Top 100 Rice Dishes
Explore how rice feeds half the planet — from Spanish paella to Japanese sushi, Indian biryani to Chinese fried rice.
Ranked 100 of the world's greatest rice dishes
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng
Indonesia's national fried rice — smoky, savory, and colored deep with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), topped with a fried egg and shrimp crackers.
Paella
Paella Valenciana
Spain's iconic saffron rice — a wide, shallow pan of short-grain rice cooked in saffron-infused broth with seafood, chicken, or rabbit. The socarrat (crispy bottom) is the prize.
Biryani
बिरयानी
India's royal rice dish — fragrant basmati rice layered with spiced meat, saffron, and fried onions, sealed and slow-cooked. Hyderabadi biryani is the undisputed king.
Sushi Rice Bowl
ちらし寿司
Japanese scattered sushi — vinegared rice served in a bowl topped with assorted sashimi, tamago, shrimp, and vegetables. An art form of color and flavor.
Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice
West Africa's most famous rice — tomato-stewed rice cooked until every grain absorbs the smoky, peppery red sauce. Nigeria vs Ghana rivalry is the fiercest food debate in Africa.
Risotto
Risotto alla Milanese
Italy's creamy rice masterpiece — Arborio or Carnaroli rice slowly stirred with hot broth until each grain releases starch into a velvety, golden saffron cream.
Arroz con Pollo
Arroz con Pollo
Latin American chicken rice — chicken braised in a sofrito-tomato sauce with rice, beer, and olives. Every Latin American country claims the best version.
Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak
Malaysia's national dish — fragrant coconut rice served with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and hard-boiled egg. Eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Jambalaya
Jambalaya
Louisiana's one-pot rice masterpiece — rice cooked with andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, and the Holy Trinity in a tomato (Creole) or tomato-free (Cajun) style.
Arroz de Pato
Arroz de Pato
Portuguese duck rice — shredded duck meat mixed with rice, chouriço, and then baked until the top forms a gorgeous golden crust. Portugal at its finest.
Bibimbap
비빔밥
Korean mixed rice bowl — steamed rice topped with sautéed vegetables, chili paste, a fried egg, and your choice of meat. Mix vigorously before eating.
Arroz Negro
Arroz Negro
Spanish squid ink rice — rice and seafood cooked with squid ink creating a dramatic jet-black dish with intense ocean flavor. Valencia's dramatic alternative to paella.
Fried Rice
炒饭
Chinese egg fried rice — the world's most eaten rice dish. Day-old rice tossed in a scorching wok with eggs, scallions, and soy sauce. Yangzhou style is the gold standard.
Tahdig
تهدیگ
Persian crispy bottom rice — the crown jewel of Persian cooking. Perfectly steamed saffron rice with a golden, crunchy crust that everyone fights over at the table.
Thieboudienne
Thiéboudienne
Senegal's national dish — fish and rice cooked in a rich tomato sauce with vegetables. Often called the origin of jollof rice. A UNESCO intangible heritage.
Khao Pad
ข้าวผัด
Thai fried rice — jasmine rice wok-fried with egg, onion, and your choice of protein, seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Thailand's everyday meal.
Plov
Плов
Uzbek pilaf — the king of Central Asian rice. Meat, carrots, and rice cooked together in a massive kazan (cauldron) with cumin and garlic. Every celebration's centerpiece.
Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto
Central American rice and beans — 'spotted rooster' of rice and black beans fried together, seasoned with Salsa Lizano. Costa Rica's breakfast identity.
Onigiri
おにぎり
Japanese rice balls — triangular pressed rice filled with umeboshi (pickled plum), salmon, or tuna mayo, wrapped in crispy nori. Japan's ultimate grab-and-go food.
Mujaddara
مجدرة
Middle Eastern lentil rice — rice and green or brown lentils topped with mountains of crispy fried onions. A humble dish elevated by perfect caramelized alliums.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
海南鸡饭
Singapore's national dish — poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken fat and broth, served with chili sauce, ginger paste, and dark soy. Hawker food perfection.
Kabsa
كبسة
Saudi Arabia's national dish — spiced basmati rice with chicken or lamb, cooked with a blend of warming spices, tomatoes, and raisins. The heart of Arabian hospitality.
Nasi Kuning
Nasi Kuning
Indonesian turmeric yellow rice — festive cone-shaped rice colored with turmeric and coconut milk, served with assorted side dishes. A symbol of gratitude and celebration.
Arroz con Gandules
Arroz con Gandules
Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas — Puerto Rico's national dish. Seasoned with sofrito, sazón, and olives. Present at every Puerto Rican holiday and celebration.
Dolma
Dolma
Turkish stuffed grape leaves — vine leaves wrapped around spiced rice with pine nuts, currants, and herbs. Served cold as a meze or hot with meat filling.
Gyudon
牛丼
Japanese beef bowl — thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a sweet soy-mirin sauce, served over steamed rice. Japan's most popular fast food rice bowl.
Mansaf
منسف
Jordan's national dish — lamb cooked in fermented dried yogurt (jameed) sauce, served over rice and flatbread. The ultimate expression of Jordanian hospitality.
Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar
Penang Indian-Muslim rice — plain rice flooded with multiple curry gravies and paired with curried meats, fish, and vegetables. Penang's unofficial food religion.
Arroz Caldo
Arroz Caldo
Filipino rice porridge — ginger-infused chicken rice congee topped with fried garlic, scallions, and calamansi. The Philippines' ultimate comfort food.
Koshari
كشري
Egypt's national dish — rice, macaroni, lentils, and chickpeas topped with spiced tomato sauce, crispy fried onions, and garlic vinegar. Cairo's beloved street food.
Kedgeree
Kedgeree
Anglo-Indian breakfast rice — smoked haddock, rice, boiled eggs, and curry powder. A British colonial-era dish born from Indian khichdi, now a breakfast classic.
Bento Rice
弁当
Japanese bento box rice — perfectly steamed rice as the foundation of Japan's beautiful packed meals, paired with tamagoyaki, pickles, and seasonal sides.
Wali wa Nazi
Wali wa Nazi
Tanzanian coconut rice — Swahili coast rice cooked in rich coconut milk with cardamom. The essential side dish of East African coastal cuisine.
Claypot Rice
煲仔饭
Cantonese claypot rice — rice cooked directly in a clay pot with Chinese sausage, cured meats, and soy sauce until a prized crispy rice crust forms on the bottom.
Locro
Locro
Argentine corn and rice stew — thick, hearty stew of white corn, squash, beans, and meat. Argentina's national day (May 25) food.
Congee
粥
Chinese rice porridge — rice simmered until it breaks down into a silky, comforting gruel. Topped with century egg, pork floss, scallions, or fish. Asia's ultimate comfort food.
Arancini
Arancini
Sicilian fried rice balls — leftover risotto shaped into balls, stuffed with ragù and mozzarella, breaded and deep-fried until golden. Sicily's most beloved street food.
Maqluba
مقلوبة
Palestinian 'upside-down' rice — layers of fried eggplant, chicken, and spiced rice, cooked in one pot and flipped upside-down revealing beautiful layers.
Nasi Briyani
Nasi Briyani
Malaysian-Indian biryani — fragrant rice with chicken or mutton, Malaysian-style with local spice variations. Indian roots with Southeast Asian influence.
Arroz con Frijoles
Arroz con Frijoles
Mexican rice and beans — fluffy tomato-seasoned rice paired with creamy refried or pot beans. The foundation of every Mexican meal.
Nasi Uduk
Nasi Uduk
Betawi coconut rice — Jakarta's version of fragrant coconut rice, lighter than nasi lemak, served with fried chicken, omelette, tempeh, and sambal.
Cơm Tấm
Cơm Tấm
Vietnamese broken rice — broken jasmine rice grains with a grilled pork chop, fried egg, and pickled vegetables. Saigon's most iconic everyday meal.
Djaj Mahshi
دجاج محشي
Lebanese stuffed chicken with rice — whole chicken stuffed with spiced rice, ground lamb, and pine nuts, roasted until golden. Arab feast centerpiece.
Uppma
உப்புமா
South Indian semolina breakfast — savory steamed semolina with vegetables, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and cashews. South India's daily morning comfort.
Binalot
Binalot
Filipino banana leaf wrapped rice — steamed rice with adobo, fried fish, or other dishes wrapped in banana leaf, giving it a distinctive green, earthy aroma.
Waakye
Waakye
Ghanaian rice and beans — rice and cowpeas cooked together with sorghum leaves giving a distinctive purplish-red color. Accra's beloved breakfast and lunch.
Katsu Curry Rice
カツカレー
Japanese breaded pork cutlet with curry rice — crispy tonkatsu served over rice with thick, sweet Japanese curry sauce. Japan's favorite comfort food fusion.
Moros y Cristianos
Moros y Cristianos
Cuban black beans and rice — black beans cooked and mixed directly into white rice, creating a flavorful, seasoned rice-bean combination. Cuba's daily staple.
Basmati Pulao
पुलाव
Indian aromatic pilaf — Basmati rice cooked with whole spices (bay, cardamom, cinnamon) and ghee. More subtle than biryani but equally aromatic.
Donburi
丼
Japanese rice bowl genre — steamed rice topped with various proteins: katsudon (pork), oyakodon (chicken, egg), tendon (tempura), or unadon (eel). Quick, satisfying meals.
Arroz Chaufa
Arroz Chaufa
Peruvian-Chinese fried rice — Chinese-Peruvian fusion fried rice with soy sauce, ginger, scallions, and char siu. Born from Chinese immigration to Peru (Chifa cuisine).
Arroz con Leche
Arroz con Leche
Spanish rice pudding — rice slowly simmered in milk with cinnamon and lemon peel until creamy and thick. A Spanish abuela's love in a bowl.
Nasi Dagang
Nasi Dagang
East coast Malaysian trader's rice — glutinous rice and fenugreek steamed in coconut milk, served with rich tuna curry. Terengganu and Kelantan's prideful heritage.
Arroz a la Cubana
Arroz a la Cubana
Filipino-Spanish rice — steamed rice with sweet ground meat sauce, fried banana, and fried egg. A Filipino reinterpretation of a Spanish colonial dish.
Machboos
مكبوس
Bahraini spiced rice — chicken or lamb with rice, loomi (dried lime), and bezar spice mix. The Arabian Gulf's answer to biryani, with distinctive dried lime tang.
Riz au Gras
Riz au Gras
Cameroonian oil rice — 'fat rice' cooked in oil with tomatoes, onions, and spices, often with liver or gizzards. Central and West Africa's rich and flavorful rice.
Sekihan
赤飯
Japanese red bean rice — glutinous rice steamed with azuki beans creating a pink-red color. Served at celebrations — births, graduations, and New Year.
Galinhada
Galinhada
Brazilian chicken rice — turmeric-yellow rice cooked with chicken, pequi fruit, and saffron. A central Brazil comfort dish from the state of Goiás.
Chelo Kebab
چلوکباب
Iran's national dish — fluffy saffron-buttered steamed rice served with grilled koobideh (lamb kebab). The ultimate Persian meal, always with butter and sumac.
Lemper
Lemper Ayam
Indonesian sticky rice rolls — glutinous rice filled with spiced chicken, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. A popular Indonesian snack and offering food.
Takikomi Gohan
炊き込みご飯
Japanese seasoned mixed rice — rice cooked with dashi, soy sauce, and seasonal ingredients (mushrooms, chestnuts, bamboo shoots). Each season brings different versions.
Nasi Jagung
Nasi Jagung
Indonesian corn rice — rice mixed with dried corn kernels, a staple in eastern Indonesia where corn is more abundant than rice. Simple, satisfying, and historic.
Daniel's Rice
Diri ak Djon Djon
Haitian black mushroom rice — rice cooked with djon djon mushrooms that turn it jet black with a distinctive earthy flavor. Haiti's most prized rice dish.
Luosifen Rice Noodle
螺蛳粉
Liuzhou snail rice noodle — famously stinky-but-addictive rice noodles in a snail-based broth with pickled bamboo shoots. China's viral sensation.
Arroz de Marisco
Arroz de Marisco
Portuguese seafood rice — wet, soupy rice loaded with shrimp, clams, mussels, and crab in a tomato broth. One of Portugal's greatest rice dishes.
Tachin
تهچین
Persian rice cake — saffron-yogurt marinated rice pressed and baked into a golden-crusted cake with chicken or lamb. The most festive of Persian rice dishes.
Thiakry
Thiakry
Senegalese sweet millet pudding — steamed millet mixed with sweetened yogurt and vanilla. Senegal's beloved dessert, often served after thiéboudienne.
Lontong
Lontong
Indonesian compressed rice — rice cooked in banana leaf packets until it forms a dense, sliceable cake. The base for satay, sayur lodeh, and rendang.
Thalassery Biryani
Thalassery Biryani
Kerala's unique biryani — uses khyma (short-grain) rice instead of basmati, giving it a distinctive small-grained, flavorful character. Malabar Muslims' treasure.
Rice and Peas
Rice and Peas
Jamaican Sunday rice — rice cooked in coconut milk with kidney beans, scotch bonnet, thyme, and allspice. The essential side at every Jamaican Sunday dinner.
Hokkien Fried Rice
福建炒饭
Malaysian dark soy fried rice — rice fried with thick dark soy sauce, pork lard, prawns, and vegetables. A Penang hawker specialty with rich, smoky flavor.
Fasolia
Fassoulia
Egyptian white bean rice — white beans in tomato sauce served over rice. A simple, beloved Egyptian home-cooking staple.
Valenciana
Valenciana
Filipino fiesta rice — glutinous rice with chicken, Chinese sausage, olives, and peas, colored with achuete (annatto). The essential Filipino fiesta dish.
Pelau
Pelau
Trinidadian one-pot rice — rice, pigeon peas, and chicken caramelized in burnt sugar, coconut milk, and scotch bonnet. Trinidad's ultimate lime (party) food.
Briani
Briani
Mauritian biryani — Indian-origin rice with a local Creole twist, using potatoes and local spices. Mauritius's most popular celebration food.
Pilaf
Pilaw
Turkish rice pilaf — buttery pilaf made with orzo pasta (şehriye) and rice, a daily Turkish staple served alongside nearly every main course.
Dirty Rice
Dirty Rice
Cajun 'dirty' rice — rice cooked with chicken liver, giblets, and Cajun seasonings that give it a brownish 'dirty' color. Louisiana soul food at its finest.
Kheer
खीर
Indian rice pudding — rice slowly simmered in milk until thick and creamy, flavored with cardamom, saffron, and nuts. India's most loved dessert rice dish.
Arroz con Mariscos
Arroz con Mariscos
Peruvian seafood rice — aji-spiced rice loaded with octopus, shrimp, mussels, and calamari. Lima's Pacific Coast rice celebration.
Nasi Padang
Nasi Padang
Padang-style rice meal — steamed rice surrounded by dozens of pre-cooked dishes (rendang, gulai, sambal) to choose from. Indonesia's most elaborate rice meal.
Omurice
オムライス
Japanese omelette rice — ketchup-flavored fried rice wrapped in a fluffy omelette, topped with more ketchup. Japan's answer to comfort food, beloved in every kissaten.
Asopao de Camarones
Asopao de Camarones
Dominican shrimp rice stew — soupy rice with shrimp, sofrito, and peas. A Caribbean rainy-day favorite that's between soup and rice.
Pilau
Pilau
East African pilau — spiced rice with meat, potatoes, and a distinctive Swahili spice blend. A coastal Kenyan celebration dish with Indian and Arab influences.
Arroz Tapado
Arroz Tapado
Peruvian hidden rice — two layers of rice hiding a filling of seasoned ground beef with olives and hard-boiled egg. A Peruvian home-cooking classic.
Majadra
مجدرة
Syrian lentil and bulgur pilaf — brown lentils and bulgur wheat cooked together with caramelized onions. The Syrian variation of mujaddara, using bulgur.
Nasi Tumpeng
Nasi Tumpeng
Indonesian cone rice — yellow turmeric rice shaped into a cone surrounded by side dishes, symbolizing gratitude. Indonesia's ceremonial food, declared the national dish.
Ghee Rice
നെയ് ചോറ്
Kerala ghee rice — fragrant basmati rice cooked in generous amounts of pure ghee with whole spices and fried cashews. South India's festive rice.
Cơm Chiên
Cơm Chiên Dương Châu
Vietnamese Yangzhou fried rice — Chinese-Vietnamese fried rice with shrimp, char siu, vegetables, and egg. Vietnam's take on the Chinese classic.
Riz Djerbi
Riz Djerbi
Tunisian island rice — spiced rice with chicken and vegetables from the island of Djerba, colored with tomato and spices. A Djerbian home-cooking essential.
Nasi Kerabu
Nasi Kerabu
Blue rice — Kelantanese rice colored vivid blue with butterfly pea flowers, served with herbs, sambal, and fried coconut. Malaysia's most photogenic dish.
Sinangag
Sinangag
Filipino garlic fried rice — day-old rice fried with generous amounts of garlic. The foundation of every Filipino breakfast combo (silog meals).
Maqluba (Iraqi)
مقلوبة عراقية
Iraqi upside-down rice — lamb, eggplant, and rice layered and inverted. The Iraqi version features more lamb and a deeper spice profile than Palestinian maqluba.
Hoppin' John
Hoppin' John
Southern black-eyed peas and rice — rice with black-eyed peas, bacon, and aromatics. Traditional New Year's Day good-luck food across the American South.
Senegalese Attieke
Attieke
Ivorian cassava couscous — fermented cassava granules served like rice with grilled fish and alloco (fried plantain). West Africa's alternative grain staple.
Saffron Rice
زعفران پلو
Persian saffron rice without tahdig — pure, jeweled saffron rice mixed with barberries, pistachios, and orange peel. Served at weddings and celebrations.
Kayaku Gohan
かやくご飯
Kansai mixed rice — Osaka's version of mixed rice with root vegetables, fried tofu, and konnyaku. Osaka's everyday homestyle comfort rice.
Cau Lau Rice
Cơm Gà Hội An
Hội An chicken rice — turmeric-yellow rice with shredded chicken, onions, and Vietnamese herbs. Hội An's signature dish, meant to be eaten only in Hội An.
Riz bis Shaarieh
رز بشعيرية
Lebanese vermicelli rice — buttery rice with toasted vermicelli noodles, a daily Lebanese staple served alongside everything from grilled meats to stews.
Djuvec
Đuveč
Serbian baked vegetable rice — rice baked with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and paprika in a clay pot. The Balkans' answer to paella.
Nasi Tim
Nasi Tim
Indonesian steamed rice with chicken — rice and seasoned chicken steamed together in a bowl until the rice absorbs all the savory juices. Indonesian baby food turned comfort classic.