I’ve finally tried the crispy rice that has taken the internet by storm! I knew I wanted to pair it with a spiced meat situation and so here we have my Crispy Rice Mediterranean Bowls!
Making crispy rice is super easy! I use 2 cups dry rice to get about 3-4 cups cooked rice. I make it in the morning in my rice cooker and then let it cool in the refrigerator until I am ready to bake it!
I use my 13 inch Misen baking sheet (and right now you can use code BRI15 to get 15% off at Misen). I lay down parchment paper and after I have mixed my rice with he oils and seasonings, I get it on my baking sheet!
Spread it out in an even layer and bake!
Bring out of the oven and toss, spread out in an even layer andbake for another 20 minutes or until your preferred crispiness is reached! I like some, not all, of the rice crisped and some still soft.
This amount of rice serves four (about a 1/2 cup portion for each) so if you want more, do about 5-6 cups cooked rice, just make sure to use a bigger sheet tray so the rice crisps evenly. Also, you don’t want to make this ahead of time or it will lose its crispiness. So put this in the oven 40 minutes before you are ready to serve dinner (I prep the rice first, get it in the oven and then saute my meat and bring together my sauces!).
Then we build our bowl! I use a combination of ground lamb and ground beef for my spiced meat, but you can use whatever ground meat you like! Then I add tzatziki, hummus, a drizzle of tahini and any veggies I have on hand like cucumbers and tomatoes!
I also like to add some crumbled feta, pepperoncinis and Greek olives! It’s a choose your own adventure bowl!
Crispy Rice Mediterranean Bowls
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
For the Crispy Rice
- 3 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice (cold is best)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
For the Spiced Ground Meat
- 1 lb ground chicken, turkey, beef, or lamb (I prefer beef or a combo of beef and lamb)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Juice from one lemon
For the Honey Tahini Drizzle
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3–4 Tbsp warm water (to thin)
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- 5 oz plain Greek yogurt
- 1 English Cucumber, chopped (or one small regular cucumber, seeds removed, chopped)
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tsp salt
To Serve
- Crumbled Feta
- Hummus
- Cucumbers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pepperoncinis
- Greek olives
- Harissa
Instructions
For the Crispy Rice
Heat oven to 425°F.
Toss rice with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
Press into a thin, even layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with tongs to get all sides of the rice crispy. Spread back out on the sheet and place back in the oven for 20 minutes.
For the Spiced Ground Meat
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add meat and sauté, breaking it up, until deeply browned, about 5-8 minutes.
Add the seasonings and lemon juice, then continue to sauté until the spices are incorporated and the ground beef starts to get crispy edges! Remove from heat and set aside until ready to build the bowl.
For the Honey Tahini Drizzle
In a bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk, adding warm water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a drizzle-ready consistency.
For the Tzatziki Sauce
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Will last in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Build Your Bowl
Add a portion of crispy rice to a bowl.
Scoop on some warm spiced meat.
Drizzle generously with honey tahini.
Add a spoonful of the tzatiki sauce.
Finish with fresh veggies, crumbled feta, a squeeze of lemon, and a little olive oil.
YUM!!!! This is such a good recipe and comes together so easily!!!! I used all ground beef (what I had in freezer) but can’t wait to try with chicken and lamb!