Fried rice is a very versatile food that can be a wonderful side dish with many different recipes.
It’s easy to make but can take some time, so it’s often easier to make large batches and keep any leftover rice for another day.
If you do have leftover rice, however, then you need to know how to reheat it.
This can be difficult to do well as reheating fried rice can easily dehydrate it and leave you with rice that is dried out and tastes bland.
In this article, we will introduce several different ways to reheat fried rice. We will give you instructions and tips that will ensure your fried rice is always reheated to perfection.
How To Reheat Fried Rice In The Microwave
This is the fastest and probably the most common way to reheat fried rice.
It’s also one of the most likely ways to dry out your rice so you need to be careful when you use a microwave. To ensure that your reheated fried rice is fluffy and fresh, we advise you to add some liquid.
Step One
Place your cold fried rice in a microwave-safe bowl. You should add one to two tablespoons of liquid to the bowl. This can be either water or a broth of your choice.
Step Two
Cover the bowl with some paper towel.
We advise using a paper towel instead of a fixed lid as you want to keep some of the steam produced in the container while allowing some to escape.
A fixed lid will keep all of the steam inside. If you have a lid that allows you to vent some steam then you can use this instead.
Step Three
Microwave the rice for two minutes. Remove your lid or paper towel and check the rice by stirring it and ensuring it is hot all of the way through.
If it isn’t cooked yet, recover the rice and microwave for another minute.
Step Four
Once the rice is piping hot all of the way through, remove it from the microwave and serve. Be careful when serving as the rice will be steaming hot and it can burn.
How To Reheat Fried Rice In The Oven
This is one of our least favorite ways to reheat fried rice because of the amount of time it takes. It can also dry out your rice so remember to add liquid before you start.
Step One
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure that your fried rice is in an oven-safe dish that also has a secure lid.
Add two tablespoons of liquid to your rice. This can be either water or a broth of your choice.
Step Two
Put your rice in the oven. Let it bake for around 13 to 15 minutes.
Step Three
Take your rice out of the oven and remove the lid from the dish. Put the dish back into the oven for around five minutes or until your rice is piping hot throughout.
How To Reheat Fried Rice On The Stovetop
This is a great way to reheat your fried rice. You will get rice that is moist and it doesn’t take too long either.
Step One
You will need either a saute pan or a skillet. Place it on the stovetop on medium heat and add a tablespoon of cooking oil.
It’s best to use a neutral cooking oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor, such as butter or sesame oil.
Step Two
Wait for the pan to become hot and then add your rice.
Spread the rice evenly across the surface of the pan with a wooden spoon and then turn up the heat so that it is at a medium-high temperature.
Step Three
Stir the rice occasionally to ensure it all gets cooked evenly and doesn’t begin to stick to your pan.
Allow it to cook for around four to five minutes or until the rice is piping hot throughout.
How To Reheat Fried Rice In An Air Fryer
Air Fryers have become a very popular kitchen appliance in recent years due to their healthy and quick way of cooking.
They’re a very versatile way of cooking and can be used for reheating fried rice as well. In our opinion, air fryers are also a great way to reheat fried rice without drying it out.
Keep in mind that the timings included in this section will need to be adjusted depending on how much rice is in your air fryer.
Step One
Place your rice into a baking safe dish that will fit in your air fryer. Cake pans are ideal for this but anything that is oven safe should be fine.
Step Two
Set your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the rice for six minutes.
Step Three
After the six minutes have elapsed, stir your rice and then cook for another one to two minutes.
This should be enough to heat your rice through, but if it doesn’t, cook until your rice is piping hot all of the way through.
Tips And Hints
When you reheat fried rice, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind.
You should never reheat rice more than once. If you don’t finish your reheated rice then this should be disposed of instead of kept for another day.
When reheating fried rice, it must be piping hot throughout. The rice needs to get extremely hot so that any bacteria it contains are killed off and the rice is safe to eat.
This is also why you should make sure that whatever method you use, you stir the rice as this helps it to become piping hot throughout.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced several different ways to reheat fried rice. We gave step-by-step instructions and tips so that your reheated rice tastes just as delicious as fresh rice would.
Whichever method you choose, we hope it helps you make delicious reheated fried rice every time.
