450 cal$1.60/serving20 min
Day-old rice tossed in a screaming hot pan with ham, eggs, and peas, better than takeout and ready in 20 minutes.
View the full recipe →Bakes and casseroles
5. Turkey Stuffed Peppers
38g protein420 cal$2.40/serving50 min
Hollowed bell peppers filled with seasoned ground turkey and rice, baked until tender and topped with melted cheese.
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6. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
27g protein410 cal$1.90/serving90 min
Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around savory beef and rice, baked in sweet tangy tomato sauce like grandma made.
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7. Broccoli Rice Casserole
17g protein460 cal$1.20/serving50 min
The potluck favorite of tender rice and broccoli baked in a from-scratch cheddar sauce until golden and bubbling.
View the full recipe →Curries, stews, and everything else
8. Cheesy Chicken and Rice
40g protein560 cal$2.00/serving40 min
One skillet of tender chicken, fluffy rice, and gooey melted cheddar, the cozy weeknight dinner nobody complains about.
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9. Chicken Adobo
34g protein480 cal$1.80/serving50 min
Chicken thighs braised in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic until glossy and tangy, a beloved one-pot dinner over steamed rice.
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10. Bacon Cheeseburger Rice
46g protein620 cal$2.80/serving28 min
All the flavors of a classic cheeseburger combined in a seasoned rice bowl with beef, bacon, cheese, and pickles.
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11. Porcupine Meatballs
29g protein430 cal$1.80/serving55 min
Old-fashioned beef and rice meatballs simmered in tomato sauce until the rice pokes out, a retro family favorite.
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12. Red Beans and Rice
24g protein520 cal$1.50/serving50 min
Smoky sausage and kidney beans simmered low with peppers and spice, the Louisiana Monday tradition ladled over fluffy rice.
View the full recipe →Keep going
Every recipe above comes from the Anychef library of 1,700+ recipes, each with cost per serving and full macros — browse every rice recipe and the budget collection. Or skip the browsing entirely: scan your fridge with the Anychef app and get recipes built from what you already have, macros and grocery list included.
