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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.
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.