Make your own instant single serving brown rice to keep in the freezer and reheat whenever you need it!
I am all about making healthy food convenient. But at the same time, there’s something about buying rice at the store that’s ready to go off the shelf that bothers me, both from a “is that edible?” standpoint and the part of me that likes to budget our groceries. I figured I can’t be the only one, and while this is a really simple tip, it’s one that I really love.
Stir fry’s are pretty common around our house because they’re fast and I usually have veggies already chopped up in the fridge and ready to just be thrown into a pan. Brown rice takes way longer to cook than a simple stir fry so freezing brown rice is an awesome trick to speed things up at busy meal times. I also love it for throwing into a bowl full of leftover soup before I reheat it or alongside leftovers when I haven’t cooked enough rice.
Of course, you can freeze rice in a larger plastic bag all together if you want, but it’s single servings that I find the most convenient. Who wants to cook a huge pot of rice when all you need is a serving or two? Plus, if you’re anything like me, there is always leftover rice when I do make it, so this is an easy way to make sure it doesn’t go to waste in the fridge.
For this batch I used short grain brown rice, which I really love for a lot of different things, but any kind of brown rice will work just as well even if it doesn’t hold together as well. You can find how I cook my short grain brown rice(in the oven!) on this post if you’re looking for a foolproof way to cook brown rice. In this case I served it with a stir fry that’s very similar to this Broccoli Stir Fry, without the noodles of course.
Instant, Single Serving Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups of your favorite brown rice cooked normally, freshly cooked if possible
- water
Instructions
- Divide the rice among 6 muffin cups(I use a silicone muffin tin for this, it will not remove easily from a metal tin. If all you have is a metal tin, lay 1 or more large pieces of plastic wrap over the muffin tin and then press the rice into the cups so that the plastic wrap will make removing the rice when it's frozen much easier). If using rice that has been in the fridge overnight or if it's particularly dry, stir in a couple tablespoons of water to get the rice to stick together better. Press the rice down into the cups and then freeze until solid. Once solid, remove from the muffin tin and store in the freezer in a sealed plastic bag.
- When needed, remove as many serving as needed. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of water over each serving and microwave one at a time for 60-90 seconds(75 seconds in my microwave is what I do). Serve with the rest of your meal.
- Alternatively, add as many servings to a small pot or your pan or pot of already cooked food. Add a small amount of water, cover the pan and steam for about 2 minutes until the rice is completely thawed and hot.
If you enjoyed this idea, consider liking Food Doodles on Facebook or subscribing by email to receive all my updates and new ideas!
Comments & Reviews
Sika89 says
Awesome! How long do you think these would last in the freezer?
Connie says
This is a great idea and a no brainer. Wish I had thought of it before. I pack my children’s school lunches. They like rice and I will be putting healthy vegies, cheese, sauces, etc. in the rice. It will be thawed by lunch time. I am sure they will eat it cold or at room temp. Thank you so much.
Charlene says
Also, rather than pouring a little water over the rice when reheating, I have heard that you can just plop an ice cube on it and that works too!
Kylie @ immaeatthat says
I love this idea! I think I’m gonna stock my boyfriend’s freezer with some of these. He’s gonna love this, so convenient!
Erica says
Wow, great idea! Makes me wonder why didn’t I think of this before! Thanks for sharing.
Heather says
What a great idea- one of those ideas where I am like *duh* this should be a no brainer – I love all the tips and quick tricks you share…..I made your 5 minute Naan with some vegan subs and it was amazing!
Eat good 4 life says
Wow good to know. I have never thought about freezing rice before! We eat rice at least two to three times a week in my house and for that reason I have a rice cooker. I don’t know what I would do without it! Mine is fairly inexpensive but super efficient and convenient. By the way, by looking at the pictures I thought you made rice krispie treats at first 🙂
Deborah M says
Another genius moment! I had no idea you could freeze rice like this. I’ve bought the ready-to-eat rice at the store before but I always second-guess it too. I love this idea because it’s a great way to store leftover rice AND I don’t have to pay $2 or more for the ready-made stuff if I’m in a hurry. Thanks!!
Brent | Cookapalooza says
Hi Heidi, I found this post via Budget Bytes on FB. Thanks for sharing this idea! I’ll have to give it a try.
The Café Sucré Farine says
This is a wonderful idea and is surely more delicious that the pre-packaged stuff at the market and, I’m sure, infinitely less expensive. Thanks!
mellissa @ ibreatheimhungry says
Hey Heidi! This is so simple we should all be doing it – thanks for sharing your method!! I used to buy pre-cooked frozen brown rice at Trader Joe’s but it’s so much cheaper to make your own. I always say I’m going to do it and never have but your post has inspired me to give it a try!
Kathryn says
What a great idea, there are lots of quick meals that I would love to serve with brown rice but I don’t want to wait the time for it to cook so this is perfect.