The air fryer is an excellent place to reheat various foods and rice is no exception! This cooking appliance is a convenient, quick, and efficient way to reheat leftover rice.
Can you reheat rice in the air fryer?
Yes, you can reheat rice in the air fryer. It’s a quick and efficient method to reheat cooked rice while helping to restore its texture.
It’s ideal if you prefer rice with a crispier texture. Using the air fryer for rice and other meals isn’t just a fast solution, but it also offers a couple of advantages, particularly health-related ones.
Namely, since it doesn’t require a lot of water, air frying preserves the nutrients in rice, and the risk of overcooking is brought to a minimum.
Using the fryer for reheating foods like rice is also practical because you needn’t boil or stir the content all the time, but rather turn the fryer on, set the timer, and wait for it to do its job.
Knowing the air fryer is an awesome option to reheat rice, you can finally say goodbye to soggy and lump reheated rice and say hello to yummy and crispy rice!
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How to Reheat Rice in the Air Fryer?
If you have leftover rice that has been properly stored in the fridge or freezer, you’re probably curious about how to reheat it later.
The good news is that there are plenty of options to reheat rice. Some of the most common ones are the stove and the microwave.
However, with the rising popularity of air fryers, this appliance is also being used for reheating a long list of foods including rice. If you have an air fryer and want to learn how to reheat leftover rice, follow these steps:
- Put the leftover rice into an air fryer pan or directly into the basket of the air fryer
- Cover the pan using aluminum foil and close the basket
- Set the timer to five minutes and the temperature to 320 degrees F
- Leave the rice inside for 10 minutes and then take it out
- Fluff it out using a fork and serve it warm
When you use the air fryer to reheat rice and other foods, here are some tips to consider for optimal results:
- Don’t use parchment paper in the basket of the air fryer without food because it may catch on fire
- If you wish to use this paper, make sure there’s food on top of it
- You can use a non-stick cooking spray to oil the basket before placing the rice
- Don’t overfill the basket with rice
How Long to Reheat Rice in the Air Fryer?
Rice can be reheated in the air fryer for about 3 to 5 minutes at 320°F (160°C). And, the effort you need to put into it is much smaller than you would with some other reheating methods.
You can use the reheating time to prepare other meal parts like a salad or to set the table. The air fryer is a practical hands-free cooking appliance that will definitely ease your food preparation on a daily basis.
It’s much faster than other options like the oven. And, it crispies out the rice rather than making it gummier and watery like it could be in the microwave.
What Are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
There are a lot of advantages to using an air fryer to reheat rice. Check out the major ones below:
- You can use the air fryer to thaw frozen rice (you need to heat it up to 320 degrees F)
- It’s ideal if you prefer the crispy texture of food
- Leftovers that were fried won’t be greasy if you reheat them in the fryer
- A lot of foods don’t need more than five minutes to be reheated optimally in the fryer
- It’s ideal for reheating and cooking on hot summer days because it won’t increase the temperature in the whole kitchen like is the case with other methods like the stove or oven
- Doesn’t cause the leftovers to become soggy
- It consumes less energy than the oven
But, as with any other option, the air fryer isn’t ideal for all cooking and reheating. It also has certain disadvantages.
Check them out below:
- Not all foods are suitable for reheating in an air fryer
- If you don’t set the right time, the leftovers may dry out and even burn
- The size of food that you can cook and reheat is limited because of the compact size of the basket
- The quality models may be more expensive
What to Expect from Air Fried Rice?
Anything with rice can be reheated in the air fryer. And, you can also use the air fryer to cook rice or to thaw frozen rice.
Cooking and reheating rice in the air fryer results in a tasty and crunchy dish that’s not oily or soggy.
Air-fried rice isn’t just yummy, it’s also ready fast, within 10 minutes. All types of rice can be reheated in the air fryer, but the long-grain varieties like Jasmin or Basmati reheat the best.
These rice types absorb liquids well and dry whereas the short-grain varieties are harder to cook dry. And, when you fluff or scoop it out of the fryer, the short-grain one will stick more than the long-grain rice.
On the other hand, risotto rice is more difficult to reheat in an air fryer because it usually contains more liquid and it’s creamier. This is why the stove may be a better option for reheating it than the air fryer.
Final Thoughts
You no longer have an excuse to throw away rice leftovers!
Store them in the fridge or freezer and choose a fast and efficient method like the air fryer for reheating. This appliance is ideal for getting tasty, crispy, and warm rice.
Reheating dishes with rice is a practical, quick, and hands-free option. And, you can also use the air fryer to defrost frozen rice, without having to wait for it to thaw.
In only 10 minutes, you’ll have a tasty and soothing dish of rice which you can combine with a variety of other foods like veggies and meat.
What’s your favorite way to reheat rice in the air fryer?
