Don't Make This Mistake When Reheating Cooked Rice

It can be hard to nail the quantity when making rice. You certainly don't want to have too little of the starchy stuff, but when you err on the side of caution, you end up with more than enough. It's really no problem though, as rice goes with such a great variety of cuisines and leftover rice is a staple when it comes to making many delicious dishes. Reheating it, though, can be a bit vexing as the rice is already cooked to — hopefully — the perfect consistency. When reaching for it again, you want to ensure that it comes to temp without continuing to cook further and becoming either limp or chewy.

It may seem tempting to turn to one of the many convenient appliances in your kitchen to quickly heat up your leftover rice. That's not necessarily a bad instinct; you just need to choose wisely. A toaster oven, for instance, is a great way to quickly roast small items that don't require the volume of a full oven. But, for rice, a toaster oven makes for a poor choice. The dry heat generated by the coils can quickly dehydrate your rice, leaving it hopelessly chewy or even brittle. Further, food in a toaster oven is always close to the appliance's heating elements, which means that it can quickly scorch.

If a toaster oven is all that is available, there are a few workarounds that can help prevent some of the above ills from besetting your rice. First, cook it on low heat so that it can gently come to temperature without quickly burning. Second, wrap the rice tightly in foil to help trap moisture and keep things from getting too crisp. And, third, add a bit of water to the rice so that it remoisturizes and steams while in the toaster oven.

If your options are a bit more broad, then turn to an at-times but not always rightfully maligned appliance: the microwave. Because it provides powerful cooking that hinges on vibrating molecules of water to generate heat, the microwave can wake up your rice for another meal without necessarily killing it. A favorite Tasting Table trick for microwaving leftover rice is an odd one, but works like a charm. All you need is a microwave-safe vessel and an ice cube to get steamy rice that's done in just minutes.

Outside of the microwave, try rinsing the rice under warm water. It takes a bit longer, but the warm — not hot — water wil both hydrate and gently reheat the grains. You can also add leftover rice directly to dishes, such as a chicken and rice soup or a pot of red beans. The heat from the dish you're currently cooking will likely be more than enough to warm the rice through.