What’s the best method to store cooked rice? Simply freeze the rice in airtight containers and reheat to enjoy later on! This is by far the best approach to keep your rice fresh and moist.

Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.

I often get questions from readers about how I store cooked rice. I usually make extra rice so that we always have some extra cooked rice ready at hand. What’s the best way to store cooked rice?

What’s the Best Way to Store Cooked Rice

When you end up with extra rice in your rice cooker after a meal, you have several options to store it.

  • Option 1 – Keep in your rice cooker with “keep warm” function on
  • Option 2 – Keep at room temperature
  • Option 3 – Store in your refrigerator
  • Option 4 – Store in your freezer

Which option do you normally use?

From my experience, freezing rice is the best way to store cooked rice, and I freeze cooked rice even if I plan to use it the next day. Here’s why.

Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.

3 Reasons Why You Should Freeze Rice

1. Stay moist, fresh, and delicious

There are many Japanese articles online that prove frozen then reheated rice tastes the best (by testing different storage methods).

You might have tried to refrigerate rice, but the texture becomes hard and dry. Unless you have plans to make fried rice the next few days, refrigerated leftover rice doesn’t taste good, even the next day!

With the freezing method, pack up the freshly cooked rice with steam (moisture) in an airtight container and close the lid immediately. So when you reheat the frozen rice, the rice is moist, fresh, and delicious just like freshly cooked rice!

2. Store for up to 1 month

The freezing method allows you to store the cooked rice for up to 1 month, so you don’t feel obligated to use it immediately or for 2-3 days.

Here’s how long the cooked rice last, compared to other storing options.

  • Option 1 (rice cooker) – Up to 3 hours (best quality) to 1 day
  • Option 2 (room temperature) – Up to 6 hours (summer) to 1 day (winter)
  • Option 3 (refrigerator) – 3 days
  • Option 4 (freezer) – Up to 1 month

3. Save money and time

If you need to cook rice for just 1 to 2 servings every day, cooking rice every day might not make sense. It’s great that you can eat freshly cooked rice, but it does not save your money and time. And rice tastes better when you cook (at least) 2 cups of rice.

Therefore, I highly recommend making extra rice and freezing it. That way, you can just cook rice when you are running out of frozen rice.

Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.

How to Freeze Cooked Rice

1. Pack immediately

Ideally, as soon as the rice is finished cooking, pack away the amount of rice you do not need or plan to keep. Make sure to pack the rice with steam and cover the lid immediately to trap the steam and moisture.

Sometimes, you didn’t plan to leave any leftover rice. In that case, just pack the leftover (you can add some water when you’re reheating).

2. Let cool completely

You do not want to spoil your food in the freezer with your hot/warm rice. So make sure to cool the rice containers first before storing them in the freezer.

3. Put in the freezer

The rice quality will stay well for up to 1 month!

Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.

Best Containers for Freezing Cooked Rice

Option 1: Glass container with a lid

Pyrex glass containers with lids.

I recommend a glass container with a lid such as Pyrex 4-Cup Round Dish Storage Container with a Cover. The 4-cup container fits 2 servings of cooked rice, which is perfect for my children’s lunchbox (2 lunch boxes). Pyrex 2 -Cup Round Dish Storage Container with Cover works great for a single rice bowl portion.

Option 2: Japanese rice container with air vent

Japanese rice storage container with air vent.

In Japanese grocery stores, you might find these plastic containers that are specifically made for freezing and then microwaving rice.

Option 3: Microwave-safe plastic wrap or freezer Bag

This may not be the most environmentally-friendly method with so much plastic usage. However, if your freezer is tiny and cannot fit the glass containers (I used to live in a dormitory with a tiny freezer space), this might be your only option.

Here’s how you prepare the “frozen rice package”. You can use the same method when you use a freezer bag.

Store cooked rice in plastic wrap and freeze it.
Step 1: Place the plastic wrap on top of the rice bowl (a good way to measure!) and put cooled rice on top.
Store cooked rice in plastic wrap and freeze it.
Step 2: Remove the rice bowl and wrap tightly. I usually shape the rice into squares so that I can organize these packets easily in the freezer.
Store cooked rice in plastic wrap and freeze it.
Step 3: Put it in a freezer bag and close tightly. Write down the date you pack.

How to Reheat the Frozen Rice

1. Use the Microwave

Microwave Rice

>> To reheat the frozen rice in the glass container…

  1. Take out the frozen rice container from the freezer.
  2. Open the lid and loosely cover it with a paper towel.
  3. Microwave until the rice is hot all the way through.

This particular 4-cup container requires microwaving for 4 minutes (1100 w). You might want to experiment with your microwave to see how long it takes to defrost properly.

>> To reheat the frozen rice in the plastic wrap/bag…

  1. Defrost the rice package in the refrigerator or on the counter until the plastic wrap comes off.
  2. Transfer to a bowl/plate.
  3. Sprinkle a little bit of water to add some moisture.
  4. Loosely cover it with a paper towel.
  5. Microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until hot all the way through.
Perfectly cooked rice served in a rice bowl along with miso soup.

2. Use the Steamer

When you need rice, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Take out the rice from the freezer and open the lid.
  2. Prepare the steamer using a large pot (See the pictures below).
  3. Bring the water to a boil and steam the frozen rice in the glass container until the rice is defrosted and warm.
DIY Steamer | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
DIY Steamer Step 1: Make small balls with aluminum foil. Fill the pot with 1-inch water.
DIY Steamer | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
DIY Steamer Step 2: Cover the lid with a clean cloth so the condensation won’t drop onto the rice.

Delicious Rice Recipes

Here are quick rice recipes you can make after defrosting the frozen rice.

Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on June 10, 2013. The post has been updated with new pictures and more detailed content in January 2020.

Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.

How to Store Leftover Rice and Best Way to Reheat It.

5 from 5 votes

Materials
  

  • leftover rice
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

To Pack Leftover Rice

  • Pack any leftover rice in a glass container. Spread it evenly and don't press it down. Ideally, you want to pack the rice with steam and cover it with the lid immediately to trap the steam and moisture.
    Glass airtight containers with steamed rice in them.
  • Let cool completely before storing them in the freezer. You do not want to spoil your food in the freezer with your hot/warm rice.
  • Put in the freezer. The rice quality will stay well for up to 1 month!

To Reheat the Frozen Rice in a Microwave

  • If you are using the glass container to store the leftover rice: Take out the frozen rice container from the freezer. Open the lid and loosely cover it with a paper towel. Microwave until the rice is hot all the way through. This particular 4-cup container requires microwaving for 4 minutes (1100 w). You might want to experiment with your microwave to see how long it takes to defrost properly.
    Microwave Rice
  • If you are using the plastic wrap/bag to store the leftover rice: Defrost the rice package in the refrigerator or on the counter until the plastic wrap comes off. Transfer to a bowl/plate. Sprinkle a little bit of water to add some moisture. Loosely cover it with a paper towel. Microwave for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until hot all the way through.

To Reheat the Frozen Rice on the Stove

  • Take out the rice from the freezer and open the lid. Prepare the steamer using a large pot with aluminum foil balls. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
    DIY Steamer | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
  • Place a plate on top or put the glass container that has leftover rice on top of the aluminum foil balls.
    DIY Steamer | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
  • Bring the water to a boil and steam the frozen rice in the glass container until the rice is defrosted and warm.
    DIY Steamer | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
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Thank you for the informative article. For how long approximately would you recommend steaming 1-2 servings of frozen rice?

Hi, thank you for this guide! I don’t have a microwave nor a steamer, and usually heat things up in a pot or pan. How would you suggest reheating the rice in my case?

Hi Arianna! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
You can create a steamer by placing a small dish or Pie/Tart Pan in the pot and filling the pot with water (about 1″~2″ high water level).
We hope this works for you!

Thanks, I’ll try 🙂

Have always loved making bentos for myself and my kids…I have a little collection of bento boxes. Now that the kids are out of the house and I’m retired there is not much occasion to make bentos…I “adopted” my neighbor’s kid for a while just so I could make her bentos….jajaja. Love your site and all the inspirational vids and recipes!!! I will be trying the frozen rice suggestions today

Hi Michael! Wow! What a lucky neighbor!😃
Yes! Please try freezing rice. It works really well and saves a lot of time in the morning.
Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!

Very helpful JOC post. Now I don’t have to throw away so much rice!

Hi Laura! Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear this post was very helpful! ☺️
Thank you for visiting the JOC site and for your kind feedback!

I don’t suppose you have a link to Japanese Rice Container with Air Vent on Amazon JP? I have yet to see them in our local MaruFuji

I have tried freezing left-over regular rice (not glutinous rice) before and my experience is not very encouraging. When I thaw the frozen rice, water comes out and settles at the bottom and some of the grains appear opaque. After microwaving, the rice turns out broken and grainy even if I sprinkle some water prior to microwaving. The outcome is not very appetizing. This is the first time I encountered this suggestion to freeze rice and would like to try it again. I just do not know what I am doing wrong or if this method only applies to glutinous rice.

Hi Jerry,
When you take out the rice from the freezer, thaw it just enough to remove the wrapper and put it in the microwave to reheat fully. And make sure you cover the rice with a microwave-safe paper towel or cover to keep the moisture.
We use this technic for different types of rice, and it works great for us. We hope you get better results too. 🙂

I don’t freeze my rice. When I reheat my rice, I put a dish over the container (leaving a small gap for air to escape), drizzle a little bit of water over the rice and put a cup of water next to it in the microwave for 2mins. I do get the similar effect of freshly steamed rice.

Hi Dephanie,
That will work well too for the next day.
Thank you for sharing your cooking tips with us!😊

Dear Nami – Your site is a discovery for me – thank you!
I want to ask. If I prepare the rice in for bento box in the evening (8-9 p.m), leave them to cool at room temperature in a tight container and just put them in the bento for my daughter in the morning – will they be good enough for lunch? (There is no possibility to warm up in bento at school). Thank you in advance.

Thank you Nami, will cook the rice in the morning and let them cool with ice cubes as you advised! Unfortunately it is not possible to buy short grain japanese rice in Lithuania, but there are so-called ‘sushi’ rice. This is probably the closest thing you can get?

Thank you, Nami, my daughter (12) is is fascinated by Japan culture, food, movie, fashion etc. The great film by Hayao Miyazaki Spirited Away is her favourite 🙂
So your site for me is a way to get to Japan for a couple of minutes.

Hi Daiva,
We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you and your family! Please check https://www.justonecookbook.com/categories/japanese-culture/ to learn more about Japan as well!

Thank you!

Thank you for the tips on storing cooked rice. Will try it for my next batch of rice.

because i know rice doesnt last long in my house, like to store the rice in a regular container with a wet paper towel and that keeps it from drying up. the rice is usually used with 24 hours.

My Japanese mom showed me how to portion cooked gohan straight from the rice cooker, to small snack sized zipper bags …in single portions…making sure I take the air out of the bags. . Then I leave the steamy bags on the counter to cool a little bit, before stacking them in a larger freezer storage bag. Since I’m now the only one in the house still eating rice, this is perfect for me. I now know that I punch in time as 111 on my 1300 watt microwave and voilá…my rice is fresh tasting and the right temperature. And definitely recycling my bags. 👍🏼 I’m loving everyone’s tips and stories.

Hello

I’m planning to do Bento Style meals with this kind of rice. If I wanted to have rice as a bento box option, whats the best thing to do I’m preparation as I’ve read that reheating foods made the night before can be problematics and lead to bateria if placed in a bento box immediately after reheating.

What would you recommend to prevent this from happening?

A benefit of freezing rice is that it leads to a smaller blood glucose response.

It is true, and it’s due to the effect of temperature change on the chemistry of starches. The same applies to pasta and potatoes. See https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/well/eat/resistant-starch-pasta-rice-leftovers.html

What does the little balls of aluminum foil do when reheating frozen rice?

I heard that You can then keep the rice in the fridge (but for no more than one day) before reheating. And if the rice is left standing at room temperature after it’s been boiled, the spores can grow into bacteria, which will ultimately multiply and may produce toxins that cause vomiting or diarrhea.