How To Reheat Risotto? The Fastest Way Possible

Did you prepare risotto last night for your party, but didn’t factor in how many batches you should cook? You’re left with a lot of leftover risotto and have no idea how to reheat it? Please don’t throw it in the bin! We have a remedy for that.

Reheating risotto is not easy because it’s difficult to bring the flavor back when it was first cooked and storing it in the refrigerator makes it dry. Don’t fret my friend! I’ve found helpful methods on how to reheat risotto efficiently and bring its flavor back.

But first…

Learn How To Cook Risotto The Master Chef Style!

How will you reheat it if you can’t make it right? The video below is a pumpkin risotto recipe inspired by none other than Master Chef Gordon Ramsay.

The Common Routine On Reheating Risotto

After having risotto leftovers, you’ll want to store in your fridge to be eaten the following day, right? Now, you want to reheat it but you have little to no idea how to do the process.

I guarantee you don’t want your risotto being dry, mushy, and unappetizing. In addition to that, eating uncooked food that was stored overnight in the chiller is unsafe because the surrounding temperature is a breeding ground for bacteria.

If you want to prevent this from happening, you should store it in the freezer in order to prevent bacterial growth.

Hence, you will eventually reheat it. It’s important to follow the necessary method below in order to get creamy, luscious, velvety and hot risotto.

What You Need…

Before reheating your risotto, you need to have the following items:

A Step-by-Step Method On How To Reheat Risotto

Method #1: Reheating Using a Microwave

Reheating risotto in the microwave gives you the risk of ending up with dry and mushy risotto. Nevertheless, this is the fastest and most convenient, so this is perfect for busy people.

Step1. Prepare risotto

Remove the risotto in the refrigerator and place it in a microwavable bowl (glass or plastic). Add wine or stock and stir it in.

Step 2. Place it in the microwave

Place the bowl inside the microwave. Set the temperature to medium-high heat and turn the timer knob to 4 minutes. Check and stir every minute to prevent it from drying up.

​You may add stock and wine again and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Step 3. Check risotto

After 4 minutes, check the risotto if it’s hot enough for you. At this point, you may add extra butter to make it creamy. If the risotto still seems a bit cold, place it again for a minute or two.

Method #2: Reheating it on the Stove Top

If you have limited time and don’t have a microwave at home, this is the next best alternative for you.

Step 1. Get the risotto from the chiller

Place risotto in a saucepan on the stove top. And add wine, stock, or water. You may also add butter if you want.

​Step 2. Reheating the risotto

Turn on the stove and set it to medium-high heat. Wait for it to boil, while stirring it constantly. There’s no rule on how long you will reheat it, but I what I do is cook it for 5 minutes maximum because I don’t want mine to dry up.

When you think the risotto is hot enough for you, you may remove it from the pan and place it in your serving plate.

Step 3. Serve

After you’ve reached desired temperature, remove pan from stove and serve right away.

Method #3: Reheating the Risotto in the Oven

This method is great for people who like to make a new dish out of leftover risotto. In this method, I will explain to you the procedure on how to turn your leftover risotto into fried rice balls - great for snacks and appetizers!

Step 1. Preparing the risotto

Take out the leftover risotto from the chiller and let it rest for a while at room temperature.

You may add grated parmesan or any cheese to the risotto if you like, but you have to mix well.

Using the palm of your hand, roll the rice into small balls, almost the same size as a marble.

Prepare two bowls. One bowl has flour, with salt and pepper and the other one has beaten 2 eggs.

Place 300 grams of breadcrumbs on a plate.

Roll the balls in the bowl of flour first. Rub off any excess flour before dipping it in the egg batter. Coat with breadcrumbs afterward.

For a crispier risotto ball, dip it again in egg and then breadcrumbs.

Step 2. Frying the risotto balls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place balls in a cookie pan lined with parchment paper.

Spray with olive oil and bake until golden brown.

It will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with tartar sauce and enjoy.

Pro Tips You Should Know!​

To preserve the original taste and texture of your risotto, here are some tips to help you:

Final Thoughts

Risotto is very easy to cook and prepare. If there’s any leftover, store it in the refrigerator. But always remember that doing so may cause your risotto to dry up and become mushy.

To prevent it from drying up, just read this article and follow the methods mentioned above. Personally, I suggest making just the right batch for your family and friends. You can just cook another batch on the spot if they’re willing to wait.