This is a simple way to A Fragment with A RecyclerView kind of like how ListFragments and ListActivities work. As well as adding in an empty view that is as easy as adding a layout file to the code. To use just add The RecylcerFragment java file and recycler_layout xml file to the appropriate locations and then extend RecyclerFragment and add a …

MyRecyclerFragment

package your.package.path.fragments;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
import android.support.v7.widget.LinearLayoutManager;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;

import your.package.path.R;
import your.package.path.SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter;

/**
 * Created by aaronfleshner on 2/7/15.
 */
public class MyFragment extends RecyclerFragment {

    private String[] mDataSet = {"boom"};
    private SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter adapter;

    public MyFragment() {

    }

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        return super.onCreateView(inflater, container, savedInstanceState);
    }

    @Override
    public void onViewCreated(View view, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState);
        //set the Layout manager
        setLayoutManger(new LinearLayoutManager(getActivity()));
        adapter = new SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter(mDataSet);
        //Set Adapter
        setRecyclerAdapter(adapter);
        // Set empty_view
        setEmptyView(R.layout.empty_view);
        setEmptyViewAnimations(android.R.anim.fade_in, android.R.anim.fade_out);
    }
    
    
}

recycler_layout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:id="@+id/recylcerLayout"
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <view xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        class="android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView"
        android:id="@+id/list" />

</RelativeLayout> 

RecyclerFragment

package your.package.path;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
import android.support.v4.app.Fragment;
import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.view.animation.Animation;
import android.view.animation.AnimationUtils;
import android.widget.RelativeLayout;

import your.package.path.R;

/**
 * Created by aaronfleshner on 2/7/15.
 */
public class RecyclerFragment extends Fragment {

    private RecyclerView list;
    private View emptyView;
    private RecyclerView.Adapter mAdapter;
    private RelativeLayout layout;
    private Animation mEnterAnimation, mExitAnimation;


    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View v = inflater.inflate(R.layout.recycler_layout, container, false);
        init(v);
        return v;
    }

    private void init(View v) {
        list = (RecyclerView) v.findViewById(R.id.list);
        layout = (RelativeLayout) v.findViewById(R.id.recylcerLayout);
    }

    public RecyclerView getRecyclerView() {
        return list;
    }

    public void setLayoutManger(RecyclerView.LayoutManager layout) {
        list.setLayoutManager(layout);
    }

    public void setRecyclerAdapter(RecyclerView.Adapter adapter) {
        mAdapter = adapter;
        list.setAdapter(mAdapter);
        checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
        mAdapter.registerAdapterDataObserver(new RecyclerView.AdapterDataObserver() {
            @Override
            public void onItemRangeChanged(int positionStart, int itemCount) {
                super.onItemRangeChanged(positionStart, itemCount);
                checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
            }

            @Override
            public void onItemRangeInserted(int positionStart, int itemCount) {
                super.onItemRangeInserted(positionStart, itemCount);
                checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
            }

            @Override
            public void onItemRangeRemoved(int positionStart, int itemCount) {
                super.onItemRangeRemoved(positionStart, itemCount);
                checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
            }

            @Override
            public void onItemRangeMoved(int fromPosition, int toPosition, int itemCount) {
                super.onItemRangeMoved(fromPosition, toPosition, itemCount);
                checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
            }

            @Override
            public void onChanged() {
                super.onChanged();
                checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
            }
        });
    }

    public void setEmptyView(int layout) {
        emptyView = LayoutInflater.from(getActivity()).inflate(layout, null);
        emptyView.setLayoutParams(new ViewGroup.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT));
        this.layout.addView(emptyView);
        checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty();
    }

    public void setEmptyViewAnimations(int enterAnimation, int exitAnimation) {
        mEnterAnimation = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(getActivity(), enterAnimation);
        mExitAnimation = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(getActivity(), exitAnimation);
        mEnterAnimation.setAnimationListener(new Animation.AnimationListener() {
            @Override
            public void onAnimationStart(Animation animation) {
                if (emptyView != null)
                    emptyView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationEnd(Animation animation) {

            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationRepeat(Animation animation) {

            }
        });
        mExitAnimation.setAnimationListener(new Animation.AnimationListener() {
            @Override
            public void onAnimationStart(Animation animation) {
            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationEnd(Animation animation) {
                if (emptyView != null)
                    emptyView.setVisibility(View.GONE);

            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationRepeat(Animation animation) {

            }
        });
    }

    public void setItemAnimator(RecyclerView.ItemAnimator animation) {
        list.setItemAnimator(animation);
    }

    @Override
    public void onResume() {
        super.onResume();

    }

    private void animLogoExit(View logo) {
        logo.startAnimation(mExitAnimation);
    }

    private void animLogoEnter(View logo) {
        logo.startAnimation(mEnterAnimation);
    }

    public void checkIfRecyclerViewIsEmpty() {
        if (emptyView != null) {
            if (mAdapter.getItemCount() == 0) {
                if (mEnterAnimation != null) {
                    animLogoEnter(emptyView);
                } else {
                    emptyView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                }
            } else {
                if (mExitAnimation != null) {
                    animLogoExit(emptyView);
                } else {
                    emptyView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                }

            }
        }
    }
}

SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter

import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.TextView;

import your.package.path.R;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;

/**
 * Created by aaronfleshner on 2/7/15.
 */
public class SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter.ViewHolder> {
    private ArrayList<String> mDataSet;

    // Provide a reference to the views for each data item
    // Complex data items may need more than one view per item, and
    // you provide access to all the views for a data item in a view holder
    public static class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder implements View.OnClickListener {
        // each data item is just a string in this case
        public TextView mTextView;
        String mData;

        public ViewHolder(View v) {
            super(v);
            mTextView = (TextView) v.findViewById(R.id.text);
            v.setOnClickListener(this);
        }

        //Bind all of the data to the view
        public void bindView(String data) {
            mData = data;
            mTextView.setText(mData);
        }

        // set the click listener
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            if (mData != null)
                Log.e("MyAdapter", mData);
        }
    }

    // Provide a suitable constructor (depends on the kind of dataset)
    public SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter(String[] myDataset) {
        mDataSet = new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(myDataset));
    }

    // Create new views (invoked by the layout manager)
    @Override
    public SimpleStringRecyclerViewAdapter.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent,
                                                                         int viewType) {
        // create a new view
        View v = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext())
                .inflate(R.layout.my_text_view, parent, false);
        // set the view's size, margins, paddings and layout parameters
        ViewHolder vh = new ViewHolder(v);
        
        return vh;
    }

    // Replace the contents of a view (invoked by the layout manager)
    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(ViewHolder holder, int position) {
        // - get element from your dataset at this position
        // - replace the contents of the view with that element
        holder.bindView(mDataSet.get(position));
    }

    // Return the size of your dataset (invoked by the layout manager)
    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return mDataSet.size();
    }

    public void removeItem(int pos) {
        mDataSet.remove(pos);
        notifyItemRemoved(pos);
        notifyItemRangeChanged(pos, mDataSet.size());
    }

    public void addItem(String item, int pos) {
        mDataSet.add(pos, item);
        notifyItemInserted(pos);
        notifyItemRangeInserted(pos, mDataSet.size());
    }
}