Food storage

How long does cooked rice last?

Updated 8 July 2026 · 3 min read

Cooked rice keeps just 1 day in the fridge, and you should cool it within 1 hour of cooking. Reheat it only once, until steaming hot. You can freeze cooked rice for around a month. This is a food-safety point, not fussiness, and here is why.

Why cooked rice needs extra care

Uncooked rice can carry spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, and those spores survive cooking. If cooked rice is left at room temperature, the spores can grow and produce toxins that cause food poisoning, and reheating will not destroy them. The longer rice sits out, the riskier it gets. This is the NHS guidance, explained at nhs.uk.

How to store cooked rice safely

Ideally serve rice straight after cooking. If you want to keep it, spread it out to cool quickly (within 1 hour), then refrigerate it and use within 1 day. When you reheat, make sure it is steaming hot all the way through, a core of 70°C for 2 minutes, and never reheat rice more than once.

Can you freeze cooked rice?

Yes, and it is a good option. Cool it fast, freeze it in a sealed bag or tub for up to a month, then reheat straight from frozen until piping hot. Freezing right after cooling keeps it safest.

Use it up

Day-old fridge rice is exactly what you want for egg fried rice (reheated once, piping hot). Ask What’s in my Fridge for ideas, and see how long leftovers last and the full storage chart.