What to Do With Leftover Rice

To say rice is a pantry powerhouse is an understatement. It’s affordable, shelf-stable, and a fundamental element of numerous food cultures worldwide.

As I grew up in Istanbul, I enjoyed this versatile ingredient in a wide variety of dishes. There was rice with chickpeas (a very popular street food in Turkey), dolma (grape leaves or bell peppers stuffed with a rice mixture), and one of my favorite desserts, sütlaç (a sweet, sometimes baked rice pudding). 

Considering the current state of grocery prices, rice is an excellent item to buy in bulk from warehouse retailers like Costco or Sam’s Club, so you have an inexpensive base or side for a meal always on hand. To make life even easier, there are numerous ways to repurpose cooked rice, so feel free to prepare a large batch of this versatile grain at once. 

Here are three low-effort ways you can take advantage of your leftover rice in the fridge and transform it into delicious dishes, whether sweet or savory.

Rice pudding 

Many cultures around the world have their own variations of rice pudding, from Indian kheer to Mexican arroz con leche. It is important to note that most versions of rice pudding require cooking the rice as the first step. (When making sütlac, my Turkish grandmother likes to cook the rice in milk for almost an hour while continuously stirring it.)

But there are also renditions of this sweet treat that rely on leftover rice, similar to many recipes for Southern rice pudding. Food creator Kelley Harris (@itsmekellz) shares that she makes a Southern-style rice pudding with day-old rice, mixing it with ingredients like butter, eggs, sugar, and milk all in one bowl, before baking it in the oven. 

There’s no single right way to make rice pudding, and many people likely have strong preferences for the recipes they grew up with. However, if you have leftover rice that you don’t want to waste and crave a comforting treat, this sounds like the perfect variation to try. 

Crispy rice salad

Salads featuring crispy, crunchy rice have been appearing all over social media in the past year. As some creators have pointed out, these recipes draw on the flavors and techniques used in a popular dish from Laos called nam khao. This Laotian crispy rice salad is cherished for its bursts of flavor from ingredients like peanuts, fish sauce, lime juice, scallions, and cilantro, along with the satisfying texture of the crispy rice reflected in its name. 

While many alternate versions of this recipe found online may not authentically capture the original Laotian salad, they offer great starting points for using the same crispy rice technique to create even more delicious salads at home.

To make these crispy grains, combine cooked rice (or microwavable rice, like Trang of @trangskitchentable) with your favorite seasonings and — most importantly — oil. Then, spread the mixture on an oiled sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes at 400°F.

Once your crispy rice is ready, toss it in a bowl with whatever you like; we recommend following Trang’s lead with scallions, cilantro, lime juice, and peanuts. Pour your crispy rice over any salad components you choose, whether that includes kale, mixed greens, roasted vegetables, bell peppers, carrots, or something else entirely.

Fried rice

Whenever I see a container of leftover rice in my fridge, I feel excited about one possibility: turning it into fried rice. Day-old rice is ideal for frying because it’s slightly dried out, which helps it become crispier. This quick meal only requires one pan, and it’s also a great way to use up other leftovers and whatever you have on hand, like vegetables, cooked proteins, and pantry condiments. 

This is a stress-free meal, so feel free to customize it based on what you have available. I usually serve my fried rice in a bowl topped with sesame seeds and extra chili crisp.