29 Leftover Rice Recipes to Clean Out Your Fridge

Did you know that reviving old rice can be as simple as adding avocado? It was news to us too. Spice it up with cumin, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper, then stir it all into some leftover brown rice. We’re never going back to boring dry rice again.

No time to buy groceries? That’s what leftovers and pantry staples are for. Grab a can of Spam, cooked rice, frozen veggies and sriracha. (If you have eggs, add those too—but they’re optional.) We’ll have to admit, we like this more than the dinners we plan.

One perk of leftover rice: You can spend tonight’s prep time dedicated to the toppings without worrying about burning your starch. Focus your energy on pan-frying the boneless skinless chicken breasts and layering the flavors of the spicy sauce, complete with red-pepper flakes, green onions and garlic.

Maria Lichty of Two Peas & Their Pod knows a thing or two about leftovers. Any mom knows that kids, after all, are known for suddenly not wanting to eat their dinner. Toss that uneaten rice into a kale salad, add a drizzle of homemade Dijon vinaigrette and you’ve got lunch for the week.

With leftover rice, you can throw together your own salmon “sushi” bowl faster than you can order a California roll and a sashimi platter. Spoon room-temperature rice into a bowl and top it with seared salmon, cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds and nori. Crack open an Asahi, hit “play” on Netflix and your night is officially set.

The banh mi sandwich is served all over Vietnam—and rest of the world—for a reason. The roast pork, spicy mayo and pickled veggies squished between two slices of chewy bread is one of the best sandwiches on earth. (In our opinion, anyway.) In this fun vegan twist, you’ll swap the pork for crispy tofu and use leftover rice as the base instead of bread.

Last night’s basmati rice = this morning’s porridge. Mix in cardamom and pistachios to create a hearty breakfast. You can even add grapefruit for a bittersweet bite, suggests our friend at The Full Helping, Gena Hamshaw.

Wait, you can turn leftover rice into a quiche crust? It’s a thing. Behold, a gluten-free crust that makes use of the extra grains and happens to be extremely delicious. It’s just a bonus that you can throw the random veggies from the fridge into the mix too. (After all, you can eat only so many kale salads.)

Here’s a tried-and-true way to reuse leftovers: Throw everything into a soup. Spice up your standard lentil with sweet potato and coconut milk, plus curry powder and the cooked rice.

Cauliflower isn’t trending; it’s here to stay. Top your favorite veggie with Indian spices like cumin, turmeric, garlic and paprika, roast it and spoon it onto warm cooked rice. Oh, and don’t forget to add a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. It’s a delightful weekly meal prep...or you can just eat it right now.

Our motto: When in doubt, smother your dinner with cheese. Leftover rice might not taste exactly the same as freshly cooked rice, but you won’t even notice the difference when it’s topped with cheddar cheese sauce, sautéed broccoli, pan-roasted chicken and a little extra cheese for good measure.

If you’ve never tried rice in a salad, you’re seriously missing out. It’s best when it’s cooked and cooled (meaning that leftover dish of black rice from the other night is ideal). The cilantro-lime vinaigrette by Monique Volz is so good, you’ll be making extra rice to save for this recipe next time.

Fried. Rice. For. Breakfast. It’s about to be your new Saturday-morning staple. Get the cooked rice from last night out of the fridge, stir-fry it with sriracha, soy sauce and scallions, then crack an egg on top. (Oh, and don’t forget the bacon.)

This Vietnamese beef dinner doesn’t look like it repurposed your extra cooked rice, but it’s actually the secret ingredient. The marinade comes together in minutes, and just before you sear the beef, pan-fry the cooked rice until it’s golden brown. It creates an amazing crispy base for this Asian-inspired dinner.

We don’t know about you, but we’d much rather stand over the stove taking in the scents of fresh ginger, coconut milk and Thai green chili than deal with the rice cooker. Just saying.

OK, so you made black rice and now a bowl of it is taking up precious real estate in the fridge that you’d rather use for wine, beer and cheese. We’ve got you. Take a cue from Aran Goyoaga’s cookbook Cannelle et Vanille: Whip up this black rice bowl, piled high with fresh figs, radicchio, pickled radishes and toasted pumpkin seeds.

This recipe actually includes day-old rice as one of its ingredients. Best of all, it channels the cheesy, spicy goodness of a green chili cheeseburger and transforms it into a huge bowl of carby deliciousness.

Raise your hand if you have a random head of cabbage in the crisper. (Same.) If this is you, try Phoebe Lapine’s cabbage fried rice, a surprisingly delicious blend of stir-fried napa or savoy cabbage, fresh ginger, shallots, scallions and eggs. You can even make this recipe low-FODMAP if your heart desires.

Few things in life are better than dipping toast into tomato basil soup—well, maybe if you’re dipping grilled cheese. Either way, thicken up your tomato soup with leftover rice in this recipe from The Full Helping’s Gena Hamshaw. It makes the soup a bit heartier, which is perfect for cold evenings or when you just need some comfort food.

We’ve all been there: You’re supposed to show up at your friend’s potluck with a homemade dish, but you totally forgot. Here’s the answer: This dish is full of kitchen staples like garbanzo beans, frozen peas and onions—plus rice from last night’s dinner. (We won’t tell.)

Want to use up leftover rice, a pack of ground turkey and the random veggies in the crisper? We thought so. This ground turkey bowl combines teriyaki flavors—thank you, soy sauce, ginger and garlic—all in a bowl of cooked white rice. Leftovers never looked so good.

Your local Mexican takeout spot has nothing on this dinner. Warm the cooked rice and use it to fill a giant tortilla, along with red beans, cheese and heaps of salsa. Pass the chips and guac, please.

Aida Mollenkamp makes a few hangover jokes in this recipe, and it’s true that there’s just something about a brown rice bowl with kale sprouts, butternut squash, beets and carrots that makes a hangover magically disappear. Even when you’re feeling your best, this meal is basically magic.

We’re all about meal prepping. One easy dish? Mushroom fried rice. It combines day-old rice with shiitake mushrooms and asparagus, plus all the fried rice standards: soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. (Thanks for all the tips, Alejandra Graf.)

These meatballs combine tangy Korean barbecue flavors with savory ground beef. (Plus, it’s all served over your leftover rice for the win.)

You can make a paleo-friendly vegetarian meal in 30 minutes, all while using leftovers from the fridge. Plus, fermented foods like kimchi are having a moment for their health benefits. Any other boxes you want us to check with this kimchi fried rice dinner? Didn’t think so.

Here’s an idea: Take leftover rice and mix it with browned ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and seasonings. Fry it into patties and serve it with a cream sauce. Voilà—crowd-pleasing cheesy ground beef and fried rice cakes, and we’re here for it. (So are the kiddos, neighbors and anybody else you want to invite over.)

Ham and pineapple is one of the best combos in the food world. It’s salty and sweet, savory and tangy. It’s no surprise, then, that adding it to fried rice is just as good as putting it on pizza. Stir-fry your leftover rice with pork, pineapple chunks and soy sauce for this Hawaiian fried rice dish.

Not many recipes let you turn dinner leftovers into dessert, but here’s a quick and easy way to whip up rice pudding. Instead of cooking the rice with milk, you skip that entire step and go straight to mixing everything in a baking dish.