If you’ve ever made risotto (if you haven’t, learn How to Make Risotto) and had leftovers, you’ve probably wondered the best way to store it. For a lot of food, freezing is the best way to save it. Risotto is not one of them. While freezing ingredients is a great way to preserve most foods risotto is known for its very specific creamy texture, and that creamy texture does not freeze well. So while I don’t recommend freezing risotto, if you are going to do it with mushroom risotto, butternut squash risotto, or another kind, do this!
Can you freeze risotto?
Yes, you can freeze risotto but let me be clear – the texture when you reheat risotto from frozen is not good. And as anyone who has had good risotto knows, it’s all about the texture. Luckily, there are so many other ways to store risotto!
The best way to freeze risotto
If you are going to freeze the risotto, here’s how: This frozen risotto will last 3 months in the freezer, but the texture will continue to deteriorate over time.
How to defrost risotto (the right way)
Ok, here’s where the tricky part comes in so here’s the only way I recommend reheating risotto.
Alternatives to freezing
If you have leftover risotto, I would highly recommend this method as a better option than freezing.
Recipes to make with leftover risotto
Leftover risotto is honestly better used in a new recipe than reheated to be eaten as traditional risotto. Here are a few ideas of ways to utilize those leftovers!
Rice Balls (Arancini) Rice Cakes Sautéed until crispy and used as a salad topping
