Yes, you can reheat paella, once. Chill it within an hour or so of cooking, keep it in the fridge, eat it within a day, and reheat it until it’s steaming hot all the way through (165°F / 74°C).
Paella needs more care than most leftovers because it’s rice, often with seafood.
Why the shorter time limit
- Rice: uncooked rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores, which survive cooking. If cooked rice sits warm, they grow and make toxins that reheating won’t destroy. UK food safety guidance says to keep cooked rice in the fridge no more than one day and never reheat it more than once. Can You Reheat Rice Twice? explains why.
- Seafood: prawns, mussels and squid are best eaten soon too, and they turn rubbery when reheated more than once.
How to store leftover paella
- Don’t leave it sitting out in the pan after dinner.
- Spread it in a shallow container so it cools quickly, then refrigerate it within about an hour.
- Eat it the next day.
How to reheat it
In a pan (best):
- Put the paella in a frying pan with a splash of stock or water, about 2 tablespoons per portion.
- Cover it and heat it over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring gently once or twice.
- Uncover it for the last minute or two. Leave it untouched over medium-high heat to crisp the bottom again (the socarrat).
In the microwave: sprinkle it with a little water, cover it and heat it in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each, until it’s steaming throughout. It’s quicker, but the rice gets softer.
In the oven: cover the dish with foil and heat it at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. This is good for large amounts.
Reheat only what you’ll eat. Don’t put reheated paella back in the fridge.
Can you freeze paella?
Yes. Freeze it within an hour of cooking, ideally without the shellfish, which goes rubbery. Thaw it in the fridge or reheat it from frozen, then eat it right away.
Sources: GOV.UK, Home food fact checker (rice section); USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety.