Okay to Reheat Chinese White Rice?

It’s surprising how often this question is asked by people, whether it’s okay to reheat Chinese white rice – well, for starters, whatever type of rice it is is pretty irrelevant. The bottom line is you CAN – it IS okay to reheat white rice of any sort. Many people will find they’ve over-ordered on a Chinese takeaway, so have lots of rice left over, which is why it’s probably the most common type of rice people wonder about.

The secret is, well, not a secret, but there are two parts to consider when you reheat rice:

1. Cool the rice down ASAP, preferably within an hour – and get it into a lidded box in the fridge. Once cooked, rice needs to be cooled fast and kept in the fridge. If the rice has been out longer than an hour, then that’s when there’s the chance something might go wrong for you.
2. To reheat rice safely, just make sure it’s thoroughly hot all the way through. Don’t skimp when you reheat it. You can reheat rice as part of a stir fry, or in a microwave oven – any method really, just make sure it’s been reheated thoroughly, throughout.

Can You Freeze Rice?

Once cooked – and cooled within an hour – you can then freeze rice. It’s best to freeze it in portions as it’s nigh on impossible to break it up when you need it. Just stick to the rule above and make sure the rice is really, really hot when you defrost and reheat it.

It’s that simple!