Fast weeknight dinners are achievable with these Pork & Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce!
Simply seasoned pork chops, quick marinated cucumbers, rice, and a flavorful peanut sauce create a balanced meal. Plus, these bowls boast plenty of flavor and texture to keep your meal satisfying!
Quick Look: Pork & Rice Bowls
⏲️Ready In: 38 Minutes
🍽Servings: 2
🥗Nutrition: 640 Calories / 51g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Pork chops, Rice, Cucumbers, Rice vinegar, Peanut butter, Tamari/soy sauce
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free
⭐Why You'll Love It: High protein and simple, these pork and rice bowls make an awesome weeknight dinner!
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I've become a huge fan of balanced dinner bowls just like these pork & rice bowls, with Gluten Free Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls, Spicy Gochujang Salmon Bowls with Rice, and Gluten Free Honey Sesame Chicken as big favorites too!
No need to overcomplicate mealtime here. You can whip this recipe up on a weeknight or prep several servings in advance to keep meals simple, with over 50g of protein!
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Ingredients
PORK CHOPS - Boneless pork loin chops are your best bet here. I'd avoid bone-in pork chops so you don't have to worry about cutting around the bone!
RICE - I used Bastmati rice for this recipe, but feel free to use Jasmine rice or whatever you've got on hand! You can adjust the amount of rice to work for you; my spouse typically eats more than me.
CUCUMBERS - Any cucumbers will do, but I like English cucumbers because the skin isn't quite as tough as other varieties. That makes it great for the quick pickle in this recipe!
RICE VINEGAR - A little rice vinegar will give the cucumbers their tangy flavor. Make sure you grab unseasoned rice vinegar - seasoned rice vinegar has added ingredients you may want to skip.
PEANUT BUTTER - Creamy peanut butter is the base for our sauce! For a nut free version, you can use sunflower seed butter instead.
TAMARI/SOY SAUCE - Tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos all work well for this recipe.
GINGER - Fresh ginger will always have better flavor than dried and ground ginger, but if you need substitute, use ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pork & Rice Bowls
Step 1: (Optional, but recommended) Brine the pork chops in a salt solution (1 tablespoon kosher salt to 2 cups water) for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before servings.
Step 2: Thinly slice cucumbers and add to a bowl with rice vinegar and crushed red pepper. Toss and set aside.
Step 3: Heat a little olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Sear the pork chops on each side for 1 minute, then move the hot skillet to the oven for about 8 minutes. The pork chops are done when their internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F!
Step 4: While the pork chops are in the oven, whisk together all the sauce ingredients (peanut butter, water, soy sauce/tamari, ginger, lemon juice, honey) in a small bowl.
Step 3: Add more water as necessary to thin the peanut sauce out more, if you'd like. I prefer it to be drizzle consistency.
Step 4: Once the pork chops are done and have cooled slightly, slice against the grain.
Step 3: Assemble bowls by dividing rice, cucumbers, and sliced pork chops between bowls. Drizzle with peanut sauce and top with additional chopped peanuts and sliced scallions, if decired.
Variations and substitutions
Chicken instead of Pork - Swap in crispy skillet chicken thighs or simple cast iron chicken breast in place of the pork chops!
Vegetable Substitutions - Use thinly sliced zucchini, cabbage, or julienned carrots in place of cucumber. You can also add veggies like edamame!
Make it Spicy - Add 1 tablespoon chili sauce to the peanut sauce, or drizzle sriracha over the bowl before serving.
Lower Carb Options - Swap out the rice for roasted diced sweet potato, cauliflower rice, or chopped romaine lettuce.
Nut Free Version - Use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter in the sauce. Top with sesame seeds instead of peanuts!
Top Tips from Chelsea
Don't peel the ginger: You don't need to peel fresh ginger before grating! Just give it a wash before using like any other veggie. This saves a substantial amount of time when using fresh ginger!
Brine the pork chops: This simple step makes a big difference in tender, flavorful pork chops! You can skip it if you forget, but even a 1 hour brine matters.
FAQs
While I wrote this recipe specifically for pork chops, you could use ground pork as an alternative.
Otherwise, you can swap in crispy skillet chicken thighs or simple cast iron chicken breast.
You're shooting for an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. The best way to check: an instant-read thermometer!
First, brine the pork chops! You can dry brine them by seasoning with salt and pepper the day before and storing in an airtight container in the fridge before ready to cook.
For a wet brine, dissolve about ¼ cup salt in 4 cups water, and pour over the pork chops to submerge them. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, until ready to cook.
Beyond that, just make sure to keep an eye on the pork chops and avoid letting them overcook. Searing should take no more than a minute per side, and the pork chops will cook quickly in the oven - set a timer!
Yes, just swap the peanut butter out for sunflower seed butter! For garnish, you can use sesame seeds in place of peanuts.
Make ahead tips for pork & rice bowls
You can prep several components of this recipe in advance or use it for meal prep!
Prep Ahead:
- Make the rice in advance and refrigerate until ready to use (or use leftover rice).
- Ensure tender pork chops by brining in advance with a dry or wet brine up to a day in advance.
- Use leftover pork chops, ground pork, or chicken breast.
- Prepare the sauce in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Meal Prep:
- Double the recipe. Divide the rice, pork chops, and sauce between 5-6 containers (depending on how large you want your lunches to be).
- Instead of slicing the cucumbers, dice them. Marinate in rice vinegar for 1 hour, then drain and store separately from the rice and pork chops. Either add to the pork and rice bowls after reheating or eat the whole bowl cold.
More gluten free weeknight recipes
- Chicken Souvlaki Bowls with Homemade Tzatziki
- Fajita Chicken Bowls with Bell Peppers & Onions
- Leftover Turkey Casserole with Wild Rice
- Pumpkin & Turkey Chili with Leftovers
Did you try Pork & Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Pork & Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Simply seasoned pork chops, quick marinated cucumbers, rice, and a flavorful peanut sauce create a balanced meal. Plus, these bowls boast plenty of flavor and texture to keep your meal satisfying!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked basmati rice
- 2 pork chops (6 ounces each)
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced (1-2 cups of slices)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Thinly sliced scallions and chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brine pork chops. (Optional, but recommended) Brine the pork chops in a salt solution (1 tablespoon kosher salt to 2 cups water) for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before servings.
- Make rice. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook rice according to package directions.
- Prepare cucumbers. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Add cucumber slices and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Make peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lemon juice, grated ginger, and honey until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pork chops. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear for 1 minute on each side, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove the pork chops from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Assemble bowls. Divide cooked rice and marinated cucumber between 2 bowls. Slice the pork chops crosswise and add 1 pork chop per bowl. Drizzle with peanut butter sauce. If desired, garnish with scallions and chopped peanuts before serving.
Notes
Don't peel the ginger: You don't need to peel fresh ginger before grating! Just give it a wash before using like any other veggie. This saves a substantial amount of time when using fresh ginger!
Brine the pork chops: This simple step makes a big difference in tender, flavorful pork chops! You can skip it if you forget, but even a 1 hour brine matters.
Use chicken breast instead of pork: Swap in chicken breast using Easy Cast Iron Chicken Breast (Oven or Stovetop) for a similar cook time!
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