One of the best ways to prevent food waste in the kitchen is to know what can and can’t be frozen. As hard as we try, it’s not always easy to make an exact amount of a dish, especially when it comes to rice and pasta. Can you freeze risotto? Read on to find out.

There are occasions where we want plenty of leftovers – for taking to work for lunch the next day or to freeze for a tasty homecooked meal later in the week.

Risotto is a favourite dish of mine – it’s an easy comfort food that’s perfect stodge on a cold winter evening. It’s also quite time-consuming to make, so it would make sense to make plenty and then refrigerate or freeze some to eat at a later date. Can you freeze risotto? Or will it turn into a soggy, mushy mess? Is it even safe to do so? Here’s what I do with leftover risotto.

Can Risotto Be Frozen?

The good news is that yes, risotto can be frozen – you can freeze risotto ready to be eaten another day.

However, there are some steps that you need to take to make sure that it’s done safely.

Firstly, the leftover risotto should ideally be cooled and frozen within an hour of being cooked. This would also apply if you plan to simply refrigerate instead of freezing.

The quickest way to cool the risotto would be to transfer it into a different dish (so the pan heat isn’t retained) and place it somewhere cool – such as by a window. Do not place into the fridge or freezer until completely cooled.

Will Freezing Change The Texture Of Risotto?

A perfectly cooked risotto is a joyous thing, and inevitably, subjecting it to freezing temperatures will change the texture a little, and even more so during the reheating process. However, it will still be delicious and perfectly edible, just not quite the same texture as it was initially.

If you’re making a risotto specifically to freeze or even to eat later in the day (and not consume immediately), I would advise only half-cooking the rice to give the best possible results when reheating.

How To Freeze Risotto

Freezing risotto is simple using the steps below. 

1. Wait until the risotto has cooled down after being cooked.
2. Pour or spoon the risotto into a freezer-safe container such as a freezer bag, glass jar or plastic container, leaving a small amount of room for the risotto to expand when it freezes.
3. Label and date the risotto – this will make it easy to identify once frozen as many dishes can look similar once they are frozen. It will also tell you when it needs to be used up by.

How Long Does Risotto Last In The Freezer?

Risotto can be frozen for up to three months. While it will still be safe to eat after this time, it might not be the same quality as before and it could show signs of freezer burn.

As freezing risotto can already change the texture slightly, leaving it longer than three months is not recommended.

How To Reheat Risotto After Freezing

There are a few ways to reheat risotto and most will require adding some extra liquid such as wine or stock. I would always advise defrosting risotto before reheating it for the best results.

Reheating Risotto in the Microwave

Personally, I think reheating risotto in the microwave gives results in both speed and texture. Microwaves do differ in their settings though and this will, of course, vary due to the amount being of risotto reheated.

Typically I would heat on full power for two minutes and then stir and add extra liquid if needed. I would continue to reheat in one-minute blasts until the risotto was piping hot all the way through – remember to keep doing the occasional stir to avoid hotspots. If you’d like to check with a food thermometer the risotto should be at least 75 degrees C.

How To Reheat Risotto on the Hob

Add the risotto to a small pan with additional liquid and place over low heat.

Stir occasionally (not continually) and add more wine or stock if needed or if the dish is looking dry. Serve once piping hot all the way through. The risotto should be at least 75 degrees C should you wish to check it’s hot enough.

I hope the above post has answered the question ‘Can you free risotto?’ adequately and that you’ll be able to freeze and reheat risotto as often as required from now on!

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