The mini rice cooker can be used for so much more than its name suggests.
That’s why we’ve collected our favorite mini rice cooker recipes.
While a rice cooker perfectly cooks all types of rice (white, brown, jasmine, basmati), it can also be used to cook different grains, pancakes, eggs, chicken, and even chocolate cake.
In this post, you’ll find our 9 favorite easy mini rice cooker recipes, including vegetarian rice cooker recipes, Indian rice cooker recipes, chicken rice cooker recipes, and a rice cooker chocolate cake!
What's In Here
9 Mini Rice Cooker Recipes (Easy and Delicious)
When we first tried a mini rice cooker, we were surprised to find that it’s basically a 2-cup crockpot.
It’s really not complicated to use, no bells and whistles, and aside from plugging it in, there’s no setup required.
Nonetheless, you can use a rice cooker to make complete meals and even some desserts.
Here are our favorite mini rice cooker recipes from around the web:
Vegetarian Mini Rice Cooker Recipes
Let’s start with some delicious healthy vegetarian rice cooker recipes:
1. Spiced Lentils and Rice
- Prep Time – 5 minutes
- Cook Time – 45 minutes
“Spiced but not spicy, this Middle Eastern-inspired lentils and rice recipe gets its rich flavor from cinnamon, cloves, and cumin.” – Susan Voisin/fatfreevegan.com
Remember that the lentils in this super healthy recipe cook faster than rice and become “meaty”.
If you don’t like this texture (we do), you may want to put more lentils than rice – to retain their shape.
For this recipe, you’ll need brown rice, lentils, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cumin, parsley, and lemon.
👉 See the full recipe HERE
2. Easy Spanish Rice
- Prep Time – 5 minutes
- Cook Time – 30 minutes
This easy Spanish rice made in the rice cooker comes together with a few simple ingredients, including a can of tomatoes, a diced onion, and some flavor-filled spices, so all you have to do is dump everything in, set it, and forget it! – Melissa/blessthismessplease.com
For this delicious and easy mini rice cooker recipe, you’ll need diced tomatoes, an onion, 3 teaspoons Better than Bouillon, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
👉 See the full recipe HERE
3. Coconut Spiced Rice
- Prep time – 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
This coconut spiced rice, a super easy twist on Indian-style rice. And, it only takes 15 minutes to make!
You’ll need long-grained rice, unsweetened grated coconut, cardamom, cumin, mustard seeds, and fresh mint or cilantro for serving.
👉 Get the full recipe HERE.
4. Red Lentil Turnip Curry
Super simple and delicious. Curry is thick and delicious even without added cream or milk.
All you have to do is place all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook in normal white rice mode.
You’ll need turnips, red lentils, vegetable broth, curry powder, mushrooms, bok choi/spinach, and parsley.
👉 See the full recipe HERE.
Chicken Rice Cooker Recipes
If you cut the chicken into small pieces, it is definitely possible to cook raw chicken inside a rice cooker.
You may be surprised how good it comes out of there.
Here are 2 great chicken rice cooker recipes:
1. Ginger Chicken and Rice
- Prep time – 15 minutes
Cook time – 45 minutes
Simple to make, and deliciously healthy recipe that our families love.
This recipe is for 4 people, we just use half of each ingredient for a mini rice cooker.
For this recipe, you’ll need an all-natural chicken bouillon cube, jasmine rice, boneless chicken thighs, fresh ginger, baby spinach, and coconut milk
👉 See the full recipe HERE.
2. Easy Chicken Curry
Done in 30 minutes, this wonderfully easy and mouth-watering recipe doesn’t even need you to precook the chicken. Just oils the sides or stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the sides.
For this recipe, you’ll need chopped onions, minced garlic, curry powder, tomato sauce can, 1 Zatarain’s jambalaya mix, boneless chicken breast, golden raisins, yogurt, and chopped cashews.
👉 See the full recipe HERE.
Indian Rice Cooker Recipes
Indian-style rice recipes are flavored with Indian spices.
They are better than takeout, simple to make, and the perfect accompaniment to any Indian-inspired dish.
1. Yellow Split Pea Dal
You can easily master this classic Indian dish in a rice cooker. If your cooker comes with a steamer basket, try steaming fresh cauliflower or broccoli to accompany the dal. – Victoria Wall Harris/vegetariantimes.com
For this recipe, you’ll need coconut oil, vegetables, cumin, turmeric, and dried yellow split peas.
👉 Get the full recipe HERE.
All-in-One Rice Cooker Recipes
Just adjust these recipes to the size of your rice cooker, and you have a complete meal made inside your rice cooker.
1. Chicken and Mushroom Rice
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Rice Drying Time: 1 day
Served piping hot from the rice cooker, this warming, hearty chicken and mushroom rice recipe is bursting with flavour.
The best part is that while the magic is brewing inside the rice cooker, you can be doing just about anything else.
You’ll need chicken, Chinese sausages, dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, ginger, Chicken bouillon powder, Oyster sauce, Soy sauce, and sesame oil.
👉 Get the full recipe HERE.
2. Tomato and Ham Rice
Master Chef John Zhang shows you 2 ways on making simple and perfect rice and easy dinner using rice cooker at home.
You’ll need tomatoes, diced ham, corn kernels, green beans, Diced Shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and red chili slices.
👉 Get the written recipe HERE
Let us know what you think about these recipes, and if you have any other great mini rice cooker recipes, share them with us in the comments below 😊
The KM Team