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Versatile, inexpensive, and healthy. It’s no surprise that rice is a favorite staple in different cuisines around the world.

No tasty, filling meal is complete without rice. And if you want to save money on food, you don’t have to sacrifice your health or taste–you can use rice to enjoy a budget-friendly dish that’s packed with flavors.

But if you’ve ever cooked rice, you might already know how easy it is to go overboard.

Luckily, there are countless recipes that make leftover rice the star of the show. In this post, we’ll share with you three breakfast bowl recipes that make good use of leftover rice.

Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl

Warm comfort food for chilly mornings, a bowl to fill you up for the day. With this spicy tuna rice bowl recipe, you can enjoy a budget-friendly and delicious way of repurposing your leftover rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons finely diced green chili
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1 7-ounce canned tuna packed in oil
• 3 cups leftover rice
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Heat cooking oil on a pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Sauté bell pepper and green chili until brown.
2. Grab a spoonful of green onions and set aside. Add the rest of the green onions to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Mix in tuna and stir occasionally until the oil is reduced.
4. Add leftover rice to the pan, gently breaking up the clumps. Mix it thoroughly with the vegetables.
5. Stir in apple cider vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Stir everything until fully combined.
6. Season with red pepper flakes and the remaining green onions. Serve warm.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Another tasty recipe to kickstart your morning, this kimchi fried rice can spice up your day (and life). This traditional Korean dish is packed with flavors, tickling your taste buds with mild heat and keeping you full for the rest of the day.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 1/2 cups kimchi (reserve 1/2 cup juice)
• 3 cups leftover rice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup nori strips

Instructions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry the eggs. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, stir-fry garlic, onion, ginger, and kimchi until fragrant.
3. Add leftover rice and combine well.
4. Stir in kimchi juice, soy sauce, and gochujang. Combine with rice for 2 minutes until it’s red and sticky.
5. Add sesame oil and stir.
6. Top with eggs, sesame seeds, green onions, and nori strips.

Breakfast Burrito Bowl

Okay, so this might not be the quickest breakfast option, but it’s the perfect bowl for slow weekend mornings!

For this breakfast burrito bowl recipe, you can use ready-made salsa and taco seasoning rather than making them from scratch. But if you want fresher-tasting ingredients, we recommend doing these yourself.

Ingredients

For the salsa

• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red onion
• 1/2 green chili, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the taco seasoning

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

For the burrito

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 cups leftover rice
• 1 15-ounce canned pork and beans
• 4 tablespoons diced green chilis
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the salsa ingredients in one bowl and the ingredients of the taco seasoning in another bowl.
2. Heat oil on a pan over medium heat. Sauté bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes for 1 minute.
3. Add ground beef and cook until toasted. Remove excess grease.
4. Stir in leftover rice and combine with other ingredients thoroughly.
5. Mix in salsa, pork and beans, taco seasoning, green chilis, and chili powder. Stir well.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese and allow it to melt.

Oxford at Sonterra Apartments in San Antonio, TX