Rice is a poor man’s best friend. It’s inexpensive, filling, a blank slate for flavor, and can be added to almost any meal to bulk it out. But guess what? When I come home after a long day at work and I’m hungry, like now, I don’t always want to take the time to make rice.
That’s where a having a freezer stash of cooked rice comes in handy. Frozen cooked rice reheats quickly in the microwave and makes getting dinner on the table (or just into your belly) twice as fast. Plus, if you live alone and often want just one serving of rice at a time, this trick solves that problem. Use your frozen rice for a quick stir fry or fried rice, to soak up the sauce from a yummy stew, or as a bed for some beans, salsa, and cheese. The possibilities for fast meals are endless.
There isn’t much to freezing rice, so this is more of a “Why to: Freeze Rice” rather than “How to: Freeze Rice,” but, you know, consistency. I’m also going to provide some resources below for help with cooking rice for those who haven’t mastered it yet (and you definitely should master it at some point).
So, let’s go.
How to: Freeze Rice
Step 1: Cook the Rice
The next time you cook rice for a recipe, cook double with the intent of freezing half. Or, cook a big pot on the weekend and freeze it for use later in the week (or weeks to come).
Step 2: Cool the Rice
It’s important to let the rice cool quickly and completely in the refrigerator before freezing. This will help keep the grains separate instead of freezing in one sticky clump. Properly cooling your rice is also an important step to maintain food safety. Either divide the rice into smaller portions, or spread it out onto something like a baking sheet so that it has more surface area and cools faster. Always cool the rice in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, which will increase the risk of food poisoning (for more information about leftover rice and food safety, click here).
Step 3: Portion and Freeze
It’s a good idea to freeze the rice in portions that you would normally use for one or two meals. I freeze my rice in two cup portions, which will supply me with two meals worth of rice. If you have a family of four, you may consider freezing in 4-6 cup portions, so that you can just thaw the amount needed for one dinner.
I like to freeze in quart-sized freezer bags, and gallon-sized for larger portions. I find that their minimal shape helps me fit more in the freezer. Resealable plastic containers (like this) are also great because they’re reusable and many are BPA free.
Step 4: Reheat the Rice
To reheat the rice, I simply tear away the freezer bag and dump the rice in a bowl, or open up the resealable plastic container and microwave until it’s heated through. I like to place a lid loosely over top of whatever container I’m using while reheating to help keep moisture in. And, as always with microwaving, it’s a good idea to stir a couple times in the middle of reheating to make sure everything heats evenly.
I know some people don’t like to use microwaves, but I haven’t experimented with other methods of reheating frozen rice yet. If you routinely freeze and reheat your rice using another method, please share with the rest of us in the comments below!
Help with Cooking Rice
I thought about doing a step by step rice cooking tutorial, but so many others have already done so and done such a good job of it. There are two main methods of cooking rice on a stovetop. The immersion method (let the water boil before adding the rice) and the steaming method (add rice and water to pot, then bring to a boil). I prefer the steam method, but they both work great.
- Here is a great tutorial with pictures from the folks over at thekitchn.com for the immersion method.
- And a simple 1-2-3 tutorial from Martha Stewart.
- I like to use this method as described in detail.
I’ve found that the single most important factor when cooking rice is using a good pot with a thick bottom. When I use my thinner pots it sticks or burns to the bottom every time. When I use my heavy pots I get perfect, fluffy rice. The thicker pots distribute the heat better and will simply give you better results. I’ve had a set like this for the past ten years, and they’re fantastic.
Rice Cookers
And, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a rice cooker. They make perfect rice every time, aren’t very expensive, and you’ll definitely get a lot of use out of it! So, if you haven’t been able to master cooking rice on the stove, give some thought to investing in a rice cooker. Check out how inexpensive these small, medium, and extra large rice cookers are!
Plus, according to thekitchn.com, you can do a LOT more than just cook rice in one of those things… Sounds like a small apartment dweller’s best friend!
So there you have it! Rice! What’s not to love! :D
I cook a chicken breast, shred it, and mix in 2-4 cups of black beans, & rice till i get the consistency i want, then i wrap it up in a burrito and freeze it for food on-the-go.
any extra rice i have leftover i freeze for later use, and any burrito mix leftover (usually not alot) i eat for dinner that night.
Genius!
I like to use frozen whole tomatoes, thaw and peel (the skin just comes right off), put in skillet with 2 tbs oil, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, (basically any veggie you want) And let simmer until veggies are almost done, then add frozen rice, season to taste. Also you can add meat, just remember to cook it before hand (you can even freeze and then thaw) then add to veggies when they are about half cooked.
I like to freeze mine in muffin tins so they are in 1/2 cup portions for lunches.
Wow great tip!!!! Thanks
How do you get it out of the pan?
With a fork, spoon, or spatula. The same way you get it out of the pan to serve it.
I always put a wet paper towel over rice that I’m reheating in the microwave. It always comes out great!
Thank you for such a wonderful site!
We gave up our microwave a while ago and have had tremendous success using a metal steamer- not bamboo. Farberware make this fabulous
(3 quart- approx) heavy gauge steamer pot.
( available at amazon) We have three. We use them constantly. It only took a few weeks of ‘playing’ with them at first, but we now reheat foods, steam vegys and potatoes and reheat cooked rice. The food is always moist too instead of over cooked and dried out. And its healthier. We use little pyrex or corningware ( heat safe) dishes – put the rice in and steam it till it’s warm and fluffy. For reaheating items we don’t want to get too moist, I cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper. The other bonus- it’s fast !
We freeze the rice in the corning ware, put the dish in the top of the pot, cold water in the bottom and turn the burner on to med-low and let it go. Caution: Be sure to turn off the heat, remove the top of the pot, then take out the bowl to avoid a steam burn.
Hope this helps. I’m so grateful for you!
Thank you so much for sharing that!!
I reheat rice in the rice cooker! I put it in there with maybe 1/2 Tbsp of water although that might not even be necessary and there is a “steam” button on my cooker Thoroughly warms it again. It is a great way to reheat some leftovers (like leftover turkey slices and mashed potatoes/gravy after Thanksgiving) without a microwave.
Thank you for the practical idea :)
I reheat rice in a double boiler. Many people don’t have them, but it’s a saucepan with another pan that fits on top of it, with one lid. You put water in the bottom pan, not so much that it touches the pan on top (the idea behind a double boiler is that the steam from the bottom pan provides the heat, which is hotter than boiling water, so it works faster), put the rice in the top pan, and cover it. Turn on the heat. When the water boils, turn it down to a simmer and stir the rice now and then. As long as the water doesn’t boil away, it can sit there, hot, for awhile and won’t burn.
Can you put a recipe like a casserole with rice into the freezer before it is cooked?
That I’m not sure about. It seems like cooking a dish like that from frozen would lead to uneven cooking. Rice is best frozen after cooking.
If your recipe includes enough moisture to cook the rice and is cooked for long enough, it works well.
When reheating rice from frozen in the microwave, does it stay light and fluffy, or does it get kind of hard? Sometimes I find that i have to add a little bit of water to my cold rice to avoid it getting crunchy.
Mine doesn’t get hard, but I suppose my rice tends to be on the wet side when cooked in the first place. Also, make sure it’s sealed tight when in the fridge so it doesn’t dry out further.
I don’t use a microwave because I don’t have room and in 99% of all cases I don’t miss the convenience when countered with more superb methods of reheating.
With that, I would reheat the frozen rice in a couple of methods. If I simply wanted to add rice to what I wanted to eat, I would simply add the frozen rice to whatever I was cooking at the moment. Otherwise, I would add a but of water/stock to a pan, add the rice, stir, cover and simmer on low for a bit. About 4 to 8 minutes depending on volume.
Full disclosure, I’ve never done any of the above, but based on my years of living without a microwave and consistently reheating food without one, that’s where I would start
“[A]dd a bit of water/stock to a pan, add the rice, stir, cover and simmer on low for a bit. About 4 to 8 minutes depending on volume.”
Given that rice takes about ten minutes to cook normally, what would be the point?
The point would be that you’re not cooking Minute/White rice. If you’re cooking a whole grain rice it typically takes 45+ minutes to cook. This would be a huge time saver. Not everyone eat Uncle Ben’s ;)
My intention is to freeze flavored rice, like fried rice or Spanish rice, made in advanced to save time.
look up hotlogic smart ovens… they heat up until your food hits the proper temp and shuts off… when it falls below, the hot plate turns back on… we have them at work and i don’t worry about dried out food…
Gosh, I just googled “can rice be frozen?” and was linked to this site. What a wonderful array of helpful information!! I’ve read every word of every comment on this topic and just want to say thank you.
@Elizabeth – I just did the same thing! Lots of good info in the comments section. I like the idea of spreading the rice out on a baking tray, freezing, then putting into a bag or container. I do this with partially cooked potatoes and berries.
I also make small burritos with leftover beans/rice/meat/cheese/whatever you have on hand. I warm the tortillas, roll up the burrito, cool them down and then put in a freezer bag or other container. Pull one out when needed, wrap in a paper towel, and microwave for a minute, flip, microwave 1 more minute.
Another thing: The best way to cook brown rice is in the microwave. I use 1 cup rice and 2 1/3 cups liquid. Put in 2-quart glass or plastic bowl with whatever seasonings you like. Start on high power for 5 minutes. Decrease to 50% power and cook 20 minutes or until done, adding 5-minute increments as needed at 50% power.
I differ on how to cook rice on the stove. For as long as I can remember my mom has used a 10″ or 12″ straight sided skillet with a lid, and she uses what’s called the pilaf method. Heat a couple teaspoons oil in the pan, add the rice, and toss to coat for 1-2 minutes until it smells nutty. Then add the liquid and cook until done. I’ve never had a problem with it this way.
I have learned that most people her in Honduras cook their rice this way. In a skillet, add 2 tbs grease, when hot add rice and let it get “toasted” then add seasonings and stir then add desired amount of water. I personally find adding the seasonings before adding water helps dissolve them and not get clumps.