Spicy BBQ rice with vegetables is a healthy rice side dish perfect for your next barbecue or a flavorful main meal with a BBQ twist.
Barbecue flavors shine in this simple BBQ rice recipe. If you love rice and need a quick, budget-friendly dish that’s sure to please everyone, you’ve found the perfect recipe.
Rice dishes are a great choice when you’re short on time. They’re generally healthy, affordable, and a crowd-pleaser - especially when combined with colorful vegetables and a spicy sauce.
Try some Nigerian Jollof Rice, for instance; it's hot and delicious! Or make some not-that-spicy but equally delicious Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice or Romanian Chicken Pilaf.
Recipe ingredients
Long grain rice: Regular white rice; you will not need basmati or anything more expensive to make this rice dish. Brown rice would also be fine; it is a nuttier, heartier version of BBQ rice.
Vegetables: Onion. garlic, leek, green onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Barbecue sauce: Tomato paste, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce (use the vegan version if desired), honey, mustard, turmeric, hot smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and a dash of liquid smoke flavoring (optional).
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Additions
If you want to turn the barbecue rice into a main meal, you can add any of the following proteins to make it more filling:
- 9 oz/ 250 g mushrooms (white, brown, or Portobello), sliced: Add them to the pan along with the leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, then add the sauce and continue with the recipe.
- 9 oz/ 250 g chicken breast, cut into small pieces: Add the chicken along with the sauce, and continue with the recipe.
- 1 can of black beans or kidney beans, drained, or ½ can of drained corn: Add these to the dish when you add the BBQ sauce.
How to make BBQ rice?
I’ve made this BBQ rice recipe in one pot before, but I find the version where you cook the rice separately to be much better.
- Cook the rice separately according to the packet's instructions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables and barbecue sauce.
- Start by cooking the finely chopped onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the finely chopped garlic and leek or green onions, and cook for another 2-3 minutes (1).
- Then, add the chopped bell pepper and tomatoes and stir for another 2 minutes (2).
- BBQ sauce: While the vegetables are cooking, mix the ingredients for the barbecue sauce.
- Pour the sauce into the pan, add about ¼ cups of water, stir well, cover the pot, and simmer for about 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, check and add another ¼ cup of water if the sauce looks too dry.
- Add the drained cooked rice and stir well to combine. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper; if desired, add a pinch of sugar and some vinegar to intensify the flavor.
Good to know!
You can make the BBQ rice vegetarian by replacing the Worcestershire sauce with its vegan version and serving the rice with oven-baked vegetables or a green salad with yogurt dressing.
Use the leftovers to make rice bowls. Add chopped cooked chicken (maybe you have some leftovers from your barbecue) or other protein like canned tuna, cooked shrimp, canned beans or chickpeas, fried or sauteed tofu. Add some greens such as arugula, baby spinach, or bok choy. Add a sauce, such as mayonnaise, sriracha, another chili sauce, sweet chili sauce, etc.
Store and reheat
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop. Add a splash of broth to loosen it.
How to serve?
It’s a great side dish for barbecues, pairing well with any type of meat, sausages, grilled cheese, or grilled vegetables.
If you’re not grilling, you can also serve the barbecue rice as a side for any meat or sausages cooked on the stovetop or in the oven.
Do you like this recipe?
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Spicy BBQ Rice
Ingredients
Rice and vegetables:
- 9 oz long-grain white rice 250 g, Note 1
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bell pepper or half and half different colors
- 1 piece of leek Notes 2,3
- 2-3 tomatoes about 9 oz/ 250 g
- fine sea salt and black pepper
BBQ sauce:
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or vegan alternative
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard medium
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- ¼ - ½ cup water as needed
Garnish (all optional):
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 2 teaspoons greens from the leek or green onion
- chives or parsley
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the packet's instructions. Drain well. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the dish. 9 oz long-grain white rice/ 250 g
- Saute: Chop the onions. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Cook the onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Finely chop the garlic and the leeks, add to the pot, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.1 onion + 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 garlic cloves + 1 piece of leek
- Chop the peppers and the tomatoes. Add them to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes.1 bell pepper + 2-3 tomatoes
- Make BBQ sauce: In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce except the water.3 tablespoons tomato paste + 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar + 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce + 2 tablespoons runny honey + 1 teaspoon mustard + ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon red chili flakes + ½ teaspoon turmeric + 1 teaspoon ground coriander + 1 teaspoon ground cumin + fine sea salt and black pepper
- Add the sauce to the pan, stir in ¼ cup water, cover the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
- Check the pan. If the sauce seems dry, add the remaining ¼ cup water and stir well. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened nicely without becoming dry.
- Add the drained rice, stir well. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and, if necessary, with a pinch of sugar and/or more vinegar.fine sea salt and black pepper
- Garnish with chopped tomatoes, green onions, parsley, or chives, if desired.1 small tomato + 2 teaspoons greens + chives
Notes
- Rice type: You can also use brown rice, but remember that it has a longer cooking time.
- Size of the leek: The piece of leek should be rather thick and about as long as your palm. You can use 2-3 green onions, depending on size, instead.
- Keep about 2 teaspoons of the finely chopped greens for the garnish, if desired.
Ann-Marie says
Made this for tea this evening...delicious and my kids loved it too!
Adina says
So happy to hear it, Ann-Marie. Thank you for the feedback.
mjskitchen says
I've been craving a rice dish recently and this one is right up my alley. I just happen to have some homemade BBQ sauce in the fridge, so throwing this dish together will be quite easy. Glad you mentioned that brown rice would work as that is the rice I prefer. A delicious looking dish and will try soon. Thanks!
angiesrecipes says
That looks good. Love the natural yellow colour from my favourite spice turmeric.