The Best Way To Reheat Frozen Rice Is Also The Quickest

Whether you're meal prepping or made a surplus of rice, you can freeze cooked rice by placing it in freezer-safe Ziploc bags to use in the future. Unlike the long drawn out process of defrosting meat or soup, the best way to reheat frozen rice is a quick stint in the microwave. Clumps of rice form solid blocks as they sit in the freezer, so you'll need to break the block up into smaller pieces before placing them in a microwave safe bowl. The simplest, mess-free way to break up a block of frozen rice is inside the freezer bag itself. You can use a rolling pin to break up the rice, similar to making a graham cracker Oreo pie crust.

Once you've placed the rice into a glass or ceramic bowl, cover it with wax paper or a glass or ceramic lid and microwave it on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Not all microwaves are created equal, so high heat isn't the same wattage across the board. You can check your rice after 2 minutes to be sure it's been heated through before tacking on extra time. Not only is the microwave the quickest way to reheat frozen rice, but it also renders the fluffiest results. As the ice crystals melt in the microwave, the lid or wax paper traps the moisture, effectively steaming the rice. In under 5 minutes, hard, frozen rice becomes a tender, fluffy side dish.

Any type of steamed rice you've frozen will transform into a fluffy, heated version of itself in the microwave thanks to the frozen water particles that collect as it freezes. Letting frozen rice thaw out in the fridge overnight or even on the stovetop runs more of a risk of drying it out or burning it. You can even freeze more elaborate rice dishes like this lemon rice pilaf or this easy fried rice recipe. Steaming frozen rice and vegetables is the best way to reheat them because it's one of the most gentle ways to ensure that they remain intact and don't get too mushy. If your rice forms clumps as it defrosts, you can easily separate the grains with a fork.

You can also use the microwave to reheat refrigerated leftover rice in no time. However, rice that's been sitting in the fridge is more prone to losing moisture. So if you're reheating rice from refrigerated, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to the rice before covering and nuking. For an even more flavorful steaming liquid, swap water with this Pacific chicken broth or homemade chicken stock. The savory, saltiness of that tablespoon of broth or stock will infuse the rice with additional flavor as it heats in the microwave. While some sources advise against reheating cream-based rice dishes like risotto or coconut rice, adding a bit of broth, microwaving in increments, and stirring between each round of heating should work.