Avoid Mushy Fried Rice With A Simple Rule

If you've ever failed in an attempt to recreate the incredible fish sauce-spiked savory fried rice you love from your favorite Chinese restaurant, using freshly-steamed rice was likely your downfall. The only way to achieve that crisp texture while simultaneously soaking up an umami-rich sauce is by using the day-old cooked rice sitting in your refrigerator.

Fried rice is a dish created precisely to use up leftovers. In fact, the first recorded account of fried rice was during the Sui Dynasty (589-618 AD) in China, where cooks created a commonsensical and economical solution to avoid wasting leftover rice. Aside from rice, consider the other ingredients included in the dish, such as minced bits of cooked meat like pork, chicken, or shrimp. And the sky's the limit on dish-appropriate veggies, with everything from corn to broccoli making an appearance.

Unless you want a mushy, texturally unappealing dish, it's absolutely necessary to use leftover rice to make the best fried rice you've ever eaten. Moisture content is the most obvious reason leftover rice is key. Freshly steamed rice contains moisture, making an effective fry impossible. Adding sauce and vegetables to just-cooked rice in a hot pan only adds to the liquid the rice has already absorbed, creating sticky clumps and, if cooked too long, making for a mushy texture. You might as well add more broth at that point and just make a comforting ginger-chicken jook.

After sitting for several hours in the refrigerator, cooked rice has a chance to dry out, which makes it capable of absorbing added flavors. While in the fridge, the rice undergoes retrogradation, a process in which gelatinized starches change as they cool, the molecules realigning to form more organized, crystalline structures. That makes the grains firm enough to once again withstand cooking temperatures and — more important — absorb more liquid. Try your favorite recipe again and you'll see what a difference a day- (or two-) old rice can make.