Dishes featuring rice noodles are usually easy and quick to make, so they are an ideal ingredient to use when making meals in bulk. Whilst keeping rice noodles in the cupboard is a great idea, you canāt keep fresh rice noodles for long before they start to spoil.
Can You Freeze Rice Noodles?
Yes, you can freeze rice noodles for up to 2 months. Most rice products will freeze successfully, and either cooked or uncooked rice noodles will store well in the freezer.
Do Do Rice Noodles freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Rice Noodles? No
How to Freeze Rice Noodles
You can freeze rice noodles either cooked or uncooked, though the method doesnāt differ too much:
How to Freeze Cooked Noodles
- Do Not Use All the Sauce
If you are cooking a rice noodle dish that involves a sauce, make sure to not mix in all of the cooked rice noodles in with the sauce.
Whilst rice noodles alone can last up to 2 months in the freezer, adding a sauce could bring the shelf life down and also alter the texture once thawed. - Cook Noodles Al Dente
Try to keep the cooked noodles somewhat al dente so that they donāt go mushy when thawed and reheated. - Bags Into Portions
Place the rice noodles into a freezer safe bag, label the bag and then seal it up, squeezing out as much air as possible. - Freeze
Place the bags into the freezer, laying them flat so that no ice forms in the centre. You can also use an air-tight container to store the noodles, but be careful not to overfill this.
How to Freeze Uncooked Noodles
It is best to freeze rice noodles before they have been cooked as they will stay fresher for longer, even in the freezer.
Simply portion out the noodles and then place the uncooked noodles into an air-tight plastic container or freezer-safe bag.
If you happen to have a vacuum sealer, vacuum seal the bag to maintain optimal freshness. Lay flat in the freezer, stacking on top of one another as a space-saving tip!
3 Tips for Freezing Rice Noodles
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing rice noodles to have the best results:
Consider Portion Sizes
It is much easier to freeze noodles in individual portions versus in a large bag or container. If frozen in large amounts, the noodles can clump together and be quite difficult to work with when defrosting or thawing.
Oil the Noodles
If freezing noodles in a plastic container, try drizzling the noodles with a teaspoon of oil and toss before freezing. This will limit the clumping together of the noodles whilst freezing and make them easier to work with when cooking.
Freeze Sauce Separately
As mentioned, freezing noodles coated in the sauce can alter the texture and the shelf life of the dish. If you have made a large meal, separate the sauce and noodles and freeze these separately to ensure you can get the maximum amount of freezing time recommended.
How Long Can You Freeze Rice Noodles?
Rice noodles, cooked or uncooked, can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Beyond this, they might be safe to eat but they can become excessively mushy which makes them unenjoyable to eat, unfortunately.
You Can Freeze Rice Noodles for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Rice Noodles?
You do need to be cautious when defrosting rice noodles, to not expose them to temperatures that would allow potentially harmful bacteria to form which could result in illness.
When defrosting the noodles, take them out of the freezer and place them directly into the fridge and allow them to thaw overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours during the day.
The rice noodles will be ready to use when they have fully defrosted and can then be reheated. It is important you only reheat the portion you are going to use as, once reheated, they cannot be placed back into the fridge.
To reheat noodles, you can either use the microwave or a frying pan. To use the microwave, place the noodles on a microwave-safe plate, place a cup of water in the microwave too and cook for 30 seconds at a time on full power until cooked.
You can also use the frying pan to reheat noodles and this works especially well for noodles that had been cooked prior to being frozen. Simply add some oil into the pan and add the noodles, stirring frequently to ensure they donāt stick.
Can You Refreeze Rice Noodles?
No, it is not recommended to refreeze rice noodles. Once thawed and reheated, any leftover unused noodles should be thrown away.
Do Rice Noodles Freeze Well?
Rice noodles do freeze well when prepared and stored correctly. As long as you take the necessary steps to ensure cautious defrosting, then your noodles should be similar to fresh when added into a dish.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing rice noodles or noodles in general, then these may help:
Vermicelli noodles are a type of rice noodle and can be frozen in much the same way. Once cooled, back them up into portions and then freeze.
Once cooked, you can keep rice noodles in the fridge for around 3 days in an airtight container before they go bad. This is why freezing them is such a good idea.
