The 8 Best Ways to Fix Soggy Rice at Home

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Don’t let overcooked rice go to waste using our help

Co-authored by Abyssinia Campbell and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: December 12, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Fixes
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• Ways to Repurpose Soggy Rice
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• Causes of Soggy Rice
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• How to Cook Rice
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• Video
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• Tips

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Rice is the perfect addition to a lot of dishes, but preparing it incorrectly or overcooking it can lead to a mushy or gummy texture. Even if your rice hasn’t turned out the way you wanted, there are still a few easy ways to make your rice fluffy again without a lot of extra work. Keep reading, and we’ll help you fix the texture of your rice or repurpose it for a new recipe. Plus, we’ll walk you through how to make the perfect pot of rice to avoid the problem again.

Quick Way to Save Mushy Rice

Drain the excess water from your pot of rice into a colander, and set it back onto your stove over low heat. Try cooking the rice without the lid to help remove some of the moisture. If that doesn’t work, try adding a slice of bread, covering the pot, and cooking it for a few minutes.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

How to Fix Mushy Rice

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1. 
   1
   Drain the extra water with a fine mesh sieve or colander. If there is still water in the pan, place a sieve or colander over the sink, and pour the rice into it. Let it drain for a minute. You may want to shift around the sieve or colander to help it drain.
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   Rinse mushy rice under cold water to remove the starches. If the rice is too sticky or gummy, it means that it is overcooked. After draining the rice in a colander, pour a light stream of cool water over the rice. Then, just break apart the grains of rice with your fingers.
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3. 3
   Cook the rice over low heat without the lid. Executive chef Abyssinia Campbell says “drain off some of the water and then continue to cook [the rice] without the lid.” She adds that when you do this, “the water cooks out faster…because if you keep the lid on, you'll just keep the water inside the pot."

   • If the rice is almost done cooking, you alternatively scoop the rice out and leave the water in the bottom of the pot.
4. 4
   Place a slice of bread or bowl of salt in the pot with your rice. Drain out the excess water from your pot of rice and set it back over low heat. Put a slice of bread or a small bowl of table salt on top of your rice and then put the lid on. Cook the rice for a few more minutes so the excess moisture gets trapped in the bread or salt.
5. 5
   Put the rice in the microwave to get rid of excess moisture. Spread the soggy rice out evenly in a microwave-safe dish, and cover it with a lid. Microwave the rice on high for 1-2 minutes. Check and stir the rice every 30 seconds until the excess moisture has evaporated and the rice is dry and fluffy.
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   Heat soggy rice in the oven to dry it out. Set the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C). Spread the rice out evenly onto a cookie sheet or baking pan. Then, let the rice cook in your oven for 5 minutes to dry out the excess moisture.

   • If the rice is still mushy, leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes.
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   Leave slightly wet rice in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. If your rice is only slightly damp and starting to get mushy, drain off the extra water into the sink. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the rice into a thin, even layer. Keep the baking tray in your fridge for about 20-30 minutes so the rice dries out.

   • When you’re ready to use the rice again, just reheat it in your microwave.
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   Make a new pot of rice for the best quality. If the rice doesn’t dry out with any of the fixes, then you might not be able to save it. If you have time, cook another pot of rice that you can use.

   • Store the soggy rice in your fridge or freezer until you’re able to use it in a different recipe. Cooked rice lasts for 4-6 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.
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Section 2 of 4:

Ways to Repurpose Soggy Rice

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   Transform soggy rice into fried rice. Heat up a pan with oil. Cook garlic, onions, and ginger until they are translucent. Add your favorite vegetables, such as carrots or peas, as well as 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of soy sauce for extra flavor. Add 1 spoonful of cold rice at a time. Stir the rice often. Once you have cooked all of the rice and the pot is steaming, it is done!
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   Use soggy rice to make rice pudding. Heat the rice on the stove using low heat. Add 3 cups (710 ml) of whole milk, 1 cup (240 ml) of cream, and ½ cup (100 grams) of sugar. Then add a whole vanilla bean. Turn the stove up to medium heat, and let the pudding cook for roughly 35 minutes, making sure to stir it often. Remove the vanilla bean when you’re finished, and chill the pudding in your fridge before serving.

   • Split the vanilla bean open and scrape out the seeds into the pudding. Then add the rest of the beans. This will help the flavor disperse through the pudding.
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   Add the rice to your favorite soup. Rice works great to make any type of soup more filling , whether it’s homemade or from a can. Add some of the rice to the pot while you’re heating up the soup and let it warm up completely.
4. 4
   Cook the rice into homemade crackers. Flatten the rice onto a baking sheet as thin as possible and cut them into small squares. Fry the pieces in a pot of oil that is 400 °F (204 °C) for a couple of minutes so they have a crunchy texture. Once the crackers rise to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Drain the crackers on a paper towel before enjoying them.
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   Cook veggie burgers. Puree 1 cup (175 grams) of rice with 2 cups (200 grams) of pinto beans, 1 cup (175 grams) of corn, 3 cloves of minced garlic, ⅓ cup (20 grams) of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a handful of chopped basil, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) cumin, and 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt. Form the puree into patty shapes, and fry them over medium-high heat for 6 minutes on each side.

   • The extra rice will help make your veggie burgers stick together so they don’t break apart while you’re cooking.
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   Make rice pancakes for a simple breakfast. Combine 1 cup (175 g) of your cooked rice with 1  c (240 ml) of milk, 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of applesauce, and 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of vegetable oil. Add in 1¼ cup (165 g) of rice flour, ¼ cup (50 g) of sugar, and 2 teaspoons (9.6 g) of baking powder. Once you have a consistent batter, pour a little onto a greased griddle and cook each side for 2-3 minutes until the pancake is golden-brown.

   • Rice pancakes are gluten-free, and they can easily be turned vegan by using almond or oat milk.
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Section 3 of 4:

What causes soggy rice?

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1. 1
   Too much water in the pot If you used the incorrect ratio of water for the amount of rice you’re cooking, your pot will still have leftover water at the bottom. As the rice tries to absorb the last bit of water, it may develop a wet or mushy consistency.
2. 2
   Unwashed rice When you first open a package of rice, the grains are covered with starches on the surface. After you add unwashed rice to your pot, the starches get caught in the water and stick between the grains, which can give your rice a soggy or gummy texture.
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   Overcooking When you leave rice in a pot for too long, it can actually absorb too much liquid and cause the grains to split open. When rice splits open, the grains get more starchy and have a mushier texture.
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Section 4 of 4:

How to Cook Rice Perfectly

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1. 1
   Rinse the rice with cool water before cooking it. Put the rice in a colander, fine mesh sieve, or pan. Run cool water over the rice to rinse off the extra starch. This helps prevent the rice from sticking together and becoming mushy.

   • If you are using a pan, let the rice soak for a few minutes before pouring out the water and filling it up again. Keep rinsing the rice until the water runs clear.
   • If you are using a colander or sieve, gently shake or stir the rice to help drain the water.
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   Use a 2:1 ratio of water to rice for a perfect texture. If you’re cooking 1 cup (195 g) of rice, then use about 2  c (470 ml) of water in the pot. Short grain rice usually needs slightly less water while cooking brown rice takes slightly more. Avoid adding too much water however, because it may make the rice mushy.

   • Alternatively, you can use a rice cooker to easily make rice. Most rice cookers have markings for how much water to add, but a good rule of thumb is a 1:1 ratio.
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   Set the pot of rice over high heat to bring it to a boil. Set the pot on your stovetop and set it to high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil.
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   Reduce the heat to a simmer. After the water starts boiling, turn the heat to low so you don’t overcook or burn your rice. That way, your rice will absorb the water slowly so it doesn’t get mushy or gummy.
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   Place a kitchen towel between the pot and lid. Once the rice begins to boil, the water should dip just below the rice. When that happens, lay a clean kitchen towel between the pot and the lid. This will prevent condensation from building up in the pot. Too much condensation can make the rice soggy. After that, leave the lid on the pot the entire time the rice cooks.

   • Do not let the towel hang over the side of the pan because it could be a fire risk. Instead, tuck the ends up under the lid.
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   Cook the rice for 18 minutes and let it sit before serving. Remove the rice from the heat but leave the lid on the pot. Let it sit for 10 minutes. When the time is up, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork so it’s ready to serve.

   • Resting the rice prevents it from being too soggy on the bottom and too dry on the top.
   • If you’re using a rice cooker, it will normally have an automatic timer alerting you when your rice is finished.
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Tips

• Always stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking, and never leave a pot of rice unattended in case it boils over or starts overcooking.
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