Nikole Stewart
Rice bowls are a versatile and delicious meal to have at any time. Whether you need a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon or want a hearty dinner, these cheap rice bowl ideas are incredibly simple to make. With just a few ingredients and fifteen minutes of downtime, you can whip something up fast that’s nutritious. Check out our favorite bowl ideas.
6. California Sushi Bowl
Sometimes you’re just craving sushi, but buying it isn’t an option, nor is making it. But that’s okay because you can easily make this sushi bowl at home in a matter of minutes, plus it’s affordable. Use microwavable rice or some rice in your rice cooker while you prepare the rest. All you need is imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo, and sesame seeds. Cut the cucumber, crab, and avocado into small chunks, add them on top of your rice, and drizzle spicy mayo at the end.
5. Chickpea Curry Bowl
With instant rice, canned chickpeas, and tomatoes, you can make a delicious, hearty bowl that comes together in a matter of minutes. All you need is to grab a pan, saute minced garlic and grated ginger, and bloom your seasonings, including turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and chili powder. Pour in your diced tomatoes and rinsed chickpeas. Once simmering, just let it sit for about ten minutes to thicken up. Pour in some coconut milk, then stir for a silky texture, letting it sit for two minutes. Serve over rice and top with fresh lime juice and cilantro.
4. Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Stir-fries are incredibly easy, only taking about 8 to 10 minutes, and all you need is a pan with your favorite protein, sauce, and vegetables. For this one, just cut up chicken into small chunks and cook it in a pan. Once cooked, throw in some frozen vegetables along with your favorite sauce and let them cook. Simply serve it along with a bowl of rice, and you have one of the best cheap rice bowl ideas.
3. Poke Bowl
What about something fresh and flavorful? One of the best cheap rice bowl ideas is a poke bowl. Poke bowls roughly translate to “diced fish salad” and are full of colorful ingredients. You can easily grab a small salmon or tuna filet for cheap and dice it up, along with fresh ingredients like cucumbers, carrots, edamame, radishes, and cabbage. Whatever you’re craving. Assemble on rice and top with spicy mayo or sriracha.
2. Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowl
If you want a hearty protein that’s really affordable, then grab tofu. For this dish, just cut up your tofu into chunks, then grab broccoli and chopped red pepper. Fry your tofu in a pan until crispy, and saute the vegetables. From there, make a delicious peanut sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, honey, fresh ginger, garlic, and water. Toss your tofu in the sauce and serve it with the vegetables over rice.
1. Homemade Chipotle Bowl
There’s nothing like grabbing Chipotle on the way home. But if you want something cheaper, make it at home. This is easily one of the best cheap rice bowl ideas. Start with cooking your rice as you work on the rest of the ingredients, then chop your chicken. Let your chicken cook on the stove while you assemble your bowl. Add a layer of rice, top with lettuce and diced tomatoes. Add your cooked chicken, then top with cheese, sour cream, and avocado.