Air fryers are a versatile modern convenience that make previously complicated tasks super simple. Reheating fried fish in an air fryer, for example, or even reheating McDonald’s fries for first-fry flavor (crispy on the outside, seemingly fresh from the fryer, and not at all soggy) is bound to go best with an air fryer. But reheating certain foods that have no internal moisture can be difficult. That’s because an air fryer works like a miniature convection oven, constantly blowing hot air directly at the surface of the items it’s cooking.
So, how do you reheat rice in an air fryer without drying it out? You just need to add a little extra moisture when you put it in. Now, to be clear, fully cooking dry rice in an air fryer is never a good idea. It will simply dry it out, or dry out all the cooking liquid so the rice will never actually cook at all. And cooking with large quantities of water at high temperatures in an air fryer is just begging for it to boil over — creating, at best, a total mess, but potentially a quite dangerous situation. So, leave the regular rice cooking for the stovetop or a devoted rice cooker. When it comes to heating up leftover rice, the air fryer works beautifully when you use these tips.
The trick to reheating rice in an air fryer
To get a handle on reheating your rice, you just need to remember how the air fryer works — constantly blowing dry air. For every cup of rice you’re reheating, you’ll need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or broth to ensure it doesn’t dry out. In fact, as the liquid heats up, it will slightly steam the rice and add more life to the leftovers. Warm up the rice in an oven-safe container between 300 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about five minutes.
If you have only a cup or so of rice, you can leave it uncovered and it will come out perfectly heated with the edges just slightly crispy. If you’re working with a larger portion, it may need a few more minutes of cooking time and extra care. You should cover it with aluminum foil, stir it occasionally, and maybe even add more liquid. The main rule of thumb to remember when reheating rice in an air fryer is it should be cooked at a relatively low temperature for a short amount of time so that the danger of drying out will be minimal.
This rice reheating hack works best with rice that doesn’t contain too many ingredients and that’s not sitting in a broth or sauce — think white rice, Spanish rice, or flavored jasmine or basmati rice. Rice that’s already in a sauce or contains a bunch of veggies may require more time in the air fryer and should be treated more like a full meal reheat. With these tips and tricks, you can use the power of an air fryer to your benefit to get leftover rice that’s just as moist and fluffy as if it were served fresh from the stovetop.
