Some of you may already know this kitchen secret: the best fried rice starts with cold, leftover rice. It’s true. Freshly cooked, steaming rice tends to become mushy when stir-fried and won’t develop the slightly crisp, flavor-packed exterior that makes fried rice so satisfying.

Quick-cooling hot rice on a sheet pan helps a bit, but it’s not the same as rice that has fully chilled. Letting cooked rice cool completely — ideally overnight — changes the starches and helps the grains firm up, which makes it much easier to separate them and get that desirable texture in fried rice. The same benefit applies to cold rice salads (one of my favourite uses for leftover brown rice: grain, vegetables, dressing, and time for the flavors to meld) and rice pancakes.

I’m not great at planning meals a day in advance. I often decide I want fried rice at the very moment I’d gladly elbow someone out of the way to get a bowl. So instead of relying on foresight, I prepare more rice than we need whenever I cook. I chill the rice in the refrigerator so it sets up firmly, then spread it on a silicone-lined sheet pan and freeze it until solid. Once frozen, I transfer the rice to labeled, dated, resealable freezer bags and store them in the freezer. I do this with every variety of rice we cook: white jasmine, brown jasmine, basmati (white and brown), medium-grain white, short-grain, and sticky sweet brown rice.

If you don’t crave fried rice, this trick is still useful. Having bags of cooked rice in the freezer means you’re only minutes away from hot rice to serve with a quick dinner. That makes it easier to have a home-cooked meal ready alongside mains like stew, soup, or curry, without needing to wait for a pot of rice to finish cooking. Often the difference between ordering takeout and staying in is how quickly the sides come together.

The Solution

Make extra rice when you cook, cool it in the refrigerator, then freeze it on a lined sheet pan in a loose layer until solid. Break up the frozen rice and store it in labeled freezer bags. This gives you ready-to-use portions for fried rice, rice salads, or simply a fast side dish.

Would you like a reliable, customizable fried rice recipe to go with this method?

Cook’s Notes

• This method works best with rice that was cooked properly — firm and not mushy. Most savory rice dishes benefit from rice cooked to separate grains (exceptions like rice pudding and congee are meant to be creamy).
• A rice cooker removes much of the guesswork when cooking different grains. You can use one to cook rice, quinoa, barley, teff, freekeh, and other whole grains with consistent results.
• Let the rice cool in the refrigerator overnight before spreading it on a silicone-lined sheet pan. Cooling helps the starch on the outside of each grain set up, which makes it easier to separate on the pan and reduces clumping when frozen.
• You don’t need to spread the rice into a perfect single layer, but the closer you get, the less clumping you’ll have and the better the thawed results will be.

How to Freeze Rice {for fried rice and other dishes}

Rebecca Lindamood

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Ingredients

• Any amount of leftover rice
  well chilled

Instructions

• Line a sheet pan with a silicone baking liner to prevent sticking. Use your hands to crumble the cold rice over the liner, gently breaking apart any clumps. While it doesn’t need to be a perfect single layer, spread the rice as evenly as possible. Use multiple sheet pans if needed to keep the rice close to a single layer. Freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Once solid, break the frozen rice into portions and transfer to labeled, dated, resealable freezer bags. Store frozen for up to 3 months.

To Reheat Frozen Rice:

• Place the desired amount of frozen rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, vent one side, and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, fluff the rice with a fork, then recover and reheat in 1-minute increments until hot throughout.

Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition calculator.

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