Meals with leftover rice
Day-old rice is one of the best meal-prep ingredients you have. It's drier, which means it fries perfectly.
These meals all work best with leftover rice, not fresh.
Easy meal ideas
Fried rice
Fry leftover rice in hot oil, add egg and any protein or vegetables, season with soy sauce.
Rice bowl with toppings
Warm leftover rice, top with a fried egg, any sauce, and whatever's in the fridge.
Rice soup
Simmer leftover rice in broth until soft and thick. Simple and warming.
Rice cakes
Mix leftover rice with an egg and a pinch of flour, fry into patties until golden.
How to stretch these ingredients
- The drier the rice, the better it fries — freshly cooked rice steams instead of frying
- Add anything you have to fried rice: vegetables, protein, egg
- Rice soup is the best use for rice that's too dry to eat plain
- A drizzle of sesame oil at the end of fried rice is the finishing touch
- Cold leftover rice also works well in a rice salad with any dressing