The Tip You Need For The Best Homemade Fried Rice, Hands Down

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When North American home cooks think of "fried rice," many picture the kind you get in a Chinese takeout box. The term, however, can apply to several kinds of crispy rice dishes, including Nigerian jollof rice (of which chef Hilda Baci made the world's largest pot in 2025!) and Iranian tahdig. No matter what kind of delicious fried rice you are dishing up, let us make a suggestion — use rice that's at least a day old, whether it's leftovers or purposely cooked and refrigerated ahead of time.

Internet chefs have discovered that, in a head-to-head taste-off, fried rice made with leftover rice (we'll use that term to also cover deliberately-prepared-ahead grains) had the edge over fresh rice because it was drier, which led to crispier fried rice. Ever had a carton of rice remaining after you ate your favorite Asian dinner? First, check our tips for safely storing and reheating cooked rice, because you are in for a treat. 

Rice can be crusty and dry when you try and nuke it on the second or third day, which isn't all that appealing for a side dish. However, it's actually the ideal state of affairs for rice that you want to throw in a pan with some shimmering oil and your choice of sauces and toppings to fry up. In fact, if you want to always have rice on hand for an impromptu skillet of some delicious dinner, store a pot of rice (properly) in the freezer and pull it out when you are craving some hearty fried rice goodness!

Many people use white rice for this meal, but brown rice will work just as well. This isn't an exacting, scientific dish that demands specifics, which is why it's so great for whipping up using what you already have on hand. Social media users report that there's no need to even rewarm your rice from the fridge before throwing it in the pan to fry up, as long as it is properly heated through before consuming. If your rice has been frozen, however, you might want to nuke it as a shortcut to make sure it comes up to temp. You can definitely use a regular frying pan for your fried rice, but the curved sides of a wok pan, like this well-rated, lower-priced carbon steel Amazon offering, are perfect for evenly distributing the heat of your stovetop and assuring an all-over crisp on your rice.

We've briefly touched on safely storing your fridge or freezer rice, but we'll stress again that you should ensure you cool and stash your rice the right way to prevent infection from B. cereus, also known as the culprit behind "fried rice syndrome." Keep your rice hot until you are ready to put it up (your rice cooker should have a warming function if you cook it that way), and cool it down rapidly, possibly using a sheet tray in the fridge. Make sure your container is airtight, and observe food safety rules for how long you can safely refrigerate or freeze your food before tossing it.