Last Updated on 20th July 2022 by
You have to be careful how you reheat rice. Most people will just use the microwave, but is that the best way to reheat rice?
If you reheat the rice improperly or wait too long to reheat it, you could experience food poisoning. There is a bacteria called Bacillus cereus that latches onto rice and can make you sick. How does it get into your rice? If you leave rice uncovered at room temperature (like you might to let it cool after cooking), this bacteria can get into the rice.
The bacterium causes food poisoning, and we want to avoid that, so I have a guide on how to reheat rice in a safe manner. I also want to share with you my tips for how to reheat rice in a way that warms it thoroughly and makes it tasty. When reheating rice, we want to avoid making it mushy or cooking it unevenly. There are ways to warm up the rice again to make sure it tastes just as good as when you first cooked it.
Rice always tastes best when it is first made, and you feel like you can eat it without adding hardly anything to it because of how warm and comforting it is. When you reheat it properly, the rice can come out that delicious once more.
What Is the Best Way to Reheat Rice?
The kind of rice you need to reheat will partially determine what reheating method you use. If you have rice that was cooked in a pot on the stove, though, then you can simply reheat it the same way. You want to be careful about changing the flavour of the rice, making it mushy or burning it, however, as all of those can happen with improper stovetop reheating methods.
So, you should be following a proven method for stovetop reheating. When you do, you will need to add some water, but not much. When cooking raw rice, you may use a cup and half of water or two and half cups of water per cup of rice, depending on the cooking method you use.
When you reheat the rice, you only need about two tablespoons of water for each cup of rice. So, you should measure out the rice that is left, if you don’t already know how much is left.
Then, you want to stir that water into the rice, so that it penetrates the rice and you get rid of any clumps. This allows the rice to cook more thoroughly. Stir well, but not so hard that you turn the rice to mush.
This is honestly the best way to reheat rice without a microwave, and even if you do have a microwave, I still recommend this method.
Cook your rice on a low heat and stir regularly to keep the rice from burning. That stirring also ensures that all of the rice gets cooked. When you reheat rice, it is best to use a shallow pan. That’s helpful because it makes it easier for all the rice to cook thoroughly and warm up at the same rate.
A deeper pot will leave some of the rice up high away from the heat, and you can end up with some rice that is cold and some rice that is hot. It may be necessary to reheat the rice in parts, a little at a time, if your rice portion is large and your pan is small.
This is the best way to reheat brown rice or white rice that has been boiled in water on the stove. Other types of rice may need different reheating methods.
How to Reheat Fried Rice
I have talked about the best way to reheat white rice, which is on the stovetop, in a pan with some water, but what about fried rice? How do you reheat rice that was cooked in oil rather than water? Surely you can’t use the same methods.
You might think that you would reheat it in some oil for a bit, but what that does is make it kind of soggy and oily. It can ruin the taste of the rice, and if you are happy with the level of oil in the rice already, why would you want to add more oil to it? You may not think there is any other way to warm up that rice that keeps the same texture and flavour, but there is.
The best way to reheat chicken fried rice or any kind of fried rice is to use the microwave. I was surprised as well to find out that this is the best method for reheating this kind of rice, but it absolutely works. There is a trick to it, though. You need to reheat the rice in 20-second intervals. So, warm it up for 20 seconds, and then (here is the important part) stir the rice.
Then cook it some more in the microwave for 20 additional seconds. Keep doing that, stirring thoroughly each time. This lets you easily judge how long the rice needs to be in the microwave to be thoroughly heated. It also ensures that the rice is warmed evenly, since you will be stirring each time.
I would say that this is the best way to reheat rice in the microwave, since it allows you to stay in control of the texture and heat and ensure an even warming. Microwave reheating can work, but you want to use it when there isn’t another, better way.
Microwaving can rob food of some of its nutrients and change the texture slightly. It works well for fried rice, but that’s partly because there isn’t another way to reheat fried rice that really works.
Tips for Safe Reheating
I want to leave you with a few important tips on how to reheat rice in a way the avoids food poisoning. No one wants to get sick off their leftovers, but you can make use of the food that is left in your fridge and not have to toss if if you know how to reheat it and store it properly.
First of all, after you cook rice fresh, cover it enough so that bacteria cannot easily get inside.
Secondly, after the rice cools following cooking, place it directly into the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can use a resealable plastic bag as well, which is a great way to save some space.
How long should rice stay in the fridge after it has been cooked. Health experts recommend that you leave rice leftovers for no more than one day. Then just follow the best way to reheat cooked rice and use up all the rice at the same time. If I have extra rice left over that I cannot eat after I have reheated it, I always give it to my dog or share with neighbours’ dogs. Rice is really good for them and can be a major part of their diet. Plus, most dogs love the taste. This way, no rice goes to waste.
Now, you know the best way to reheat rice and what to do with it to avoid food poisoning. I hope this helps you to make rice that is tastier and more pleasant to eat.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
