Have you ever had Chinese takeout rice and didn’t finish the entire box of Chinese rice? You have more than likely run into this before, so the question is, can you reheat Chinese rice?
You can amply reheat your Chinese rice in numerous ways, like in your microwave or oven! You will be sure to know how to reheat your Chinese rice. Whether you use your oven, microwave, or air fryer, the choice is yours!
Can You Reheat Chinese Fried Rice?
You most certainly can reheat rice; it can be an easy task! You can reheat your rice in multiple ways, like the oven, air fryer, or stovetop. However, you should remember that if you do not reheat your Chinese rice properly, your rice can change in texture. You can easily avoid the texture change with proper storage and proper reheating.
For safety reasons, you should consume your Chinese rice within 3 to 4 days to prevent running into the bacteria Bacillus cereus. Reheating your Chinese rice more than once is not suggested; bacteria in the rice, known as Bacillus cereus, can survive and endure through cooking. Bacillus cereus is commonly the cause of food poisoning, resulting in you getting extremely ill.
How Do You Reheat Leftover Chinese Fried Rice?
Guarantee that you properly reheat your rice to prevent any texture changes. You have multiple options for reheating your leftover Chinese rice, like in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. Any of these strategies will work for you to reheat your rice.
Microwave
Your microwave will be the quickest method of reheating your Chinese Chinese rice timewise. However, this method can take out more of the nutritional value than your stovetop would. If you want a quick reheating process, your microwave will be your most acceptable option.
Steps
- Ensure that you have a microwave-safe container and a paper towel. Place your Chinese Chinese rice into the microwave-safe dish. Distribute your Chinese rice in an even layer to guarantee your Chinese rice will be evenly warmed.
- Ensure there are no clumps in your Chinese rice; this can cause uneven heating.
- Drizzle a bit of water, soy sauce, or broth over the top of your Chinese rice.
- Cover your Chinese rice with a slightly damp paper towel, not a lid.
- Covering your Chinese rice with a barely damp towel will create a steam effect, giving and maintaining your Chinese rice’s moisture levels.
- Heat your Chinese rice in 30-second intervals.
- In between 30-second intervals, you should fluff your Chinese rice and stir a bit to ensure your Chinese rice will heat thoroughly.
- Take your Chinese rice out of your microwave when it is steaming hot evenly.
Stovetop
On your stovetop, a quick and relatively easy way to reheat your Chinese rice. This reheating method requires a shallow pot or pan with a lid. In this circumstance, you will need the lid to retain your moisture. Your stovetop is a relatively short reheating process but will also help maintain the moistness of your Chinese rice.
Steps
- Take your leftover Chinese rice out of your fridge, and let your Chinese rice rest until it reaches room temperature.
- Once your Chinese Chinese rice has hit room temperature, you can add your grains of Chinese rice to the shallow pot or skillet with a bit of liquid such as water, broth, or soy sauce.
- Cover your Chinese rice with the lid tightly.
- Heat your Chinese rice over low heat for roughly 5 minutes or until your Chinese rice is piping hot.
- If you see that your Chinese rice has a few clumps yet, stir slightly and break them up.
- Remove your Chinese rice from the heat when your Chinese rice is heated thoroughly and steamed.
While reheating, a lid to cover your Chinese rice can help you contain moisture and fluffiness, preventing dry, unappetizing Chinese rice.
Air Fryer
Another popular and easy option for reheating your Chinese rice is using your air fryer. Air fryers have become so popular since they came out for many things besides frying food with no oil. You can follow the below steps to learn how to use your air fryer to reheat your Chinese rice.
Steps
- Place your Chinese rice in your air fryer basket.
- Close the lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. No need to add moisture as the air fryer will already maintain the moisture in your Chinese rice.
- Check your rice at 8 minutes; if it does not seem heated thoroughly, let your rice cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- When your Chinese rice is piping hot and steaming, you can take it out of the air fryer.
- Let your rice cool before enjoying it. No one wants to get burnt!
Oven
Reheating your Chinese rice in the oven is one the more simple methods of reheating Chinese rice. However, you may not want to use this method if you are short on time, as it can be very time-consuming. Though reheating in the oven does keep the moisture a bit better as opposed to other reheating methods, it may be worth it in the end. Without further due, you can follow the subsequent steps to reheat your Chinese rice in the oven.
Steps
- You can start by preheating your oven to around 425-450°F, depending on your cookstove.
- Place your leftover Chinese rice that needs reheating into an oven-safe dish.
- Sprinkle water, soy sauce, or broth with your rice to give it some moisture.
- Cover your Chinese rice with a lid to maintain moisture. Place on the middle rack of your oven.
- Bake your Chinese rice for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
- You can remove the lid for the last 3 to 4 minutes to let all the steam out of your dish.
- Ensure you do not leave your Chinese rice in the oven with no lid for longer than 3 to 4 minutes; after 4 minutes, your Chinese rice has a higher chance of drying out.
- Take your rice out of your oven when your rice is thoroughly heated.
What Can Be Made From Reheated Leftover Chinese Rice?
Many delicious recipes call for fried rice. You can use leftover fried rice in any recipe that calls for fried rice. You don’t have to eat just your Chinese rice; you can also mix it into other recipes.
Some recipes that are ideal for adding in leftover fried rice:
- Spicy salmon rice croquettes.
- Asian fried rice.
- Different types of Risotto.
- Congee or Porridge.
- BBQ pork rice.
- Poached rice.
- Burrito.
- Thai fried rice.
- Deep-fried rice balls.
- Pumpkin rice soup.
That said, you don’t need to worry about using your Chinese rice if you do not feel like eating Chinese rice for a second or third time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of rice do Chinese restaurants use for Chinese rice?
Restaurants generally use long grain rice for their Chinese rice dishes, like Jasmin or japonica rice. Any variety of Long grain rice is more suitable for fried rice. Some rice will not give you the right texture for fried rice. Instead, they will provide you with a clumpy, mushy mess.
Rice, like short-grain sushi rice, would not be a very suitable option for you to use. Short-grain rice can be too gummy in texture for you to use in Chinese rice.
What is the best oil to use in Chinese rice?
Believe it or not, butter is the best oil to use in your Chinese rice. Almost any oil will do to utilize in Chinese rice.
Some of the better oil can include:
- Olive oil.
- Peanut oil.
- Palm oil.
- Vegetable oil.
What makes Chinese rice taste so good?
Ultimately it boils down to which brand, length, and category of rice you use. If your fried rice does not have the texture you are looking for, you should try different kinds of rice, as that may be your problem.
Chinese rice also tastes good because it has all the of the things you crave in a tasty meal:
- Butter.
- Soy Sauce.
- Oyster Sauce (Trust me, it gives the dish a great flavor!)
- Fish Sauce (Also tastes excellent)
- Oil.
Conclusion
To sum up, reheating your Chinese rice, you are more than capable of reheating your Chinese rice with little to no harm. However, reheating your rice may change the texture of your rice. With simple precautions, you can easily avoid this. With that said, good luck with reheating your Chinese rice.
