How to Reheat Biryani in Oven

Biryani is comfort food, delight, and a treat. Trust me, you never get bored of having biryani. There is always some space in your stomach for one more bite of the biryani. Usually, when I cook biryani, I make it in a large batch so that I can store biryani in the fridge for a day or two. Either you order, take out, or cook biryani at home, you feel lucky when you have leftover for the next day.

I often struggled with the right and correct method to reheat biryani because it either turned out bland or lost its moisture due to which they formed lumps. The lack of moisture made the biryani dry, chewy, and sturdy, and the chicken that was tender the last day felt chewy to eat.

Do you want to find a way to help you reheat biryani in the oven as it was made just now? And do you want to have reheated biryani fresh and with no effort? Probably yes,

You should be glad that you found me because I succeeded one day, and now, I am an expert at heating biryani (confidence or self-obsession?). I am sharing the process that I use for reheating biryani in the oven. There are two ways that I prefer, heating in the microwave oven and the baking oven.

Reheating Biryani in Microwave Oven

Here is a simple step by step guide to help you heat biryani

1. Take out your rice from the refrigerator or freezer and allow them to be at room temperature so that they are not entirely frozen.
2. Spread rice evenly on a microwave-safe dish or plate depending on the quantity of your rice. If there are any clumps of rice, grab a fork and break them lightly.
3. Splash some water on the rice that will help to regain the lost moisture for being in the fridge
4. Cover your rice dish with a wet paper towel and make sure that it covers the rice and is in direct contact
5. Cook on high heat for about 5-7 minutes (timing may vary depending on the power of your oven) until they are thoroughly heated.

Reheating biryani in a microwave oven is a quick and fast process, and you will see that it involves no extra effort.

Reheating Biryani in Baking Oven

The baking oven allows your biryani to be evenly cooked and helps the rice and chicken to be moist and tender.

1. Spread your rice in a baking-friendly dish
2. If there are any clumps, break them with a fork and add a splash of water.
3. Cover your rice with a tight lid or an aluminum foil, so that heat is distributed uniformly.
4. Bake the biryani at 150 ℃ for 15 to 20 minutes till your rice is perfectly heated

Final Remarks

You can use either method as per your convenience, though I can vouch that reheating your leftover biryani with these methods will be beneficial. Because they will be warm and give a fresh taste, and also you add the moisture back, and they become smooth, fluffy, and tender as if they were cooked today.

Some people also prefer to add some butter or oil to avoid sticking, which is your choice. I can say that butter will add a flavor of its own that will make your rice taste even better.

We love it when there is rice in any form from the last day, especially biryani. You can store the biryani in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. When I had a few failed attempts, my mother told me the secret to reheating biryani, and now the secret is out for you.

Related Reading: 3 Quick And Easy Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani Recipe