Every now and then, the old rice rumor will swirl around—something along the lines of "eating leftover rice will surely make you sick if not kill you." Allow me to be the bearer of good news: You don’t have to toss out the cold chicken and rice you saved, because rice can stay in the fridge longer than you might think.

Is eating leftover rice dangerous? 

The popular rumor you may have heard about leftover rice being poisonous is likely an exaggeration. Leftover rice is not in itself bad, or inedible—no more so than other foods. While all food poisoning should be taken seriously, there are simple ways to avoid it. 

To be clear, the culprit in question here is Bacillus cereus, and the spores can exist on a lot of different leftover foods, including rice, but also beans, meats, cheese, potatoes, and pasta. That’s because bacillus cereus is common in our environment and found in soil. (Fresh cucumbers are popular with bacillus cereus.) So I think we can get away from the practice of calling getting sick from it “fried rice syndrome."

How long can rice be kept in the fridge?

Rice, like all foods, is best eaten when you’ve followed the regular food safety rules, according to the USDA. Specifically, after rice has been cooked, don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours. Wrap it or box it up in a container with a tight fitting lid and put it in the fridge after that time stamp. There, it can stay safely for up to five days, or (hack alert!) you can freeze your rice for up to three months.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Again, as with any leftovers, you’ll want to reheat your rice before you eat it. Do so in any manner you like—microwave, stove, steamer, or soup. The goal is to bring the rice’s temperature up to a minimum of 140°F, getting it safely out of the “danger zone.” The result will look like steaming rice, and the rice will be hot to the touch.

How to easily and safely reheat leftover rice

To reheat rice, I usually scoop the amount I want into a microwave-safe bowl, add a small spoonful of water, cover it in a microwavable lid ,and nuke it for about a minute. (It might be longer if you are heating a lot of rice) When I uncover the bowl steam will billow out and the rice will be fluffy, renewed, and safe to consume.

Personally, I’ve lived a healthy life occasionally disregarding the rules by eating danger zone-y room temperature rice. I don’t make it a habit and certainly I don’t suggest others make a habit of it. From a textural standpoint, I never eat fridge cold rice, or any cold starches for that matter, because starches seize up when they cool down, becoming hard and gritty. Why risk bacteria and an unpleasant mouth-feel? 

Don’t waste your leftovers, reheat your rice, and enjoy the possibilities with warm rice salads, creamy rice dishes, and exploring the wide world of beans and rice.