Garlic Butter Rice in a Mug
Buttery, garlicky rice cooked in a mug in the microwave, using leftover cooked rice. A side dish or a base for whatever else is going on.
Method
- This only works with cold, already-cooked rice, ideally from the fridge. Fresh hot rice turns to mush.
- Put the butter and grated garlic in a mug and microwave 30 seconds until the butter melts and the garlic smells sweet.
- Add the cold rice and break up any clumps with a fork.
- Pour in the soy sauce and stir through.
- Microwave 2 minutes, stir, then another minute until piping hot all the way through.
- Fold in the spring onion and a pinch of salt.
Microwave times are for a 1,000 W microwave, the usual US size. In an 800 W microwave (common in the UK and Europe) add about a quarter more time; at 1,200 W check a little early.
Buttery, garlicky rice cooked in a mug in the microwave, using leftover cooked rice. A side dish or a base for whatever else is going on.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 410 mg
Values are estimates based on USDA FoodData Central and vary with brands and portioning.
Chef notes
This started as a way to use up the takeaway rice that always ends up forgotten in my fridge. Grating the garlic rather than chopping it means it melts into the butter and cooks through in that first 30 seconds, so you skip the raw garlic bite. Day-old rice is genuinely better here because it has dried out a little and the grains stay separate.
Substitutions
- Butter: ghee gives a nuttier flavour — Soy sauce: fish sauce or a pinch of stock powder|Spring onion: chives or a little chopped coriander
Serving suggestions
Crack a fried egg over it, or serve it next to anything saucy. It soaks up curry and stir-fry juices well.
Storage
Rice reheated once should be eaten. Do not reheat cooked rice more than a single time for safety.
Reheating
This is already the reheat. Eat it hot and fresh.
Equipment
- Large mug
- Fork
Variations
- Egg fried style
- push rice aside, scramble an egg in the mug, fold through
- Chilli garlic
- add a teaspoon of chilli oil with the soy
- Herby
- stir in a handful of frozen peas for the last minute
Why it works
Cold rice has retrograded starch, meaning the grains have firmed up and dried slightly. That is why it fries and reheats into separate fluffy grains instead of a sticky lump the way fresh rice does.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh rice?
Not really, it goes gluey. Cold day-old rice is the point.
Is reheating rice safe?
Yes if the rice was cooled quickly and stored in the fridge, and you only reheat it once until steaming hot.
No microwave, now what?
Do the same steps in a small pan over medium heat.
Tags
More like this
Dinner
5min
Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
Dinner
12min
Miso Butter Udon Noodles
Dinner
6min
Chinese Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
Dinner
5min
5-Minute Korean Ground Beef Bowl
Dinner
5min
5-Minute High Protein Egg Fried Rice (Under 400 Calories)
Dinner
5min
5-Minute Spicy Korean Ramen Upgrade
More recipes with rice
Other recipes in about 5 minutes
Reader reviews
No reviews yet. If you have made this recipe, you will be the first to say how it went.
Did you make this?
Tell us how it actually went — including if something did not work. Reviews are read before they are published.