Use it up · Grains, rice and pasta

White rice

Have extra white rice? Here’s how to choose, store and prep white rice, plus 20 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Long-grain rice cooks up fluffy; jasmine is fragrant; short-grain is stickier.

🧊 Storing it

Pantry: About 2 years dry, sealed
Fridge: Cooked: 3 to 4 days, like other leftovers
Freezer: Cooked rice freezes well in portions

Cool cooked rice quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours.

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System and FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Rinse, then simmer covered (about 1 part rice to 1 1/2 to 2 parts water) for 15 to 20 minutes and rest 5. Day-old rice makes the best fried rice.

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Long-grain white rice. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	365 kcal	18%
Protein	7.1 g	14%
Total fat	0.7 g	1%
Saturated fat	0.2 g	1%
Total carbohydrate	80 g	29%
Dietary fiber	1.3 g	5%
Total sugars	0.1 g
Sodium	5.0 mg	0%
Calcium	28 mg	2%
Iron	4.3 mg	24%
Potassium	115 mg	2%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 168877 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

20 recipes, the ones that use the most white rice first.

With a smaller amount

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More grains, rice and pasta

Brown rice Pasta Egg noodles Oats Quinoa Couscous Barley Cornmeal and grits Flour Bread Tortillas All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.