These leftover rice recipes are the perfect way to use up your cooked rice. Don’t toss your last night’s dinner. Make it something great again. These breakfast, dinner, and dessert ideas are perfect for using your rice the next day.
Leftover Rice Recipes
Leftover rice is a great way to use up an inexpensive pantry staple.
You can make fried rice with leftover rice or think outside the box and use your plain rice for breakfast or dessert! There are lots of fun options listed.
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Common questions
Can you substitute brown rice for white rice for wild rice?
The links below will let you know if the recipe calls for a specific type of rice, like brown or wild rice.
Most of the troubles with swapping kinds of rice have to do with the cooking time. Since we’re working with cooked rice, this isn’t as much of an issue.
Can you freeze cooked rice?
Absolutely! In fact, some say it’s the best way to store leftover rice.
How to store rice after cooking.
The trick to keeping your rice fluffy and soft is in how you store it. We’ll share our favorite ways to save your leftovers so you can use them when they are day-old.
- Choose your storage container.
- Use a shallow airtight container.
- Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil.
- Place it in plastic wrap or a freezer bag.
- Use a rice storage container.
- Pack the rice while it’s still warm. The steam is moisture that will help your rice keep its consistency.
- Let the container cool before putting it into the fridge or freezer.
- Make sure you label and date your rice.
How long does cooked rice last?
That all depends on how you store it.
- Refrigerator: Up to 3 days
- Freezer: Up to 1 month
Other recipe ideas you may enjoy!
Each of these leftover cooked rice recipes will tell you:
- Type of recipe
- Number of ingredients
- How much rice you will need and what type (if the recipe specifies)
- The complexity of ingredients (aka, whether or not you might need to hit the grocery store first)
- How long it takes to prepare (including cook time)
- Special diet (Keto, Gluten-free, etc)
- Equipment needed. (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, etc.)
What to make with leftover rice
If you’re currently heading home with a to-go box filled with leftovers, don’t stress! Pin this to your favorite recipe board and it will be ready when you are!
Ingredients that work well with rice
These ingredients will pop up in a lot of the recipes below. So if you have them on hand, you will be able to find more ideas to make.
- cilantro
- curry
Leftover rice ideas
Our goal is to help people find dishes for the food they already have.
Each of these leftover rice ideas will give you some important information so that you can pick the recipe that works for your situation.
Check out the recipe creators that published each dish to use their tips and get the full recipe.
Note: pantry ingredients include dry ingredient pantry staples like olive oil, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, corn starch, salt, black pepper, spices, etc. Please check the recipe to make sure that you have the ingredients needed to create the dish. If you are making gluten-free recipes, it may include things like almond flour and other common gluten-free pantry items
TYPE: Breakfast
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1-2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 1 hour 30 Minutes
TYPE: Breakfast
INGREDIENT COUNT: 10 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 45 Minutes
TYPE: Breakfast
INGREDIENT COUNT: 6 plus pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 15 Minutes
TYPE: Appetizer/Snack
INGREDIENT COUNT: 6 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3/4 cup
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 35 Minutes
TYPE: Appetizer/Snack
INGREDIENT COUNT: 13
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 1 hour 30 Minutes
TYPE: Appetizer/Snack
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus Gluten-free basic pantry ingredients
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups Jasmine
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
NOTES: Gluten-Free, Vegan
TYPE: Appetizer/Snack
INGREDIENT COUNT: 4 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 30 Minutes
TYPE: Salad
INGREDIENT COUNT: 11 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups Basmati Rice
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 25 Minutes
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TYPE: Salad
INGREDIENT COUNT: 6 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups Brown Rice
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 20 Minutes
NOTES: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free
TYPE: Side Dish
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 1/2 cups Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
NOTES: Vegetarian
TYPE: Side Dish
INGREDIENT COUNT: 7 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 55 Minutes
TYPE: Side Dish
INGREDIENT COUNT: 3 plus salt and pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1/2 cup Long Grain
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 1 hour 15 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 cup
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 45 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 10 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 cup
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 40 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 6 plus pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 4 hours 20 Minutes
NOTES: Slow Cooker
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 20 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 14 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 1 1/2 - 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 1 hour 10 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 6 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups Jasmine or Basmati
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 45 Minutes
Use up your leftover veggies with these sweet potato recipes.
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 12 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 45 Minutes
NOTES: Vegan
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus salt and pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 35 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 30 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 28 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups White, Brown, or Wild
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 35 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 7
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 25 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 10 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 15 Minutes
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TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 12 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 25 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus toppings
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 25 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 11 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups White
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 30 Minutes
NOTES: Vegan
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 12 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups White or Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 30 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 10 plus salt and pepper
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups Wild
INGREDIENT TYPE: You may have to hit the grocery store first.
TIME: 60 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 10 plus Gluten-free basic pantry ingredients
AMOUNT OF RICE: 3 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 60 Minutes
Bowl with Korean Beef
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 9 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 4 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 20 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 7 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 4 cups White or Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 25 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 4 plus oil
AMOUNT OF RICE: 4 cups White or Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 12 Minutes
TYPE: Dinner
INGREDIENT COUNT: 8 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 5 cups Brown
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 30 Minutes
TYPE: Dessert
INGREDIENT COUNT: 3 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 35 Minutes
TYPE: Dessert
INGREDIENT COUNT: 5 plus basic pantry ingredients.
AMOUNT OF RICE: 2 cups
INGREDIENT TYPE: Simple ingredients you may have on hand.
TIME: 50 Minutes
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Which extra rice recipe are you looking forward to trying first?
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