# What's the best way to reheat leftover Chinese fried rice?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 7, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676 "2008-11-07T18:21:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/1 "2008-11-07T18:21:56Z")
Whenever I have leftover fried rice that I’ve refrigerated, it always ends up being dried out and disgusting. However, the fried rice as this new Chinese delivery place is SO good and I don’t want it to go to waste.
So, is there any way to store and reheat Chinese fried rice so it’s not dried out? I welcome all suggestions!
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### Author:  [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/2 "2008-11-07T18:32:02Z")
I’ve been reheating a lot of rice lately, and I usually put a soaking wet paper towel on top of the plate/bowl. It’s never going to be the same, but it does the trick well enough. I know that we’re talking about fried rice, but I’d imagine that it translates pretty well. Good luck!
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### Author:  [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/3 "2008-11-07T18:34:58Z")
Heat up a frying pan, add a little oil. Scramble an egg and pour it over the fried rice. Mix it together then toss it in the frying pan. Heat & eat.
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/4 "2008-11-07T18:41:18Z")
Are you just storing it in the cardboard box it comes in? Try a better sealed container. Also, maybe add a tablespoon of water before microwaving it, to replace water that evaporates while reheating.
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### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/5 "2008-11-07T18:52:04Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#):
>
> Heat up a frying pan, add a little oil. Scramble an egg and pour it over the fried rice. Mix it together then toss it in the frying pan. Heat & eat.
Second this. It’s fried already - go ahead and fry it again!
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/6 "2008-11-07T19:41:24Z")
Either the frying pan or microwave should do it, as long as you add a little (1 tablespoon or so, not much) water and cover it for enough time for the water to be absorbed. Repeat as necessary until desired texture is achieved.
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### Author:  [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/7 "2008-11-07T20:12:44Z")
Whilst you stored the leftover rice in the fridge, the restaurant may not have been quite so fastidious with its food hygiene. So you should heat rice to 70-75C for between 5 and 8 minutes to limit the possibility of _B. cereus_ poisoning.
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### Author:  [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/8 "2008-11-07T20:15:09Z")
Do you have a steamer? 10 minutes or so should suffice.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/9 "2008-11-07T20:26:04Z")
I put just a smidge of water in it and put a plate over the bowl and nuke it.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/10 "2008-11-07T20:35:52Z")
> [@Szlater](#):
>
> Whilst you stored the leftover rice in the fridge, the restaurant may not have been quite so fastidious with its food hygiene. So you should heat rice to 70-75C for between 5 and 8 minutes to limit the possibility of _B. cereus_ poisoning.
I agree - cooked rice should be treated with the same care and concern as meat - i.e. chill soon after cooling, reheat until piping hot throughout.
Bacillus cereus can cause one of the more interesting forms of food poisoning - the toxins produced by the bacteria can act almost instantaneously - it’s not unheard of for victims to experience projectile vomiting after only a few forkfuls.
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### Author:  [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/11 "2008-11-07T21:11:03Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> I agree - cooked rice should be treated with the same care and concern as meat - i.e. chill soon after cooling, reheat until piping hot throughout.
>
> Bacillus cereus can cause one of the more interesting forms of food poisoning - the toxins produced by the bacteria can act almost instantaneously - it’s not unheard of for victims to experience projectile vomiting after only a few forkfuls.
My old microbiology professor (director of the county PHLS labs as it was, and where I almost ended up working post-Uni) used to claim that _B. cereus_ poisoning was under-reported because people mistook the puking it caused as being caused by their night’s drinking binge (curry and rice being the traditional post-Ale meal, for the non-Brits who might be wondering). Since taking his courses I’ve been ultra-suspicious of all take-away rice, and prefer to cook my own when I order a curry or chinese.
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### Author:  [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/12 "2008-11-07T21:23:32Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#):
>
> Heat up a frying pan, add a little oil. Scramble an egg and pour it over the fried rice. Mix it together then toss it in the frying pan. Heat & eat.
This is exactly what I was going to say.
I think it tastes _better_ the second time around using this method.
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### Author:  [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/13 "2008-11-08T05:54:46Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#):
>
> Second this. It’s fried already - go ahead and fry it again!
Third! My wife did this one night, and I realized I had made the right decision. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/14 "2008-11-08T16:38:17Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#):
>
> Heat up a frying pan, add a little oil. Scramble an egg and pour it over the fried rice. Mix it together then toss it in the frying pan. Heat & eat.
Oh, this sounds heavenly!
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/15 "2008-11-08T16:40:27Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.
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### Author:  [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/16 "2008-11-08T17:01:06Z")
Put the fried rice in a saucepan, and add enough chicken stock to make it move a bit, eg. around 3/4 as much chicken stock as rice. Boil it up; it revivifies the dried out rice.
For years, I had no microwave and I got in the habit of making anything leftover into soup.
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### Author:  [@GypsyBitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GypsyBitch)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-reheat-leftover-chinese-fried-rice/471676/17 "2008-11-09T06:19:04Z")
I always order extra fried rice and store it in freezer bags. When I want to partake in my yummy goodness, I put the frozen bag of fried rice into a pot of water and bring it to a slow boil until heated. The rice is moist and delicious!