28 Flavorful Grain Bowls That Take Meal-Prepped Ingredients To New Heights
They're ripe for improvisation.
Of all our favorite easy meals—from sheet-pan to one-pot dinners— grain bowls really are the best proof that you don’t have to give up flavor in lieu of simplicity. All you need is a base (like rice or quinoa), a protein, lots of veggies, and a delicious sauce, and you’re in business. Check out our 28 grain bowl recipes for ideas, then get creative—they’re made for mixing and matching, so feel free to make them your own.
First things first: You’ve got to start out with a well-cooked grain. Lucky for you, we’ve got all the tips to make sure your white rice, quinoa, brown rice, couscous, cauliflower rice, and wild rice are cooked perfectly.
Next comes vegetables: We prefer a mix of roasted, like sweet potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower; and raw, like tomatoes, cabbage, or bell peppers. Something pickled or fermented, like kimchi or pickled red onion, can also be nice, so try a variety of options 'til you find your favorite combo.
Protein is next, and we’re not just talking meat. Well-seasoned steak, shrimp, chicken, or seafood are all welcome here, but don’t forget about alternative protein sources, like beans, tofu, or tempeh. Cook them any way you like—on the grill, in the oven, or even in your air fryer.
Finally, you’ve gotta have the perfect sauce. We’ve included a number of options here, but feel free to peruse our best salad dressings for alternate ideas. Heck, check out our favorite dips too—simply thin them a little with liquid (water, milk, or juice are all good options), then drizzle them over top of your grain bowl.
Spicy Salmon Bowl
Spicy salmon is the perfect topper for a brown rice bowl. The rest of the components here are optional (though we are pretty partial to those quick pickled cukes), so feel free to get creative!
Get the Spicy Salmon Bowl recipe.
Coconut Lime Shrimp Bowls
Zero coconut milk goes to waste in this shrimp bowl. Some of it is used with fresh pineapple and lime juice to create a creamy and bright marinade, while the rest is used to cook the rice, and WOW—it's a total game-changer.
Get the Coconut Lime Shrimp Bowls recipe.
Avocado Breakfast Bowls
Grain bowls aren't just for lunches and dinners! For this one, we used quinoa as a base, avocado and eggs for protein, and roasted sweet potatoes for bulk. Don't skip that everything bagel seasoning, it ties everything together perfectly.
Get the Avocado Breakfast Bowls recipe.
Buddha Bowls
The beauty about this bowl is that it's infinitely adaptable. You can roast just about any veggie, use any number of toppings, and it'll taste amazing in this recipe. The only thing we might insist you must keep on the bowl is the incredible peanut butter dressing.
Get the Buddha Bowls recipe.
Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls
This vegan recipe is a bit of a culinary road trip through some Jamaican staples: sweet plantains, aromatic rice and peas, and tofu in a jerk marinade. To add a touch of crunch, acidity, and color, we top it all off with a simple red cabbage and carrot slaw that is just as delicious on its own as it is in the bowls (make extra and put it on everything).
Get the Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls recipe.
Chirashi Bowls
Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司) translates to "scattered sushi" and is a style of sushi that entails exactly what the name suggests: pieces of sashimi over sushi rice. Chirashizushi—or chirashi bowls—is probably the simplest way to enjoy what you love about sushi without having to learn how to roll maki.
Get the Chirashi Bowls recipe.
Ahi Poke Bowls
This is our favorite combo of ingredients, but you can feel free to swap in your favorites or whatever you’ve got in the fridge. The key is to aim for color and variety (and really fresh fish!), but the world truly is your oyster... er, tuna!
Get the Ahi Poke Bowls recipe.
Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Bowls
Steak Grain Bowl
A double-purpose chimichurri acts as a marinade for the steak and a finishing sauce for these bowls; the not-too-spicy jalapeño sauce provides a tangy, creamy counterpoint—plus, its versatility means it can go on anything and everything (read: make extra, and put it on everything).
Get the Steak Grain Bowl recipe.
Black Rice Tofu Bowls
A meal conjured out of the most random ingredients in her Budget Eats kitchen led one of our food editors to one of the happiest bowls she's ever eaten. Complete with forgotten and forbidden black sticky rice, marinated frozen tofu, and creamy leek sauce, this bowl is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Get the Black Rice Tofu Bowls recipe.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowl
Start your week off right by meal prepping with these fresh & filling grilled chicken bowls. The recipe makes four, which is perfect for two lunches and two dinners for you and anyone you want to share with.
Get the Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowl recipe.
Cajun Shrimp Bowls
Once you try this rice bowl, you're going to want to add this Cajun seasoning to everything. Let's start with shrimp.
Get the Cajun Shrimp Bowls recipe.
BLT Rice Bowls
Craving a BLT sandwich but avoiding bread? This rice bowl is for you. We topped it with an egg for added protein and to put it firmly in breakfast territory, but feel free to skip if you're a purist.
Get the BLT Rice Bowls recipe.
Roasted Fall Veggie Bowl with Green Tahini Sauce
An easy way to make sure to eat your vegetables? Douse Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and mushrooms in this zesty parsley-lemon juice-tahini sauce.
Get the Roasted Fall Veggie Bowl recipe.
Spicy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
Turn your favorite chicken teriyaki into an all-encompassing rice bowl with this recipe. Best part? This is excellent for meal prepping, so feel free to make all the components ahead of time.
Get the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls recipe.
Harvest Bowls
These brown rice bowls have all your fall favorites—Brussels sprouts, kale, cranberries, and sweet potatoes. You're going to want to put the Dijon honey sauce on everything.
Get the Harvest Bowls recipe.
Goddess Bowls
A good sauce changes everything, and this green goddess dressing is one of our favorites yet. The veggies here are interchangeable, but in the spirit of goddess dressing, we think green is the way to go. Roasted asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all good choices.
Get the Goddess Bowls recipe.
Blackened Shrimp Bowls
Extra-flavorful shrimp, whole grains, fresh veg... we've got you covered. Feel free to swap your favorite salsa in lieu of the corn and tomato mix here (cowboy caviar would be GREAT).
Get the Blackened Shrimp Bowls recipe.
Balsamic Bliss Bowls
This Italian version of a buddha bowl is our newest obsession. The fixins MAKE it: juicy balsamic-roasted tomatoes, baked chicken breast (cooked with the tomatoes), baby spinach, marinated mozzarella and, of course, balsamic glaze. Make a big batch and feel blissful all week.
Get the Balsamic Bliss Bowls recipe.
Better-For-You Burrito Bowl
Brown rice, well-seasoned ground turkey, avocado (healthy fats alert!), black beans (protein!), plus whatever other vegetables you want to throw in there make up the bulk of this bowl. We also included a sour cream swap with plain yogurt spiked with some hot sauce. Trust us, you won't miss the tortilla.
Get the Better-For-You Burrito Bowl recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.