Brown Rice Cakes are so dang delicious and easy to make, you’ll keep this simple recipe in heavy rotation for your mealtime planning.
This recipe actually came about as a total accident. I make a BIG pot of brown rice weekly to store in the fridge, so I always have it on hand to quickly add as a side to fish, chicken or veggies for dinner, or use to make Leftover Rice Pudding as a healthy dessert treat. Some days, though, I want a side dish that’s a bit more exciting than just plain brown rice and this was one of those days. Inspired to make a simple side dish using some of my pre-made brown rice, I came up with these simple yet addictive Brown Rice Cakes.
They’re super quick and simple to make. They require just 4 ingredients and have tons of savory flavor, but they’re still enough of a blank canvas that you can totally incorporate any of your favorite spices to make them your own. I love the eye appeal of the stretchy mozzarella cheese in these, but you can substitute with any other melting cheese you have on hand including cheddar or Monterey Jack. You don’t need much to elevate nutritious plain brown rice into an exciting and attention grabbing side dish .
Since the rice/grain’s bran and germ layers are not stripped away like they are in white rice (which has very little nutritional value) brown rice is far superior to white rice in terms of nutrition. Brown rice also has a firmer, more chewy texture than white rice and it possesses a naturally nutty flavor, all of which make it the ideal base for this recipe.
Since Kenya is a vegetarian, I’m always looking for new options for him to eat that offer up those all important little boosts of protein. This recipe is just the sort of thing I’m looking for to do that and help round out his meals. He loves them. The bonus for me is that the rest of the family is equally obsessed with them.
Brown Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the rice, cheese, and salt and stir to combine well.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Carefully place 1/3 cup of the rice mixture into the hot oil and use a spatula to flatten into a patty.
- Saute until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.Â
How long do these last after making?
I would keep these for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 🙂
Will these work leaving out the cheese? We have a dairy allergy and not fans of non-dairy cheese. Wondering if they will hold together without the cheese or have too much of an egg taste to them?
Great question! They will work without the cheese with no problem. Let me know what you think!
I made this recipe with substitutions because of my food allergies. Instead of regular grated mozzarella cheese, I used Miyoko’s Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella cheese which is certified gluten-free, dairy-free, casein-free, soy-free, and peanut-free. I tried making the rice cakes with a few varieties of rice and found out that if I made a ratio of equal parts 1:1:1 of Basmati white rice to brown rice to Jasmine white rice it turned out the best and everyone in my family enjoyed it the most. I also tried adding protein powder to my recipe which made it sweeter too. I found that the rice cakes freeze well and taste even better when you add yogurt as a topping. I like to mix half Kite Hill ricotta dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and peanut-free cheese with any almond milk greek style yogurt then add it to the rice cakes for a very filling snack.
Awesome! Glad you could make it your own. Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Would this work if the brown rice was freshly cooked and still hot when you add it to the eggs?
If the rice is really hot it could cook the eggs, and they may not stick together as well. I would let it cool a little bit or maybe stick in the refrigerator for a few minutes just to get it closer to room temp. Hope that helps!
Can we substitute brown rice with white rice?
For sure!
These are amazing! I am trying to work more whole grains in and these were a great way to use up extra brown rice. Added black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. So amazingly yummy!
I guess my 2 eggs were too much. I felt I only needed one as it was a bit runny…I added scallions and fresh cilantro and it turned out great!
Can you freeze these? Thank you!
I made these brown rice cakes for my family and they loved them! They’re delicious and satisfying with a nice nutty flavor and great texture. I printed the recipe and added it to my cookbook. It’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe. One of my little ones is also a vegetarian, but she will try new things. What different filling can you put inside?