How Long Does Cooked Rice Last and How Long Can You Keep It?

Rice is one of the most versatile, useful and delicious of ingredients, but it's also easy to have too much of a good thing.

If you commonly cook too much rice, and are left with mountains or mere mounds of cooked rice, you'll probably want to know how long you can keep your cooked rice safely.

How long can you keep cooked rice?

Rice is best eaten as soon after cooking as possible, i.e. the next day, but generally, cooked rice, if cooled and stored correctly, lasts three to five days.

The USA Rice Federation recommends only storing cooked rice leftovers for set periods:

• In the fridge, cooked rice leftovers may be stored for 3 to 5 days.
• In the freezer, cooked rice leftovers may be stored for up to 6 months.

However, the UK's NHS advises to "keep rice in the fridge for no more than 1 day until reheating".

Cooked rice must also be re-heated correctly before enjoying it again as it can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, which multiply at room temperature and can cause food poisoning.

Make sure you only re-heat leftover rice once and that it's steaming hot before serving.

How to store cooked rice

Cool cooked rice quickly. This can be done by spreading it out and, once cool, storing it in an airtight container or in a freezer bag with the air removed.

You should aim to refrigerate your rice within two hours. Refrigeration slows down the growth of nasty bacteria. According to the USDA, room temperature is 90°F, which is the ideal temperature for bacteria to grow. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F so make sure your fridge is at 40°F or lower.

Freeze any excess rice if you want it to last longer than a few days.

How to test cooked rice 

If you're not sure how long your rice has been in the fridge, check its condition. If it has an unpleasant smell, gooey texture, or mould it is no longer safe to eat. If in doubt, throw it out.

Rice’s versatility means that any leftovers can be turned into a huge range of delicious dishes. The only limit is your imagination! Why not start with traditional Sicilian arancini – 'little oranges' made of rice and filled with countless different fillings, from gooey mozzarella cheese to rich meat ragù and silky aubergines. Across the pond, this tasty southwestern rice salad is packed with protein and plenty of flavour. Gluten free rice cake with zucchini and rocket makes the perfect comfort food for a vegetarian brunch.