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Cooking rice for a crowd is SO easy with this baked rice method! For a potluck, family reunion, or church party, bake it in the oven and have up to 50 servings in about an hour!
Cooking large quantities of rice doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it is pretty much one of the easiest starches you can make for a crowd! I used this baked rice method when I was serving 50+ people a big dinner at our church’s Girls Camp, and it worked like a charm. It was so much easier than making batches on the stovetop or a rice cooker and it never scorches on the bottom of the pan. Use it for stir fry, fried rice, cilantro lime rice or plain rice. It’s cheaper, too! Why spend $25-$35 (or more) to have rice catered when you can literally make it for a few bucks? You will love this easy recipe!
How to Cook Rice in Large Quantities
A basic rice recipe is so easy and only has three ingredients. You can add more seasonings like fresh herbs or lime juice as desired but here’s what to start with:
- Long grain, white rice – I use a five pound bag of long grain rice for this recipe. I prefer that over short grain or medium grain. That’s about 12 cups of rice or 3 quarts.
- Water – five quarts or about 20 cups water. This may seem like excessive water to rice ratios, but rice in the oven requires more liquid than the stovetop. You could use chicken broth, vegetable broth or beef broth instead of water.
- Kosher salt – three tablespoons, or add a teaspoon salt more at a time, to taste.
First, place the rice in a large roasting pan and spread it around evenly. Next, bring the water to a boil and pour it evenly over the rice. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork or wooden spoon and serve!
Getting the Quantities Right
The baking times and methods shouldn’t change depending on the quantity of rice. It may vary slightly but not much. You will just need bigger or smaller pans depending on whether you need more or less rice. The recipe below makes 50 servings but it can easily be doubled to make 100 servings. If doubling, you will definitely want to use 2 separate pans, but they should still be able to fit in 1 oven. If you need closer to 20 servings of rice, you can half the recipe but still use the same-size pan or opt for a smaller pan.
Get the Right Size Pan
Cooking rice in the oven is so easy and can make a large quantity. Use a 20-3/4″ x 12-3/4″ x 4″ steam table pan. It holds 15 quarts, so plenty of room for rice expansion. You can also use a roasting pan or a large baking dish with a lid. Just make sure that it can hold at least 10 quarts of rice and liquid. I like using the steam pan because it allows the rice to liquid ratio to cook more evenly. It is only 4″ deep, so not too shallow, not too deep. The closer you can get to the dimensions above, the better.
Types of Rice to Use
For this baked rice recipe I used long-grain white rice. You can also use basmati rice, wild rice, short-grain rice or jasmine rice. The cooking times should remain the same. If using brown rice, you may need to add another 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
Seasoning Variations for Baked Rice
Once you get the gist of cooking large quantities of rice for a crowd, it is SO easy to make variations and flavors depending on what you are serving. Keep it simple with lemon zest, a little garlic, and garnish with parsley, bell peppers or green onions. Season with some soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Or try one of these recipes below. They’re super easy and absolutely delicious!
- Spanish or Mexican Rice: The recipe below calls for 5 quarts of water. For this Spanish Rice, reduce water to 3.5 quarts and then add two 28-ounce cans of Rotel tomatoes, 2 cups of tomato sauce, ⅓ cup of taco seasoning, and more salt to taste (if needed). Continue directions as directed below. This is delicious served with refried or black beans.
- Seasoned Rice: Use 2 quarts water and 3 quarts chicken broth. Eliminate salt (or just use a pinch to taste). Slice four sticks of butter (2 cups) into squares (pats) and evenly place over rice. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons EACH of thyme, basil, and paprika and 1 tablespoon turmeric. Sprinkle mixture evenly over rice and butter. Carefully pour water and chicken broth over the top and lightly stir to combine butter and herbs/spices if needed. Bake as directed below.
Tips for Perfect Baked Rice
Some of our wonderful readers offered some helpful tips to make this rice perfect every time:
Toast the dry rice in the oven for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes.
Add blended charred tomatoes and onion to the boiling liquid just before pouring it over the rice to be baked.
Use boiling water, not cold water. Water temperature will affect how the rice cooks in the oven.
Make sure to use enough water and check the volume of water in the recipe. Keep in mind that there is more water in this recipe than cooking on the stove or a rice maker.
Double the foil pan due to weight of water for added stability. You can use foil steam pans or a large casserole dish.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Heat again by warming in the oven, or microwave single servings. If the rice seems a little dry, sprinkle a little water over the top before heating.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no need to rinse the rice before cooking. You can rinse, if you want to, by using a fine mesh strainer, but that step isn’t necessary.
You will need more water when baking rice than you would cooking it on the stovetop. For a five pound bag of rice, you’ll need about 20 cups or five quarts of water.
This recipe will serve 50 people, at about ½ to ¾ cup per person. So you’ll need a five pound bag of long grain rice for a party of 50.
READ MORE: Family Reunion Ideas for Meal Planning
More Ideas for Cooking for a Crowd
Need more ideas for cooking for a crowd? Have a big reunion coming up? Check out our Ultimate Family Reunion Meal Planning Guide! Cheesy Potato Casserole (aka Funeral Potatoes) is always a crowd pleaser, along with this yummy Blueberry Jello Salad. Or try some of these delicious recipes that you can make in bulk:
Rice for a Crowd (Baked Method)
Video
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
Ingredients
- 3 quarts long grain, white rice (12 cups or a 5 pound bag)
- 5 quarts water (20 cups)
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Place 3 quarts uncooked rice in large roasting pan (lightly sprayed with cooking spray), spread evenly. Set aside.
- In a large stock-pot, combine water and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
- CAREFULLY pour boiling water over rice and stir so rice is even along the bottom.
- Immediately cover tightly with aluminum foil. Make sure you have a tight seal around ALL the edges.
- Place roasting pan in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Fluff with a fork or large wooden spoon & serve.
- **Note: If you want to wait to serve, just keep in the oven at 150 degrees or so, or keep warm in an electric warming pan. Add a little water if necessary to keep from drying out.
This recipe works perfectly. I looked and tried several othera, none worked as well as this one. Follow the directions and rice will be perfect.
Thank you very much!!!
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for the comment!
Half quid penny farthing? What’s a quart, a subatomic particle? Maybe just say 4 cups. Yes I know you did in the full recipe but not in the description and most people have no idea.
946ml International, EVERY other country, basically, would say three liters rice and five liters water. Ratios are the same but I always thought it was 2 to 1 ratio, doubled water to rice.
Should you use Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice or just regular long grain rice? I don’t want it to stick together.
We always use regular long-grain rice.
I’m cooking for a church dinner and have to make rice for 100 people, we have a large convection oven. Am I correct in using 20 lbs. of uncooked rice, 49 cups of water and how long should I put it in the oven for?
For 100 servings, we recommend 10 pounds of rice and 40 cups of water, a serving being about 1/2 cup of rice per person. I would recommend cooking the rice in two batches, each according to the recipe, instead of doubling the recipe.
Thank you for your answer
I don’t understand the rice being listed in quarts, what is the cups or weight conversion?
I made she Spanish version. It was delicious. I used 112 ounces of chicken broth, 5/10 oz cans of of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies all drained except one. 2 cups tomato sauce and 1/3 cup taco seasoning. Boiled all this together than poured over the uncooked rice in pan. Covered with foil baked at 350 for 40 minutes
How did this work out in an electric roaster? I’d like to try it.
Thank you! has anyone doubled the recipe 10# in an 18 qt roaster. Im needing lots of tips as needing it for 400 for a wedding. Also doing parboiled uncle bens brown rice.
We haven’t tested this in an electric roaster, so I can’t say. I would definitely do a test run before!
I am a banquet cook (for 3 years now-self taught, former dairy farmer) I cooked for 150 for a wedding yesterday and used the Spanish rice version to go with the taco bar. I only have convection ovens so I would suggest these tips: YES, rinse the rice. Mine was a sticky mass, not able to fluff. I used 325 LOW fan and by the time I checked it at 40, it was already overcooked. I would check at 30 minutes and if it is close to al dente, pull and let the carryover heat finish cooking it out of the oven. The flavor was good, so I will try again but with these changes.
Did you ever find a solution to not having sticky rice?
Thanks!! I’m a lunch lady, who also uses a convection oven, I was wondering what I might need to do different.
I dugg some of you post as I thought they were very helpful very useful
I just made a variation of the seasoned rice listed in the description. I did a half batch in a deep dish lasagna pan and it worked great (filled completely to the top). First I sauteed 1/2 tablespoon turmeric, 1/2 tablespoon oregano and 3/4 tsp coriander, one large diced sweet onion and 3 large cloves of garlic in olive oil with some salt until lightly golden brown (about 10 min on medium + heat). Then I added 4 cups (one box) of vegetable stock and 6 cups of water and brought it to a boil. Meanwhile I rinsed my rise well and put it in the glass dish (I didn’t spray it since I figured the olive oil from sautéing would be enough fat). I added the onion/broth/spice/olive oil mixture to the rice and covered with aluminum foil. I baked it for 40 minutes at 350. It came out SO perfect! Next time I think I will bake it for 35 min since I plan to reheat this. But it was perfect for serving immediately. Thanks so much for the recipe! I’m cooking this for a dinner at my church and this was a test batch.
Yum, thanks for sharing your variations with us! I love your ideas!
Go 35 minutes and check, take into consideration the carryover time
When making the Spanish rice version of this rice for 50 was that with just one steam table pan of the size you listed? Also, did you heat the two 28oz. cans of rotel before adding to the rice?
Yes, it should still fit in one steam table pan since you are reducing the water. We didn’t heat the Rotel, but you can if you’d like!
Perfect! I halved the recipe, otherwise followed the recipe to a T. Did 6 cups Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice to 10 cups of beef/vegetable broth combo, added some onion powder, Italian spices, 1/2c butter cut in cubes and cooked at 350 for 40 minutes. I used a foil pan 17″longx14″widex3″high. Will definitely make this again! Yum!! Thank you!
Hello,
I noticed you and some others here used parboiled rice. Does this cause the rice to cook faster than what is listed in the recipe?
Exactly the comment I was looking for. Thank ya! Cooking now
Hi again! I’m going to be a long-time user of this method of cooking large quantities of rice, and I’m just wondering where to get pans in the size that you outlined. The biggest foil pans I can find are about 18x10x3. Is the 20x12x4 size only available in non-disposable pans?
Thañks for the help.
Finding out I could cook a large quantity of rice in the oven was a game changer! I feed big groups of hungry young missionaries, and finding your recipe was an absolute lifesaver! Thank you! I need to check out more of your recipes 🙂
I did 12 cups of jasmine rice with 20 cups of water in 350° oven covered in foil. At 45 mins in, there was still A LOT of water. At 1 hour, there was still some water. At 1 hour 10 mins, there was a little bit of water. But at this time, the rice was getting mushy but at the same time, some of the rice at the top needed more time in the oven. Tried to drain the excess water and put it back in the oven uncovered for 5 mins to evaporate the water. In the end, the rice was just mushy and unsalvageable. Twelve cups of rice wasted
Oh no I’m so sorry! How deep was the pan you used?
Has anyone tried cooking this ahead for 100 and reheating?
Proportions seem to conflict with most other recipes for white LG rice at 5 – 1 cup servings per pound which is only 25 servings for 5 lbs of uncooked rice (not 50). You give a range of 1/2 to 3/4 C per serving. If the servings ar 1/2 C, then 5 pounds are enough, otherwise you need 10 lbs of rice.
Yield for a full size 4″ high hotel pan is as you said , 15 qts which is 60 cups. Therefore for 1 cup servings, 30 cups of rice should be used. (about 12 pounds)
We are trying to do 20 lbs for a wedding reception, so will need to do this over a couple of hours during the day. What would you recommend as the best way to keep the rice warm once it is cooked?
We will be in a building with a no-open-flames rule, so the obvious chafing pans won’t work.
Thanks.
You can use crock pots to keep the rice warm! Add about 1/2 inch of water to the pot so the rice doesn’t dry out and keep adding water if needed throughout the day. Keep the crockpots on low or warm.
I have a few suggestions: 1) Keep the rice warm on the warm setting in crock pots, stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom or edges. A crock pot liner will help with this. 2) Keep the rice warm in a roasting pan lined with foil, stir occasionally. 3) Use coolers to keep the rice warm. To do this, you need to first heat the cooler by filling it with hot, almost boiling, water. Empty the cooler and dry it, then add the rice. Keep the cooler sealed until you are ready to serve.
Could I use parboiled rice instead (that’s what I have on hand)?
We haven’t tried this recipe with parboiled rice, so I can’t say.
This works perfectly with parboiled rice. My favorite.
Perfect Baked Rice Recipe! We needed rice for 100 and we don’t have enough stovetop space so we used this recipe. Doubled everything and divided between 3-2 inch deep steam table pans. It did take an extra 15 minutes in our oven. Just the right amount of water and salt to rice ratio! Will be using this recipe again and again!
Genius! Thank you! I made tikka masala for a group of missionaries, so I didn’t have room on the stove to do rice. I used a very large foil pan with 4 pounds of rice and 16 cups of water. It turned out perfectly! Thanks for a great idea!
I cooked for my church Wednesday night supper tonight for the first time. Well, I have helped for many years, but this was my first time being in charge and actually making the recipes myself and not just “taking orders” from someone else. I knew she had always cooked the rice in the oven but beyond that, I was unsure, so your instructions were so timely! I used parboiled rice (because that’s what “she” always does and I didn’t want to shake things up too much on my first night out), but the salt measurements you had were perfect, the water was perfect and since I forgot to pre-spray my disposable steam pan, I put a drizzle of olive oil in the pan with the rice and water and stirred it around. I covered it and put it in the slower of the two ovens, knowing I had a long time it could cook and also did a half pan (2 lb bag) for a total of 7 lbs. It was perfection, probably the best we have ever had. I added water one time later in the afternoon while it was in the warmer to keep it moist. Thanks again for these great instructions. I will use this many times!
We had a big youth group event tonight and we did Chipotle-inspired bowls/nachos. I was in charge of the rice and beans and I stressed about how I was going to do it.
This recipe was slick and dare I say, fool-proof! I used a 5lb bag of jasmine rice and baked it in a large hotel aluminum pan. After baking I split the rice between 2 pans and made one be regular rice and other cilantro/lime. We had a little leftover, but overall the rice was very well received!
Does this recipe use a 5 pound bag of long grain rice?
Yes, thank you for asking. I will change this on the recipe to make it easier for shopping.
Followed instructions to a tee. Came out super sticky 😔
What kind of rice did you use?
This recipe was a great success! I was even able to make two pans at the same time in my convection oven. Now I have my go-to recipe for rice for a crowd. Thank you!
This recipe worked beautifully in the oven using jasmine rice. I made this for an Independence Day celebration using your method with a few additions: 1) I toasted the dry rice in the oven first for about 30 minutes on 350 F, stirring every 10 minutes, and 2) I added blended charred tomatoes and chipotle in adobo plus desired onion and spices to the boiling liquid just before pouring it over the rice to be baked. The dish was very popular and I had very little of it left. Thank you for posting this; I’ve already passed on the recipe.
Just the recipe I was looking for! I see that this recipe serves 50 people. What is the serving size per person?
It is about 3/4 cup of cooked rice per person.
I’m grateful to have found this recipe! I have 25 lbs of uncooked rice to make for our microschool’s feeding the hungry project.
Do you suppose I can cook multiple pans in my oven simultaneously, provided they fit? Just wonder if you have thoughts or experience with regard to the heat/temperature, etc., with multiple pans being cooked at one time.
We haven’t tried multiple pans in the oven, but let us know how it goes if you try it!
The temperature of the water will absolutely affect cooking time…
As the recipe says to use boiling water, cold water would not work the same.
I used room temperature water because I knew I had a long time to allow it to cook. I had two pans going in the same oven and it cooked for two hours at the recommended temperature with no problems and it was perfect.
I’m so glad I came across this method! I need to cook rice for 150 people this weekend and I was not looking forward to doing it in small batches. I do have one question before I start. Do you rinse the rice first or would that cause the rice to soak up extra water and change the water ratio?
We don’t rinse the rice first with this method. You probably could without any changes to the recipe but we haven’t tried it that way.
This the best rice recipe for 50 people. I use this recipe for a Community Dinner. It comes out perfect every time.
I am going to try the Spanish Rice this week in honor of Cinco de Mayo.
Thank you for the recipe. It’s a life saver.
Hi Erica, on the baked rice, what is the serving size for that recipe PLEASE.
The serving size is about 1/2 cup.
I made the rice tonight for the first time. It was hard for me simply because it was heavy. I am a senior citizen with a few disabilities, and I was deathly afraid I would drop it and spill the boiling water all over myself, the kitchen and my dog. Next time, I’m making smaller batches. I also didn’t spray the pan, but had no problem with it sticking. It made a LOT of rice, which I was happy about! BUT, I was confused a bit about the pan. You show it in a chafing dish, so I thought I could cook the rice in a chafing pan, but the top pan is only about 2” deep, while the water pan is 4” deep. Am I doing it wrong? Since you said to use a 4” pan, I used the 4” water pan to cook the rice, but, if I was going to use it for a buffet, I’d have a problem because I’d have to transfer the rice to the top 2” pan, then wash the 4” water pan before it could use it, the rice getting cold the entire time. I feel stupid asking this, but I’m really confused about it. Also, a big thank you for setting it up so we can adjust the amount we want to make.
Hello! So, the pans we show in our post aren’t chafing dishes, they are just large roasting pans. I hope this helps!
You must cut the water back , I thought it was 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water? Is this because of the larger amount of rice?
Cooking the rice in the oven uses more water than other methods.
I am looking to feed about 50 people. Would I be able to use my electric roaster (18 quart)? Any suggestions as to temp or adjustments?
Thanks!
Just make sure you have enough space for the rice to expand!
How did this work out in an electric roaster? I’d like to try it.
Thank you!
Just made this today for 100 people at church. It could not have been easier. The only thing different I did was instead of boiling water I made my own chicken broth and used that instead. Everyone raved. Thank you thank you thank you! And Oh yes I will be making this again lol!
This was very easy! But, I had to trouble shoot. Not sure if it was me or that I used basmati rice. When I checked it at 40 min, the rice was swelling but overflowing my extra large buffet container – so I split it in half between 2 which was fine. But it took a lot of adding hot water and cooking times to get the rice to cook all the way. The edges had the less cooked rice- so needed stirring. Still much easier then the alternative. I added olive oil and salt
I used basmati rice, too. But, as I said it my comment, I used the water pan which had the 4” sides, to cook in. It didn’t overflow, but I had to transfer the rice to the top pan and wash the 4” water pan so I could use it for the water. I didn’t want the expense of buying a second pan, but it makes more work.
I would like to toast my rice. Can this be done a day ahead and finished in oven day of party? Thank you.
We haven’t tried that! Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Erica, you are a life saver!
I am catering for the first time on Friday (so far, I’ve only ever cooked for friends and one private dinner party). I’m feeding 50 people, and I couldn’t imagine for the life of me how to get the rice right.
I’m also making kidney beans. My recipe for the dish says to cook the beans from dry, then add uncooked rice and coconut cream to the beans and simmer until the rice is done. My question is, should I cook the rice separately and add it to the beans when it comes out of the oven?
Thank you!
Yes, I would add the rice after it is cooked. You may need to reduce the amount of coconut cream since it won’t be absorbed by the rice.
I’m making this in a roasting oven. Should the water that I add be cold? Would it speed up the recipe if I added warm or hot water instead?
The temperature of the water won’t affect the cooking time.
Can I make this the day before and reheat in the oven?
We haven’t tried this before, so I can’t say how well it would work.
Hi, when you say a large roasting pan, what size would you be correct?
I have one that is 11” x 17” x 2 ½ “. It does not seem suitable for 50 servings.
Thanks,
That is about the size that we have!
How would I adjust this for brown rice?
Hi, I am making coconut rice for a huge party this weekend. I was planning to do half water half light coconut milk for the liquid. Do you think this will work fine? Need help its in 2 days !Thanks.
Yes, that should still work fine- as long as the total amount of liquid isn’t reduced.
I’m looking to make rice for about 30 people. Do you think I could make 2/3 of this recipe? Would it scale down correctly?
2 qts rice
3.3 qts water (13 1/3 cups)
2 Tbsp salt
Would I reduce cooking time also?
Any feedback you could provide would be amazing helpful. Thank you!
Yes, you can reduce the ingredients but don’t reduce the cook time.
Hello Sara, I’d love to know how this worked for you for 30 people! I’m cooking for 30 people this week.
Thanks!
Have you made this in foil pans before? I need to make a large quantity for church potluck. A foil pan would make clean up easy.
Foil pans should work fine.
Yes you can, we cater and use this, however you will need a support for the pan as it will be heavy
I double the foil pan due to weight of water and it works great. I use foil steam table size pans.
12 cups of rice what would that be in grams please ?
1,536 grams or 1.536 kilograms. I hope that’s helpful. Thanks for asking!
Do you think I could keep the warm in a crockpot on warm for a few hours after I am done cooking it in the oven?
Sure! You might have to pour in a little bit of water to keep the moisture level up.
What size roasting pan do you recommend for your recipe? If I want to double the recipe, can I use one large roasting pan or do I need to go with two?
You will need at least an 18-inch roasting pan for a single batch of this recipe. I would do two roasting pans for two batches.
When the recipe for Spanish Rice calls for 2 (28oz) cans of Rotel, does that mean 2 cans (each can 28oz) or 2 cans TOTALING 28oz.?
I’m sorry for the confusion! It is for two 28 oz cans, so 56 ounces total. Thanks for asking!
Found this recipe online yesterday when trying to figure out how I was going to make rice for 30. I found cooking stovetop for large crowds was very inconsistent. I was leery to try it but I am so glad I did. I used a very large disposable aluminum pan (saw a comment where someone wanted to know if that would work) and it came out perfect. Had to keep it sitting for over an hour so I kept it in the oven at lowest temp to keep it hot. Followed the recipe exactly except I always add garlic powder to the water for extra flavor especially when serving Spanish food. Everyone raved about how fluffy and perfect it was cooked. Thank you…this is a keeper I will use over and over for years to come.
That is great to hear! Thanks so much for letting us know how it all turned out. We are glad that the comments helped too!
Has anyone made this in a convection oven. I cook for 200 every week and would love to try this. What about a gas stove too?
How do you modify for Cuna next rice and beans. Arroz/ Moros Congri
I want to make uncle bens wild rice original recipe. Can I use the same measurements here or should I follow the box instructions?
Thanks
We haven’t tried that recipe with this cooking method, so I would follow the box instructions to be safe.
Love this recipe. Easy to follow and makes amazing rice. The one addition I do is to put little pats of butter on the rice before I fluff. I cook it in a Medium Cattering Pan and it has plenty of room for fluffing. I serve this with Chicken Teriakyi and Roasted Brocolli at least once a season for my daughter who is in Marching Band/ Colorgaurd for the team meals. It travels well and stayed hot and moist in the Cattering Hot Box as well. The high school students come back for seconds. And the other parents and coaches ask for the reciepe at least once every time I make this. I will be passing this recipe on to the next set of parents when she graduates this spring.
I’m so happy you like the recipe! It really is perfect for serving a large group. I love your menu for the marching band and colorguard. My son was also in marching band – and I know how hungry the kids are after marching! 🙂
What is the serving size once cooked per person? I need to plan on 1 cup per person.
This recipe makes 24-25 cups. I hope this helps!
This is amazing!! I tried it tonight using parboiled rice and it came out perfect as promised. Thank you so much for sharing!
I have to admit I was shocked at how perfect this recipe is! Bravo 👏
Can I use this recipe in an electric roaster instead of in the oven?
I haven’t tested it, but it should work. The only think I’m worried about is the rice burning on the bottom because it is so close to the heating element. I would check the rice after 30 minutes.
This recipe was great! I followed it exactly (no spices or broth just the kosher salt). The quantity fit exactly in our roasting pan, right up to the rim. We served 15 people oven stir fry, many of which were hungry teens. There was about a 1/4 of the cooked rice left over.
Thanks for a new party standard.
So did you adjust the recipe and make less? I need a recipe for 12.
This turned out great! I really had no idea you could bake rice in the oven.
However, I made some flavor variations. I cooked up a chicken broth stock with Spanish tomato seasoning, a chopped onion, a bit of fresh minced garlic, pepper, a stick of real butter and two bay laurel leaves and salted to taste. Brought all to a boil and simmered for about 20 minutes. Poured over rice and some canned diced tomatoes. Baked for about an hour. I was so pleased. It was for 40 for a church food kitchen. I served Enchiladas and this rice. I will definitely use this technique again!
First of all, I admire you for working in a church food kitchen. We need more people like you in this world! Thank you for giving of your time and talents so generously! I’m thrilled this recipe was a success for you. Thank you for sharing the variations you used.
When making the Mexican rice, do you add the seasoning and rotel, etc… after you pour in the boiling water or before?
Either way is fine! I usually do it before!
I have a dinner party for 25-30 people & I am making shish kabobs & fried rice. I usually use a bag of mixed frozen veggies.
Should I just add this in with the rice & boiling water & keep an eye on it.
Also, I figured 6 cups of long grain (rinsed) rice & 10 cups of (boiling water)
Am I right? 🙂 Thank you for your help!
Those calculations are correct! Since veggies will cook much faster than the rice, I would suggest adding them after the rice is cooked! You don’t want mushy vegetables!
I would like to follow your exact recipe measurements given for 50 people but using jasmine rice. Is the water measurement the same? Can I use broth instead and if so do I use the same amount?
Read through some comments and some suggest washing rice ( I usually do ) and you have suggested using less liquid, if so how much less?
The water measurement is the same for jasmine rice. I have used chicken broth to cook rice and it turns out great! Hope this helps!
I read through the comments and wondered how you felt about using short-grain or sushi rice using this method. I need to cook it for a crowd soon, so hope you are able to respond with your thoughts.
We have only tested this method with long-grain rice, basmati and jasmine rice.
Thanks. I’m not up to last-minute snafus, so will use longer grain rice.
Do you know how many cooked cups of rice this makes? I need to make rice for 160 people at 3/4 cup each, so I guess that would be 120 cups of rice and we are trying to divide it up between 7 people making it.
It makes about 24 cups!
If I were to 1/2 of the recipe or triple the recipe (for the seasoned rice for a crowd), would I need to alter the cooking time at all? Same question – if I only had smaller pans and divided the recipe listed in half, would that alter the cooking time? Thanks! Looking forward to trying this method as I cook it for my church family.
It is hard to say how these changes would affect the cooking time. I would recommend just keeping an eye on it and testing the rice every 5-10 minutes.
I am cooking rice for 50 women I don’t have nor can I afford steamer pans. If I used tin foil roaster pans, and poured water on the rice while it is already on the oven shelf and then slid it in, do you think that would work?
I haven’t tried it that way so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture. Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
There is a YouTube video of a Chef/guy using that method – & gives measurements, explains well ! I am doing the same version as you . Just type in oven cooked rice . Hope this helps
Put your foil pan on a sheet pan so the bottom is supported. This worked for me.
We use this with the disposable full sheet aluminum pans, and it turns out great, however you will need to support the pan with a large cookie sheet or other pan it can fit into. It gets heavy.
I have tried this and it was so perfect. Thank you You’all made me look good!!
One commenter said to rinse the rice before doing the recipe. Do you recommend this? I have to cook the Jasmine rice at home, drive an hour and the rice won’t be served for an hour after I arrive. What is the best way to keep it warm and not get sticky?
It’s always good practice to rinse your rice. I would reduce your water by 3-4 cups if you rinse it because the rice will hold some of the water after rinsing. As far as your arrival time, I would just turn the oven off or keep it at a really low heat and keep the rice in there. I would fluff the rice with some butter or a little oil to keep it from sticking. Hope this helps!
I’m interested in making rice and beans for 100. Any suggestions?
Are you wanting to make it all combined like this recipe: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/brazilian-beans-rice-sausage/ or are you talking more refried beans with Mexican rice?
Hello I have to cook for one hundred and fifty people for tomorrow,I want to used the roaster but never tried it before.can and one help, do I need to put water in the base,
I am so sorry we didn’t get back to you in time! How did it go?
This recipe fits perfect for the church program my church has coming up were the ladies of the church will be serving dinner this service they wanted to put me on more than just cakes. So since i still have to Make the cakes I wanted something to add that went well but would be costly as well as take to much time, so I pick Rice and Gravy. I know how to make rice, but i have never made it for 50 or more people
So glad this recipe worked out for you and your church group! Glad you were able to find our recipe to hopefully make it easier for you!
since this is serving 50 people, how big would the serving sizes be?
The serving size is 1/2 cup cooked rice. Hope this helps!
does the water have to be boiling before we mix with the rice? or can we just use cold water?
It must be boiling. Hope this helps!
Can you tell me the how to make the mexican rice for about 30-35 people? What would be the ratios?
Hi Bonnie- We usually just make the full batch. If you are doing 30-35 you will want to adjust the recipe to about 3/4 of the original amounts. Hope this helps!
What is the ratio for the Mexican rice if serving 80 people? How much tomato sauce? And Water?
We have only have the measurements for the recipe above for the Mexican rice. You would probably be safe doing 1 1/2 times what is mentioned above for the Mexican rice adjustments. I think it would probably be close enough. Hope this helps!
When using a 20x12x4 pan as recommended, it was very heavy and I thought I might not be able to lift it in oven. Very heavy with water and rice in it. Next time I would use 2 pans.
Great suggestion if you feel your pan is too heavy!
Do you recommend replacing the water for vegetable broth to enhance the flavor?
I haven’t tried that before, but I think it would work!
I need enough rice for 150 people for Hawaiian haystacks. What would you suggest the amount of rice I would need?
If it were me, I would triple the recipe. You will have to gauge it by how big of eaters you have. If you are feeding a bunch of hunger teenage boys you may want to 4-5 times the recipe. Hope this helps!
Apologies…not famy……family. Also I used Jasmine rice.
Hi.
I am terrible.at cooking rice. I was asked to cook for a famy function rice for at least 30. I became nervous. How am I going to pull it is off.
I found your recipe and tried. I did not have big enough pan and dscided to split the rice and water into 2.
Oven 170 Celsius. 45 min.
I have never made such perfect rice.
Thank you, Thank you.
Bennett
How much water for jasmine rice
It should be the same amount as listed in the recipe!
Can u cook the yellow rice a day ahead? And how can i rewarm it?
Sure! Just add a little water to the pan and rewarm it in the oven.
This recipe saved my life!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!
We did a semi taco bar back in February for 400 kids!! Whew! I thought I was going to die, but this recipe totally helped. We used the parboiled rice from Sam’s Club… 10 lbs. for $5. Can’t beat that!
This recipe is delicious and my children have asked for it again. Now, i just have to make it in a smaller amount…
Thank you so much again for such a great recipe! AND an eye opener to the ease of cooking rice!
Thanks Sally! I am so glad this recipe helped!!
Hi Sally- Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. WOW, that is a lot of kids to feed! Way to go! Glad it turned out well! Thank you so much for the 5-stars and for the kind comment 😀
Can this be done in a glass oven proof dish? Looking for a simple way to make rice at a school and this sounds great but we only have deep ovenproof pans
I think that should work!!
Hi, did you keep the liquid ratio the same? As well added boiling water? I think the parboil rice is genius!
Took an hour and a half too cook. Boo!
Hi Matt- it definitely shouldn’t take that long to cook. How deep was your pan? Did you bring the water to a rolling boil before adding? Was it covered well?
I don’t know if this will make a new comment or just thread off the last. I am sorry for any confusion. I am wondering why you are only using the roaster as a warmer and not actually cooking the rice in the roaster pan it’s self? Wouldn’t that be the same method and just like you cook rice on the stove?
So, you do cook the rice in the roaster pan. You just boil the water in the pot and then pour it over the rice.
I would like to use your Spanish rice for a Crowd recipe as a side at a church BBQ plate fundraiser. It is rated for 50 servings but it seems to me it will provide more than that if filling a side section of a foam plate box. Can you comment somehow? What is the size of your servings?
Thanks
Each serving is 1/2 cup of cooked rice. If you are aiming for it to fit in a little section of a foam plate you will probably get more than 50 servings (if you are going 1/4 c. – 1/3 c. servings) does that make sense?
We run a food truck and typically are not used to pre making large portions of rice. Due to the climate today, we did a catered event for drive-thru orders instead of on demand. I needed a recipe where I could do a large amount of rice.
This recipe is phenomenal! I needed 100 portions so I just doubled this recipe. The rice turned out perfectly fluffy!
I used yellow rice, so I mixed water and chicken broth together for extra flavor.
Thank you for such an awesome recipe and this will be in my arsenal for the future!
Can disposable aluminum pans be used for cooking the rice?
Yes! That should work!
Hello
I stumbled across this recipe while looking for ways to cook a large amount of rice ( 150 people ) for chipotle wraps for a graduation party. I’m leery of trying bulk rice because of it getting sticky. Will this rice stay fluffy or over time or become sticky and stick to the serving spoon etc…?
Thank you for your post!
Rachel
No matter how you cook rice you will risk it getting sticky if it stays out. How long were you wanting it to be out over time? I think you should be fine, the rice comes out as it would if you were cooking it in a rice cooker. Hope this helps!
One way to help prevent sticky rice, no matter how you cook it, is to first rinse it in water til the water runs clear. This washes away the powder stuff that makes it starchy & sticky, and give the rice an overall better appeal.
Can I use this formula with brown rice? Ty
We haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice, so I can’t say. I know brown rice takes much longer to cook.
Hi, Ladies,
What is the finished serving amount to get 50 out of a batch?
It is a 1/2 cup serving. Hope this helps!
Help please! We are holding our annual Boy Scout fish dinner, decided to do wild rice blend in lieu of red potatoes. Serving between 150 – 200 people, can I scale this and in batches. Additionally, I was always told to wash rice prior to cooking, or does this make it a dish of mush? By the way, all fish, cod, salmon, rolls etc donated.
You can definitely rinse first! That is a great idea– It actually makes the rice more fluffy if you rinse it until all the water becomes clear but that might take a long time for 200 servings. If you rinse it and drain it really well you shouldn’t have to change the proportions, maybe just a little less water. Hope this helps!
Any idea how much black beans to add if I am making rice and beans? Thanks so much – this recipe is awesome!!
If the beans are drained and rinsed you can add as many as you would like– you may need a bigger pan though. If it were me I would use one for those big food storage cans of black beans (I think they are like 5 pounds).. drained and rinsed. Hope this helps!
For the Mexican rice, do you mean 2-28oz cans, or just a total of 28 oz of rotel?
No, it would be a totally of 28 ounces. Hope this helps!
Can I make this recipe with coconut milk? My usual coconut rice uses half canned coconut milk and half water. Trying to figure out how to make 50 serving of coconut rice for tiki masala.
We haven’t tried this, so I can’t say. But let us know how it goes if you try it!
Holy talk about saving grace. I am making greek styled rice for about 55 to 70 people. I am glad i found this. I have a question though I am using a basmati rice, chicken based broth and lemon juice as well as shredded carrots oregano and garlic. I usually soak and rinse my basmati. Should i still so the same or do you have a better suggestion on rice for this dish. I don’t want mushy rice. That would be embarrassing 🙁
If you rinse your rice you will need to use less broth/water– I haven’t made it before rinsing the rice so I can’t tell you HOW much less exactly. Rinsing it will make it less sticky as you are washing away much of the starch. If I were to GUESS, I would say do 3 qt. rice and 4 qt. broth/water. Hope this helps!
I know I’m too late to help, but just in case I’m not the only one reading all the comments for extra advice, I thought I’d share my method. When cooking rice at home I weigh the rice with a kitchen scale before and after rinsing. Every extra gram in weight is equal to 1 ml of water retained by the rice. Then I simply minus this amount from the cooking water amount. A US cup is 237ml for reference. Hopefully this makes sense.
This is extremely helpful! Thank you so much for figuring this out!
My oven isnt very big somewhere I read a pan 20 3/4 by 12 3/4 by 4” is needed to cook for 50 people. Any suggestions
At home for my family, I make Mexican rice, but I first brown the white long grain rice in Manteca (lard) with chopped onion and garlic till light golden. then I add the water mixed with Knorr chicken crystals or chicken broth ,and red California chili powder and cook till ready. My question is, could I use your oven method for 50 browning the rice first, then adding the liquid and baking it as you directed? Do you think it would work out well?
We haven’t made it this way before but my guess is yes, you should be able to make this for 50 using the browning method. Browning the rice first should affect the recipe at all. It will actually probably make it taste better when doing Mexican rice!
thank you so much
Did you try it? How did it turn out? My grandma uses the browning method and we’re looking to make a batch for my sons first birthday.
Do you have a recipe for yellow rice recipe for 50…with the adjusted seasonings. Thanks.
We don’t have the actual recipe yet for the yellow rice for a crowd… we need to experiment with it to make SURE we have all the measurements right. We will work on it and see what we can come up with! If you try it and have success, let us know how it turned out!
will a roster oven also work?
thanks doing a baby shower toco lunch
debby
We haven’t tried it in a roaster oven before so I can’t say for sure. As long as it seals well, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work just as well. If you can roast other things in it I am guessing you should be ok. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
For the Mexican rice, when do you add the rotel, tomato sauce and taco seasoning? To the boiling water? Or over the top of the rice after the water is added and mix it? Help please!
You can add it at either time. You stir it all together so it really shouldn’t make a difference. You just add all of those things at one time. Hope this helps!
so excited to try this one question I’m using Calrose long grain and I usually wash it thoroughly because I was told it was loaded with lye for preservation reasons your thoughts??
Calrose rice should be rinsed, but I don’t know that it is because of lye. According to the Hinode Calrose rice website, the rice should be rinsed to wash away the residual bran and starch on the rice so that it will absorb the water evenly. Thanks for asking!
I am going to use this to make rice for a graduation and am concerned about the water amount. This is less water then if doing on stove…is the ratio correct? Just don’t want hard rice. Thank you
Yes, the ratio is correct. 🙂 hope this helps!
Do you think you can add cooked chicken with a little extra water to make this a chicken and rice bake?
Hi Tracie- you probably could but you may want to try making a triple or quadruple batch of our cheesy chicken and rice casserole that is baked as well. You can just make it in a big roasting pan and use the times in THIS crowd method. Hope this helps! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/cheesy-chicken-and-rice-casserole/
How can I make this recipe for 15? Can I use a large pan? I think it’s 18 x 24.
You can just scale down the recipe and use a smaller size pan! That should be fine!
I loved this, I am looking for a recipie to feed 50-60 homeless persons so will need more than 1/2 cup per person. I am used to cooking and adjusting recipes but would really like to use a roasting oven to do the cooking. I can then make the rice in my church kitchen and carry it in the oven (so it stays warm) to the place where we will feed. Do you think I can use the same quantities and do it in my roasting oven???
Yes, you should be able to do it in your roasting oven, you will just want to make sure you can get the same temperatures as mentioned in this recipe. How cool you are making this for the homeless. That is an incredible service. Thank you for your selflessness 🙂
Hi. Just found this in time😊 Cooking for chrch lunch on Sunday. I like rice soft not a crunch. Do I need to add more water for it to come out that way? If so how much? Thank you. I think you saved me a LOT of time. ⌛
You should be able to make this as-is and there should be no crunch at all. Hope this helps!
I work in a school cafeteria and am just learning to be the side dish cook. We are feeding around 1000 kids a day. Friday we had seasoned jasmine rice. I had about 2 1/2 hours to make 60 lbs (uncooked)of rice. My recipe said to cook 4 lbs. at a time in 4-inch steam table pan for about 20 minutes in a steamer uncovered. Then it said to cover, I think, and let the liquid finish absorbing. I don’t know our large steamer well enough to trust it and we only have one baby steamer which was being used. So I doubled the recipes and put into 6-inch steam table pans, covered with metal lids (not foil), and put 4 pans into one restaurant convection oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I then checked them and they were still not done. So I increased the temp to 400 degrees (panic time) and cooked 30 minutes more. They got done. But all in all, I needed to cook 10 large pans altogether, or 20 small pans. All the while I also had to cook 480 eggrolls and 48 lbs. of stir fry blend vegetables. Whew! Anyway, the rice got stickier as it sat and had to keep adding water to serve. Should I have not cooked so long and then let it sit and absorb the water as the recipe called for? I have only cooked parboiled rice before. Is jasmine rice a different animal? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Julie- Typically with Jasmine rice, you don’t need as much water. Especially if you are rinsing the rice first. Have you tried the recipe as directed in our recipe? It works really well for large crowds and it is so easy to do. If your rice is getting sticky and clumpy, try adding a little butter instead of water. I think the water will make it more mushy. Hope this helps!
I need to fix rice for 200 – can I put 4 pans in oven at one time? Would it need to have longer baking time?
Yes, you will need a large oven and you will have to cook them longer.. I can’t tell you exactly how long. I would say just keep an eye on them and rotate the pans halfway through. Hope this helps!
Wish me luck. I’m so grateful this feed is available. Gonna made rice for 40+… freaking out because I’m Korean and grew up on rice with a rice maker. It’s taboo otherwise. Thanks for the confidence and sharing success stories. Means so much. It’s hosting a nonprofit meal to feed middle school kids to raise funds to send them to Costa Rica. You are amazing for sharing this info and experience. Thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Good luck with your meal! What a great cause! This recipe works like a charm every time, so I’m sure it will be a success for you.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it in smaller disposable lasagna pans with heavy foil lids that crimp onto the sides (just keeping the same ratio of 3 cups rice to 5 cups water plus a little salt). I used basmati rice, didn’t even watch the timing that carefully, and it came out fluffy perfection filling each pan. I stacked the pans into a thermal tote, took them to feed my daughter’s marching band, and was a hero. Each pan came out fresh and hot onto the table (and was devoured)! This method is my new best friend for serving a crowd.
Yay! This is amazing! So glad this recipe worked out so well for you. It is a very “non-fussy” recipe, which is why we love it so much too. Thank you so much for the 5-stars Ashley!
I just want to verify 5 lbs of rice 20 cups of liquid?
You will need a little more than 5 lbs of rice. 5 lbs of rice measures out to approximately 10 cups, you will need 12 cups of rice with the 20 cups of liquid. I added cup measurements to the recipe. Thank you for asking!
Any suggestions on making brown rice for 50 people? Thank you so much!
You will want to add more water and increase the cooking time by at least 20-30 minutes. Hope this helps!
Thank you for your help. Let ya know how it turns out.
What is the serving size per person? 1/2 cup? 1 cup? measured after it is cooked? I am cooking for 200+ people. I want to put the size scoop into the pan the correct size. And one recipe this week they need more of a serving size than later this week. Thanks!
the serving size I used is 1/2 c. COOKED. Hope this helps!
Just FYI for people wanting scale the recipe down to serve only 10 or so people. I use a disposable 8×10 pan. 4 cups rice and coat rice while inside the pan with some olive oil (eye ball it), 6 cups water and a generous T kosher salt. I still cook for 45 minutes and turns out great.
Sorry. I just looked at my pan size. It doesn’t actually say the size of the pan. It’s just the heavy duty half size steam table pans from Reynolds bakeware. Says holds up to 10 pounds. Those are the best pans to make the rice in.
Hey! I’ve been trying everywhere to find out how to do mexican rice on a large scale and I stumbled across this recipe.
I’m in NZ so quarts and ounces was quite confusing but I tried to get all the measurements converted.
I halved this recipe because I wanted to try it and baked in a big deep ceramic pie dish.
I put it on fan bake and after fourty minutes the rice was cooked but slightly chewy and gluggy.
How do you get this nice and fluffy? I used medium grain rice and rinsed it, would that make a difference?
Id love some help on this. Im going to try and make about 30 litres of rice sometime in the future.
Thanks!!
You problem may be in the rice, try a long-grain white rice or you can use Jasmine rice– also if you rinse the rice you will want to cut back on the water portions. Hope this helps!
Because it’s so much faster, I like to cook metric even though I’m in the US. If 1 cup white rice is 180 grams, then you need 1260 grams of rice. Since 1 quart is 946.35 ml, then you need 4.732 liters of water.
Worked perfectly! Thank you so much!!
Glad this worked out for you! 😀
You have said that this will make up to 50 servings. I need to feed 60 people. Do you think I could adjust the recipe to 4 quarts dry rice/6.67 quarts water and still have it fit in the pan of the same dimensions?
I haven’t done it that way before but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. You will probably be just fine– you may just need to increase baking time a little bit. I would say just to keep an eye on it and you will probably be ok! Hope this helps!
I am trying to do Cilantro lime Rice for 100 for a wedding. Do you have any idea what the lime and Cilantro amounts would be for your recipe above? I had thought that I should use 1/2 chicken broth h1/2 water instead of all water and omit the salt. ( I realize these portions are for 50 people, so I would need to double.)
I really appreciate your kind response to everyone. Thank you for your help to us non- caterers that ended up catering.
You bet! Ok here is what I would do. Yes, I would do half water, half chicken broth. Then I would add about 10 cloves of garlic and the juice from about 2 limes. Cook it up and then combine juice from 3 limes, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1-2 bunches of cilantro finely chopped..mix all those together and add it a little at a time when fluffing up the rice with a fork. Hope this helps!
Would this be for the 50 servings in the one pan or were you thinking this amount for 100(double the recipe) I’m also doing this lime rice for a wedding dinner! Thanks
The instructions I gave would be for one pan – 50 servings.
Hi. We are going to be in RVs at the Frio for a week. Each family takes a night to cook. Would this recipe reheat well in electric roasters? I plan on making it ahead of time. Thanks.
We haven’t Re-heated using electric roasters before but I don’t see why not. You probably just need to add more water as it heats up because it will probably get dry.
That’s whT I was thinking. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Good Evening I was wondering if I would be able to add black beans to this recipe without adjusting the water (for the Spanish/Mexican rice?
thank you
Susan
Yes, you should be able to add beans without adding any extra water. You will just want them drained and rinsed. Hope this helps!
Yes, thank you very much!
Do you think it would work for Asian Coconut Rice using half coconut milk, half water ?
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, I am sure it would be delicious! If it can be done in a rice cooker, it can be done in the oven 🙂
Question
I am making the rice in the church kitchen, which has ovens but not stove tops. Am I able to make this starting with cold water and cooking longer?
Other Considerations:
I do have access to a coffee urn, which I could use to heat water, but my concerns are that (1) the water does not reach boiling temperature in the urn, and (2) my rice might taste like coffee. I don’t think the electric kettle reaches boiling point either, and I could only heat 1.5 quarts of water at a time in the electric kettle. I want to make this hot and fresh on the spot, rather than making it at home and reheating, if possible.
If you try cooking from cold water, it would have to cook much much longer. It’s good to get that hot water on it right off the bat. Is there any way you could boil water and bring it in one of those big insulated water coolers? It may not be boiling any more by the time you pour it on but it would still be REALLY hot. Just be careful when pouring (maybe even use the spout to pour while measuring to prevent getting burned). Hope this helps!
without a stovetop, you could use a portable Salton top. they are handy even in your own kitchen. i picked one up at a second hand store for about 7$. it takes a large pot, quite sturdy
Thanks for the tip, Gail! Great idea!
How do you measure/buy quarts of raw rice? Is a quart of rice the same as 32 oz?
1 quart = 4 cups. So for this recipe you would use 12 cups. We used a gallon-sized pitcher that had measuring marks on it and filled it to the 3-quart mark. That is how we came up with that measurement. Hope this helps!
So excited to run across your recipe today! I will be making for approximately 325 people, curious on making ahead – do you know if freezing would work or how long it would work refrigerated? I have chafing dishes for day of but hoping to make a week ahead of time..
Oh man, this is a good question. I have never frozen bulk rice before so I don’t know what to tell you here. If it were me and I HAD to make it ahead of time I would probably refrigerate no more than 2 days ahead of time, then sprinkle with water when re-heating in the oven to keep it from drying out. Honestly by the time you thaw and re-heat it– it would be just as easy just to cook it that same day. It would take about the same amount of time. Hope this helps!
Can I use this to make southern style greasy rice? For a normal use I boil chicken for the broth with celery and onion and once done I shred the chicken, remove the celery and onion and add the rice until done but I’m not sure how to do this for 50 people.
We haven’t tried it that way before but it sounds like it would probably work just fine! Let us know how it turns out for you if you try it!
Do you know if this method will work for Calrose (sticky) rice? I am hosting a luau and I need a large quantity of sticky rice
Thanks!
Yes, it should work for Calrose as well 🙂
I am cooking for 100. If I put two batches in the oven at the same time, does the cooking time need to change at all?
It depends. If you are doing them on separate racks (one above the other) you want want to increase time and also switch racks part way through. If you are doing side-by-side, you should be fine not altering the time. Hope his helps!
I am cooking for 150 people. I have use of a commercial convection oven which cooks faster. What would you suggest for time and temperature. Thank you.
We haven’t used a large commercial convection oven to make this before so I am not exactly sure how to bet advise you. I would say to check the rice after 15 minutes and go from there. Hope this helps!
If you are bringing the rice to an event, how do you keep it warm while traveling? Will it still be good for travel time and sitting out for a party? I’ve been reading how easy it is for rice to grow bacteria and I don’t want to get anyone sick. ????
You probably want to rent some chafing dishes if this is a concern. That way you can keep it warm while serving. Hope this helps!
i AM NOT SEEING A SERVING SIZE ANYWHERE. iS IT ONE CUP SERVINGS OR 1/2 CUP. i AM FOOKING 100 SERVINGS ON 2/14/2018 SO A QUICK RESPONSE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED
Each serving is approximately 1/4 c. rice UNCOOKED, which usually yields to be a little more than 1/2 c. COOKED rice. This recipe yields about 24 cups of cooked rice, so about 48 servings. If you double this recipe you should be able have 100 1/2-cup servings. Hope this helps!
You say 3 quarts of rice. Does that mean 12 cups of dry rice? I don’t know if liquid measurements are the same as dry measurements.
Yes, you can do 12 cups. I just used a big quart-sized measuring cup when I measured the rice
Are the cooking times the same for brown rice?
No, brown rice will take longer and may need more water. I need to experiment more before I can suggest exact measurements. Hope this helps!
hi…did you test the brown rice?
We still haven’t tested with brown rice yet. We will update the recipe if we try it. Thanks for the reminder that we need to try it out!
How much uncooked rice is 3 quarts
You want to have the rice uncooked. 3 quarts is 12 cups.
3 quarts equals a 5lb bag of uncooked rice.
Can this method be used without boiling the water first? I need to do rice for 150 people and with be unable to boil the liquid. I’m guessing we’d need to up the cook time, but how much?
We haven’t tried it that way before so I can’t say for sure. I would hate to tell you “yes” and then have it not work out. If you try it, come back and let us know how it turns out!
Do you rinse your rice first?
No, but you absolutely can. It’s always a good idea (even though I forget to do it sometimes..)
I’m so excited to have found your recipe! I have worried for weeks about how to make rice for 100 people for an event at our church. I have access to several ovens so I will do two batches in our steam table pans and set them into the steam table just before service.
I will post my success after our event!
I need to make Mexican Rice as a side dish for about 20. How do I adjust this recipe accordingly in terms of quantities, water, etc? Thinking of using picante sauce and veggie broth instead of water. Help!
You can just half the recipe as written and you should be fine. Picante and veggie broth would both be great addition ideas! Hope this helps!
I made this rice dish for my Christmas party. I had 50 + guest. It was plenty.. Everyone loved it! I had people asking for the recipe. It’s a recipe I will keep and make again. It is super easy, super inexpensive, and super yummy!
Hi Sheila! So glad this worked out so well for you! Isn’t it so much easier than making 10 batches of rice in a rice cooker (which I have had people tell me they have done.. YIKES!) So so glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment and the 5-stars 😀
Hi! How do u go about figuring out the ratio for larger quantities? Trying to find info everywhere and can’t. I’d like to do enough for 30 people…how do I figure this out. THX!
This recipe makes enough for 50 servings… it should be plenty if you are feeding 30. Hope this helps!
Im making a bulk batch but I wanted to use just rice and add cans of pigeon peas. Can I just add the beans with out adjusting the water?
Yes, I think you should be able to do that without any issues.
When trying to convert to a say more normal amount, by my calculations you are using less water than would normally call for, is this normal? Amature rice maker here.
I’m only trying to make 6 cups
You should be able to just do a 1: 1 1/2 ratio.. maybe a little extra water. So if you are using 6 c. uncooked rice I would do like 10-11 c. of water. I haven’t done it the pan way with a smaller batch (I usually just use my rice cooker or pressure cooker for smaller batches). Hope this helps!
Do you think a cheap aluminum pan would work?
Hmmm how cheap? I would just be worried that it would collapse on itself when moving back and forth from the oven…
Could you place the aluminum pan on a large cookie sheet to prevent it from collapsing? Or would it interfere with how long it needs to be cooked?
You may need to cook it a little longer, but probably not much. The pans that we used to cook the rice in were really sturdy (not disposable) but if you use a disposable one it would be a very good idea to put it on a cookie sheet. Hope this helps!
I cooked rice this way for 200 people using aluminum pans. I put the pan on the rack in the oven with the rice, but before putting in the water. Once the rice is cooked you don’t notice the weakness of the aluminum. It was the sloshing of the water taking it to the oven than made the mess. I love this recipe, although I do add butter to the water. (maybe a cube) I am using the Mexican Recipe today for a Cinco de Mayo Wedding Shower!!! It really works!!!
Thank you for sharing your success! I love your idea of adding butter to the water. Probably adds a lot of good flavor!
If I make it at night can I leave it out overnight if I’m serving it the next day?
I think it would dry out if you left it out overnight.. and then you would have to re-heat it the next day. It might be more trouble than just making it the same day
Can you use the easy oven method to make the Lemon Pesto Rice?
Yes, it should be able to work just fine!
Hello.
I am cooking for an event with an estimated total of 219 people (adults and children) ???? So they requested arroz morro (which is black beans and rice) would I be able to do this type of rice? I’ve never made such a large quantity before.
Yes, you should easily be able to add black beans. You can cook them separately and add them or you can add them in before baking the rice. Do you have a recipe you are wanting to use? I can help you try and adjust it if you would like. If you email me (click the “contact” button at the top of our home page) I will try to help you out 😀
Could i get that same help for 70 people quickly lol please
Hi Jessica- shoot us over an email with exactly what you need help with and we will try our best to help!
Thanks for the awesome tips! Can you cook the Cilantro Lime Rice from Cafe Rio this way? Can’t wait to try this for our family reunion next week!
Yes! You absolutely can. You will just need to adjust the measurements of everything. 🙂 Hope this helps!
I am cooking this tomorrow… Do you happen to have a suggestion of the cilantro/lime/cumin ratio i should use? Any thoughts on using half water/half chik broth?
Thanks!
Hi Mitch- You can totally use half water half chicken broth. Just add salt to taste after it is done cooking. If I were you, I would combine 1 c. lime juice, 2 Tbsp. cumin, and 1 bunch of cilantro and a little bit of sugar. Combine them all and add a little bit at a time while fluffing the rice until you get the flavor you want throughout the rice. Hope this helps!
Any way to find out from Mitch how cilantro lime rice turned out. Would like to make in a couple weeks and need 150 servings
The only way we can know is if he came back and left a comment. I am hoping that because he didn’t come back and leave a negative review that it turned out well!
I need to feed 50 sports players. I want to make rice/chicken bowls(like Chiplte) The problem I have is that the rice needs to be cooked early and we live an hour away. Then it needs to be warmed for (@4 hours) any ideas. I was thinking to make rice, travel and place in a chaffing dish on low???
I think what you mentioned is probably the best bet. You can definitely keep it warmed on low in a chaffing dish. Hope this helps!
Wrap pan straight from oven covered in towels and place in cooler. Pack newspapers or additional towels in top and place lid on cooler should keep rice hot for hours
Put your hot rice container in a dry cooler it will keep it hot, we use this method to keep bbq chicken hot for our parties it works for up to two hours.
Excellent idea Deb! We have done this with corn on the cob, too! Such a smart way to keep things warm.