Making delicious rice with the appropriate consistency and flavor isn’t tricky, but mistakes can happen. If you add too much water by mistake, the rice will not have the proper consistency. What to do with the rice mess? Is there a way to dry cooked rice?

The oven or a food dehydrator is the best method for drying out cooked rice. Spread the rice thinly on a baking sheet or similar surface on the counter to accelerate the process. Allow it to rest for around 30 minutes before removing it. When ready to freeze the rice, divide it into portions and store them in zip-top bags.

Don’t be disheartened by that sopping wet rice; this blog will discuss the tips you need to transform that rice into something that’s not only edible but also delicious.

Best Ways To Dry Out Cooked Rice

Below are a few of the ways to dry out cooked rice.

1. Use Of A Baking Sheet

• Rinse the cooked rice under running water to remove excess starch and cool it down.
• Apply a little coating of nonstick cooking spray on a baking sheet.
• The middle of the greased baking sheet should be filled with cooked rice. Using a spatula, spread the rice evenly on the baking sheet.
• Reduce the thickness of the rice layer to the absolute minimum. Set the timer for 30 minutes and place the baking sheet in the freezer.

2. Using A Dehydrator

• A food dehydrator is a viable alternative to using an oven for preserving food. Because greater heat speeds up the drying process, this one takes less time than the other.
• Use your machine’s nonstick sheets, parchment paper, or the dehydrator liners to line the trays and spread the cooked rice.
• About five hours of 125° drying time is required for the rice. Depending on the dehydrator model and humidity level, different timeframes are needed to dehydrate different types of rice.
• When adequately dried, rice will be tricky.

3. Drying The Rice In Case Of Risotto

• Cook the risotto for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is creamy. Usually, after adding the parmesan cheese, the dish would be served right away.
• Before drying the risotto, allow it to cool down. Dry it in the same manner as long-grain rice. The risotto is more likely to stick together than long-grain rice, which is more likely to separate.
• Then, after it has been in the dehydrator for at least three hours, try to separate the pieces.
• You may further break up the risotto by rubbing it against itself in your hands after it has cooked for hours.
• Spread it out again for the final hour or two of drying, then put it away.

4. Using Parchment Paper And Oven

• When cooking your rice, rinse it thoroughly to eliminate any extra starch.
• Spread the rice on the parchment paper and then place them in the oven.
• Cooked rice already has grains sticking together, so it is essential to spread it out in uniform layers.
• Bake the trays according to the instructions. Check again in a few hours to see whether the rice has dried.
• If there are any clumps on the tray, gently push them down to speed up the drying process.

Extra Tips

Keep this page handy when your rice goes terrible and becomes watery or mushy so that you can learn how to fix it straight away.

1. To begin, ensure the water to rice ratio is correct. Many recipes ask for 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice. However, the precise proportion should be 1 3/4 cups.
2. Rinse your rice thoroughly before cooking it in the rice cooker to avoid sticky rice. Also, watch how much water you use when cooking the rice. Rinsing the rice removes the starch, which can lead to sticky rice. Thus it’s essential to do so.
3. When the water is boiling, you should add the rice. At this stage, you have the option of incorporating salt. The rice can absorb more water over time and burst open if you put the rice and water in the pot at once. Wait until the water is boiling before adding the rice.
4. To begin cooking the rice, warm a spoonful of butter or olive oil in the pot you intend to use. Incorporate the rice into the mixture and stir until it smells like popcorn. The color of toasted white rice will change to a light tan.
5. Cook for 18 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Wait until the cooking completion to peek to avoid letting the steam out. Please do not mix the dish while it is cooking since this will result in sticky rice.

How To Dry Out Cooked Rice For Fried Rice?

Perhaps after cooking, the rice is done and just too soggy. In that case, uncover the container and boil it using a low flame to remove the remaining liquid.

Now distribute the grains carefully onto an oven sheet and bake them at a low temperature (approximately 310°F or 151°C) until they dry. To avoid excessive drying, keep a watch on it.

How Do You Dry Out Rice After Cooking It?

You may think of a unique method for any wet rice that hasn’t yet turned mushy. To do this, drain the rice and spread it out on a baking sheet. This should be baked for a few minutes to remove any remaining water.

Draining the water from the rice is another option. You may either use a fine-mesh sieve to drain the rice or open the pit’s lid slightly and tilt it on its side to let the water drain.

How Do You Get Water Out Of Soggy Rice?

On low heat, you can continue to cook the rice. The water will evaporate, and the rice will become somewhat drier. So that the grains don’t open, you need to keep the heat very low.

Keep the rice covered in the pot as it cooks to prevent overcooking. This is also an excellent way to cook Spanish rice. There is no need to worry about it till the water has evaporated.

How Do You Dry Out Rice For Fried Rice?

Rice can become mushy when cooked in a fried rice dish. However, there is a simple method by which this may be avoided. For fried rice, you will need to keep the cooked rice in the fridge overnight.

You may avoid mushy rice with this trick. It would be best if you did this to prevent the rice from getting mushy as it cooks. Another option is to air out your freshly prepared rice and refrigerate it for a few hours before cooking it.

Can You Dry Cooked Rice?

You can as long as the grains aren’t mushy and haven’t lost their texture. For already sticky and mushy rice, there is not much that can be done to restore it to its proper cooked rice condition.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to turn it into rice pudding. If the texture of mushy rice concerns you, your options are limited. A rice pudding is the only place where you can have mushy rice.

You may always make a pudding out of your mushy rice and freeze any leftovers you don’t plan on eating right now. Then, all you have to do is take out what you need. The rice pudding may be stored in little freezer bags so you can portion it out later.