20 Budget Friendly Rice Dishes

You can easily create filling budget friendly rice meals to enjoy with some simple ingredients. This collection features dishes for lunch, dinner, and even meal prep.

Rice is still one of the more budget friendly foods. With the cost of meat and other foods getting more and more expensive, sticking with rice is still a great option. A little meat for protein is always an option though, especially when you can catch it on sale.

Plus, rice is versatile giving you plenty of ways to spruce it up and get creative to make filling budget friendly rice meals.

Sausage Rice Casserole

Made with rice, ground sausage, aromatic spices, and Lipton Noodle Soup, this casserole is a filling morning meal to enjoy.

It makes enough to feed the family when you're working with a budget.

Get the Recipe: Sausage Rice Casserole

Garlic Beef Bowl Over Rice

Inspired by Asian flavors, this garlic beef bowl over rice comes together quickly. The main star ingredients include ground beef, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic.

Get the Recipe: Garlic Beef Bowl Over Rice

Greek Lemon Rice

Close-up of cooked rice garnished with finely chopped herbs and lemon zest, with several fresh lemon slices along the bottom edge—an inviting example of budget friendly rice meals thats both vibrant and satisfying. — Greek Lemon Rice. Photo Credit: Gypsy Plate

With Greek and lemon flavors, this rice is a budget friendly dish you can enjoy as a side with chicken or other meats or makes for a quick lunch.

Get the Recipe: Greek Lemon Rice

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

A bowl of cheesy casserole, perfect for budget friendly rice meals, topped with melted cheddar and parsley sits beside slices of bread on a rustic wooden table. A fork rests on the bowl. — Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole. Photo Credit: The Cookin' Chicks

The famous cheesy chicken and rice casserole is a filling dinner idea to make for the family. This recipe doesn't use many ingredients to make the delicious main dish.

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

French Onion Rice

A bowl filled with cooked, seasoned rice that appears brown and slightly glossy, suggesting it’s a Budget Friendly Rice Meal mixed with soy sauce or seasonings. The green background is softly out of focus. — French Onion Rice. Photo Credit: The Cookin' Chicks

Using rice and pantry staples, it's possible to create a filling budget friendly rice meal. You can also serve this as a side dish to your meaty mains.

Get the Recipe: French Onion Rice

Griddle Ham Fried Rice

A white bowl filled with Budget Friendly Rice Meals like fried rice mixed with scrambled eggs, diced ham, peas, and carrots, placed on an outdoor table. — Griddle Ham Fried Rice. Photo Credit: Learning to Smoke

Tender ham, rice, and veggies, this budget friendly rice meal is easy to make for the family. It'll be a fun and filling dinner, meal prep, or lunch idea.

Get the Recipe: Griddle Ham Fried Rice

Rice Salad with Tuna

A close-up of a fork holding a bite of Budget Friendly Rice Meals salad with vegetables, including carrots and greens, above a bowl filled with more salad. A lemon and a red checkered cloth are in the background. — Rice Salad with Tuna. Photo Credit: The Honour System

Skip the boring dinners and add this rice salad with tuna to your budget friendly rice meals. It's quick meal that comes together easily.

Get the Recipe: Rice Salad with Tuna

Egg Roll Bowls

A blue bowl filled with cooked rice topped with ground meat, shredded carrots, cabbage, purple cabbage, and fresh herbs sits on a wooden table—perfect for those seeking delicious budget friendly rice meals. — Egg Roll Bowls. Photo Credit: Glenda Embree

Ready in just 25 minutes, this rice meal is like enjoying your favorite egg roll just without the crispy skin and grease.

Get the Recipe: Egg Roll Bowls

Vegan Crispy Rice Salad

A bowl of salad with cubes of tofu, quinoa, sliced cucumbers, edamame, fresh cilantro, and a creamy orange dressing, garnished with sesame seeds—perfect alongside budget friendly rice meals. Utensils and red pepper flakes are served nearby. — Vegan Crispy Rice Salad. Photo Credit: The All Natural Vegan

With the perfect amount of crispy tofu and rice, this salad is a healthy vegan dinner idea that you can make for lunch or dinner.

Get the Recipe: Vegan Crispy Rice Salad

French Onion Soup Rice

Rice, French onion soup, beef broth, and butter are all you need to make this easy and flavorful rice dish.

Get the Recipe: French Onion Soup Rice

Vegan Fried Rice

With just a few ingredients, these vegan fried rice is a budget friendly meal idea that you can enjoy on its own or with your favorite main dish.

Get the Recipe: Vegan Fried Rice

Rice-A-Roni Copycat

Make your own copycat version of the popular rice dish at home. It'll be a great family meal that you can add chicken to or veggies.

Get the Recipe: Rice-A-Roni Copycat

One Pot Rice With Pork And Veggies

Pork, veggies, rice, and some seasonings come together to create a meal that's budget friendly and easy to make for the family.

Get the Recipe: One Pot Rice With Pork And Veggies

Easy Potato Rice

Tender potatoes and rice are the star of this easy to make rice dish. It's budget friendly, easy to make, and full of flavor.

Get the Recipe: Easy Potato Rice

Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli Noodles

A budget friendly rice dish that's made with minimal ingredients and bold flavors, this Lebanese rice with vermicelli noodles is an easy dish to make for the family.

Get the Recipe: Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli Noodles

Easy Garlic Rice

An easy lunch or side that you can make for the family, this garlic rice is easy to make and comes together quickly.

Get the Recipe: Easy Garlic Rice

Rice A Roni Hamburger Casserole

Up your rice dinner game with this easy hamburger casserole. Loaded with flavor thanks to the combinatoin of rice, veggies, and cheese, it's a simple and satisfying meal idea.

Get the Recipe: Rice A Roni Hamburger Casserole

Chicken and Rice Soup

A hearty meal idea that's flavorful and satisfying, chicken and rice soup is a cozy meal that's easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.

Get the Recipe: Chicken and Rice Soup

Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice

Its easy to make the popular chicken fried rice at home. This version is baked giving you your favorite flavors for a filling dinner idea.

Get the Recipe: Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice

Cowboy Beef and Rice Skillet

Serve up a hearty meal for the family with this cowboy beef and rice skillet. The cheesy meaty dish is one that'll feed the family on a budget.

Get the Recipe: Cowboy Beef and Rice Skillet

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

The flavors of stuffed bell peppers come together to make this filling rice casserole dish. It's a meal that'll feed the family and is budget friendly.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

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