Skip to Content

What to Serve with White Rice? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Rice, especially white rice, is an essential part of Indian households.

Apart from consuming it plainly, there are many other uses for white rice, such as making flour and more.

However, steamed white rice remains an popular way of consuming rice.

It has a warm and homely taste.

However, it’s best served with side dishes to create a better dining experience.

So, if you’re wondering what to serve with white rice, we’ve got you covered.

We have listed the 10 best side dishes for white rice below.

Keep scrolling to have a look.

Why Consider Serving White Rice with Side Dishes?

Rice itself is pretty filling and flavorful.

Hence, you might feel like having it as it is without any side dishes.

But it’s always best to have it alongside a side dish.

This not only makes it tastier but also healthier.

When you serve white rice with side dishes, you get additional essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins needed to keep your health afloat.

Side dishes will also help create a rounder meal and keep the flavor balanced.

Having side dishes is extremely handy as it keeps the palate fresh, and you’ll get more to eat in one go.

And numerous food items go exceptionally well with rice, so why not take advantage of that?

What to Serve with White Rice? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Here are the 10 best side dishes to serve with white rice.

Let’s have a look.

1. Stuffed Bell Peppers

One clever and exciting way to enjoy a hot bowl of white rice is to include stuffed bell peppers on the menu.

It’s spicy, full of flavor, and pretty easy to make.

Let’s not forget that it’s also quite filling and nutritious as it includes fresh ingredients.

Did you know that bell peppers contain a compound that can potentially fight against cancer? So, yes, it’s not just a tasty option but a healthy one.

Along with cancer-battling benefits, it’s a great source of antioxidants with anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

So, if you want to incorporate a healthy side dish, this is it.

2. Steam-fried Vegetables

Rice is a great main dish in Asian cuisine, but you always need a few flavorful vegetables to add to the meal.

An easy and healthy afternoon snack is mixing white rice with a few veggies such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, peas, corn, mushrooms, etc.

Chop these vegetables up, mix them up in a bowl, and heat up the pan.

Drizzle some olive oil or regular vegetable oil on the pan and put in the vegetables with a splash of lemon juice.

Cover the pan with a lid to steam the veggies properly after seasoning them with salt, pepper, and some other spices.

This dish brings about a fresh flavor that will make your white rice smell and taste rich and delicious.

3. Cream of Mushroom Soup

If you’re tired of vegetable stew or chicken soup, one good alternative is mushroom soup.

You can make the rice beforehand and whip up the soup in a short time.

You only need fresh mushrooms and cream with a selection of spices to make it exceptionally flavored.

Mix the cream and mushroom so that the mushrooms become mushy and well blended.

You can have the rice along with the soup or put the rice inside the bowl of soup.

The finished product will only make you want more, so go ahead and make a large batch.

4. Mexican Beef Burrito

White Rice pairs exceptionally with red kidney beans and jalapeños.

So, go ahead and pick up some ready-to-make tortillas, or make some yourself with flour and some seasoning.

You can add some additional ingredients on your own to make the burrito more filling.

Shredded chicken, lettuce, diced avocado, tomatoes, salsa spice, and some cheese will combine nicely with the rice.

Adding rice to your burrito or having a burrito as a side for your white rice can both be enticing.

Help yourself by satisfying your stomach by having a heart meal without a lot of meaty fats.

5. Garlic Herb Potatoes

White rice is filling, so you don’t always have to go overboard with the side dishes.

This is where a subtle side dish like garlic herb potatoes comes to the rescue.

And this dish is relatively easy to make.

Just turn the oven on, roast your potatoes with some garlic and herbs and serve it alongside a plate of steamed white rice.

This is such an easy and delicious meal to prepare as it uses easy-to-source ingredients.

The soft texture of the potatoes, paired with the sweet aroma and taste of the rice, creates a delicious filling meal.

6. Garlic Butter Beef Steak

Steak is hard to miss dish that can complement any meal it’s added to.

It’s a tasteful and famous dish because of its versatility throughout various cuisines worldwide.

When you pair steak with rice, the silky taste and softness of the rice are well balanced with the rich garlicky flavors of the steak.

You can cut the beef steak into slices and stack them over your rice bowl.

You can even mix some soy sauce with the rice to enhance its taste.

Whether it’s plain beef steak or butter-garlic flavored, you will not go wrong if you choose this side dish to enrich the overall meal.

7. Lamb Rogan Josh

Lamb rogan josh, aka Indian lamb curry, is a flavor-packed curry originating from the region of Kashmir, India.

It’s a type of aromatic meat dish made in curry style.

It’s the perfect spice-packed curry to pair against a steaming plate of white rice.

This traditional dish includes items like Kashmiri chilies, mutton, goat, alkanet flower, and lamb.

It’s a classic side dish for a subtle and delicate dish like white rice.

The dish also includes other ingredients like onions, tomatoes, garam masala, and yogurt to help create more flavor.

8. Yoghurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken

If you want to take your time with the side dish to make sure it’s a delicious and welcoming meal to share with your guests, then the grilled chicken is the best choice.

Yogurt-marinated chicken is an easy and fast option to add to your plain white rice.

You may leave the chicken in a yogurt mixture overnight or for a few hours.

Grilling the chicken takes only a few minutes, so you need not worry too much about time.

Cut the chicken into thin pieces and add some seasoning to make the flavor palette more delectable.

The juicy chicken slices can help your rice taste less dry and more tender with a boost of flavor.

9. Turkey Curry

Curry and rice go along as well as fries and ketchup.

In Asian culture, a small bowl of white rice is topped with curry filled with deliciously cooked vegetables or meat.

Turkey curry is a dish that can be served on its own any day, but with white rice, it completely dissolves into a delicate dining dish.

You only need mango, carrots, cauliflower, chicken, and curry, all cooked together in a pot, and you can dress your white rice in this curry.

Pour it on top, and you’ve got a wholesome dinner that will leave your stomach and heart feeling full and warm.

10. Falafel

This dish comes in all shapes and forms, and its variety is what makes it so popular in the culinary community.

Falafel balls are an excellent alternative to ordinary meatballs made from meat.

These falafel balls can be blended nicely with a sauce and some vegetables of your choosing.

White rice and this dish combined give you an exceptional flavor because of its savory taste that is contrasted by a hint of sweetness.

Conclusion

Rice, in general, particularly white rice, is a highly flexible food item, and you can pretty much mix it with any food item of your liking.

This lets you get creative while putting together a simple meal like white rice during dinner or even gatherings.

Fortunately, we’ve provided some of the best side dish options you can pair alongside white rice.

So, if you’re looking to reinvent white rice, we suggest trying the above options.

What to Serve with White Rice? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Looking to add variety to your white rice? Explore our list of the 10 best side dishes that will elevate your meal and create a satisfying dining experience.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dishes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • Stuffed Bell Peppers
  • Steam-fried Vegetables
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Mexican Beef Burrito
  • Garlic Herb Potatoes
  • Garlic Butter Beef Steak
  • Lamb Rogan Josh
  • Yoghurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken
  • Turkey Curry
  • Falafel

Instructions
 

  • Pick your favorite recipe from the article.
  • Organize your ingredients and utensils.
  • Follow the detailed instructions in the recipe to make your side dish.
  • Prepare and serve for delicious meal!
Keyword What to Serve with White Rice
Did you make this recipe?Mention @AmericasRestaurant or tag #americasrestaurant!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating