Written by Caitlin Johnson, RD – Registered Dietitian Contributor

Right out of the gate, you should know we aren't giving you just one recipe in this recipe article. Think of it as your bible for making a sauce for your rice bowl, any rice bowl, plus a full index of Bitchin' bowl recipes you can jump to by:

Call it your choose-your-own-Bitchin'-adventure. The beauty of rice bowls is that they're forgiving, and in that spirit, rice bowl sauces should be forgiving too. We can save you from buying another bottle that hogs precious square footage in your fridge, and from making a sauce from complete scratch. Take Bitchin' Sauce, something you already love, and customize it for tonight's bowl.

What Sauce Goes on a Rice Bowl?

The best sauces for rice bowls are creamy or glossy, a little acidic, and bold enough to season plain rice. The most popular are peanut sauce, teriyaki, gochujang sauce, tahini sauce, spicy mayo, chipotle crema, and cilantro lime crema. Each one matches a different style of bowl, and most can be swapped for a Bitchin' flavor you already have in the fridge:

Popular rice bowl sauce Flavor Usually made with Vegan? Bitchin' swap
Peanut sauce Nutty, sweet, salty Peanut butter, soy sauce, lime Usually Original + lime + a splash of soy sauce
Teriyaki Sweet, salty glaze Soy sauce, sugar, mirin Usually Keep the teriyaki on the protein and drizzle Sriracha Bitchin' on top
Gochujang sauce Spicy, funky, sweet Fermented chili paste, sugar Usually Heat + lime + honey
Tahini sauce Earthy, nutty Sesame paste, lemon, garlic Yes Original or Bombay
Spicy mayo Creamy, spicy Mayonnaise (egg), sriracha No Sriracha Bitchin'
Chipotle crema Smoky, creamy Sour cream, chipotle No Chipotle + lime
Cilantro lime crema Bright, herby Sour cream or mayo, cilantro, lime No Cilantro Chili

The creamy sauces are where most store-bought and restaurant options lean on dairy or eggs. That's exactly the gap an almond-based sauce fills: you get the same creamy drizzle, and the bowl stays vegan and dairy free.

The Easy Formula for a Sauce for Any Rice Bowl

A good rice bowl sauce should be thin enough to drizzle so it coats the rice instead of sitting on top. Here's the formula I use: 1/2 cup Bitchin' Sauce + 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid + an optional sweet, heat, or fresh-herb add-in. That's it.

Step Amount Options What it does
1. Base 1/2 cup Any Bitchin' Sauce flavor Creaminess, salt, and savory flavor
2. Liquid 1 to 2 tbsp Lemon or lime juice, vinegar, water, coconut cream Adds acid and sets the texture
3. Add-in (optional) 1 to 2 tsp, or a handful of herbs Honey, maple, chiles, sesame oil, fresh herbs Sweetness, extra heat, or freshness

The liquid does double duty. Citrus juice or a splash of vinegar adds acid, and plain water thins the sauce so it drizzles. Want more richness? Coconut cream might be just the thing.

After the liquid, taste before adding anything else. It may already be perfect. Want a sweet-and-heat combo? Add honey or maple syrup. Something brighter and more floral? Fresh oregano, basil, or dill. More spice? Throw in a fun, spicy pepper. Always start small, taste, and adjust. It's way easier to add another squeeze of lime than to undo a heavy-handed pour.

5 Rice Bowl Sauce Combos That Just Hit

Chipotle + Lime + Honey

Whisk together 1/2 cup Chipotle Bitchin' Sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon honey, and enough water to reach the consistency you want.

Pairs well with: chicken, steak, black beans, roasted corn, sweet potatoes, or peppers.

Original + Lemon + Fresh Herbs

Combine about 1/2 cup Original Bitchin' Sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and chopped parsley, cilantro, or dill. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Pairs well with: salmon or any fish. I also love it with chicken, chickpeas, tomato, and cucumber.

Sriracha + Lime + Sesame

Catching the vibe yet? Pair a sauce flavor with a little more zing and something that adds depth for the bowl you're building. Mix Sriracha Bitchin' Sauce with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. It may not need any water, or just a splash.

Pairs well with: deconstructed sushi bowls with salmon, shrimp, tofu, edamame, cucumber, carrots, or cabbage.

Bombay + Lime + Coconut

This combination will take you to another world. Combine 1/2 cup Bombay Bitchin' Sauce with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut cream, then thin with water to your desired consistency.

Pairs well with: basmati rice with chicken, lentils, cauliflower, and other roasted vegetables.

Heat + Lime + Honey

This is a fun play on hot honey, which seems to be all the rage right now. Combine 1/2 cup Heat Bitchin' Sauce with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons honey.

Pairs well with: shrimp, chicken, mango, corn, or tri-tip. This sweet, spicy, creamy combo is so good your rice bowl never stands a chance. I made a version for guests a couple of weeks ago and everyone was begging for the recipe.

Ready for Your Bitchin' Rice Bowl Recipe Bible?

I've organized our published bowl recipes by protein and by the sauce you have on hand or are craving. Feel free to riff on any of them. Don't be intimidated if you don't have every exact ingredient. Consider each one a springboard.

Rice Bowl Recipes by Protein

Chicken

Steak or beef

Shrimp

Fish

Plant-based

Rice Bowl Recipes by Bitchin' Sauce Flavor

Depending on which Bitchin' Sauce is in your fridge, it may be easier to pick a bowl by flavor. Here are my favorites.

Original

Chipotle

Cilantro Chili

Sriracha

Bombay

Heat

Creamy Garlic

Pesto

Spinach Artichoke

Smokeshow or Buffalo

Caramelized Onion

Special Sauce

What If I Only Have the Original Flavor?

You can always start with Original Bitchin' Sauce and customize it for the bowl you're going for. Original is neutral in the best way. If you want to feel excited about rice bowls again, grab a few tubs of Original and think of it as your wild card:

  • Salmon bowl: Original + extra lemon + dill
  • Southwest bowl: Original + lime + cilantro
  • Mediterranean bowl: Original + parsley + lemon, with chicken, chickpeas, and roasted vegetables
  • North African bowl: Original + harissa + lemon
  • Spicy sushi bowl: Original + lime + sriracha

Think of Original as a blank canvas, and let the fresh herbs you have around take you on a culinary vacation.

How to Build a Better Rice Bowl Around the Sauce

The easiest way to start experimenting is to ask what your bowl is missing. If you start with rice, a protein, and Bitchin' Sauce, what else do you want? Acid? Freshness? Sweet? Heat? Crunch? Salt? If the whole bowl is starting to feel heavy, brighten it with more acid. Citrus is my go-to, but a favorite vinegar works too.

Pick your rice. Jasmine and basmati are fluffy and fragrant, short-grain or sushi rice is sticky enough for poke-style bowls, and brown or wild rice bring more fiber and a nuttier chew. Here's a dietitian trick: cooking rice ahead and chilling it creates resistant starch, which feeds your gut microbes and softens the blood sugar response. I break down how it works in our gut-friendly southwest bowl recipe.

Meal prep it smart. Store the rice, protein, vegetables, and sauce in separate containers and assemble when you're ready to eat, so nothing gets soggy. Refrigerate cooked rice and other leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and eat them within 3 to 4 days, per the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Reheat the rice until it's steaming hot, then add the sauce cold on top.

Just remember to keep it simple. Even if you're working with whatever veggies are in the drawer, a protein from the freezer, and a pot of rice, a pour of any Bitchin' flavor will make you feel a lot better about life than sad broccoli with bland chicken and rice. No more boring gym-bro dinners around here. Bitchin' does a lot of the heavy lifting, so there's no need to search for a new recipe or start a sauce from scratch. Stand on the shoulders of the sauce giants who came before you, and find Bitchin' Sauce at a store near you before your next bowl night.

Sauce for Rice Bowls: Frequently Asked Questions

What sauce goes on a rice bowl?

Creamy, slightly acidic sauces work best on rice bowls because they coat the rice and tie the toppings together. Popular choices include chipotle crema, peanut sauce, tahini, teriyaki, and spicy mayo. An almond-based sauce like Bitchin' Sauce, thinned with citrus juice, covers almost any bowl and keeps it dairy free.

How do you make an easy creamy rice bowl sauce?

Whisk 1/2 cup Bitchin' Sauce with 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid, such as lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar, or water. Taste, then add an optional sweet, spicy, or fresh-herb add-in like honey, chiles, sesame oil, or cilantro.

How do you thin a sauce for a rice bowl?

Add liquid a tablespoon at a time and whisk until it drizzles. Water thins without changing the flavor, citrus juice or vinegar thins while adding brightness, and coconut cream loosens the sauce while making it richer.

What is the best rice for rice bowls?

Jasmine and basmati rice are fluffy and fragrant, short-grain or sushi rice works best for poke-style bowls, and brown or wild rice add fiber and a nutty chew. Cooking rice ahead and chilling it also creates resistant starch, which is good for gut health.

How long do rice bowls last in the fridge?

Cooked rice bowls keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator if you chill them within 2 hours of cooking, according to USDA guidance. Store the sauce separately and add it right before eating so the bowl doesn't get soggy.