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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. 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)
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.
I was always taught 1 t. salt for every cup of rice so is 3T. enough salt for 12 c. of rice?? I’m so excited to try this as I’m cooking for 130 missions tomorrow!
We’ve always found it to be enough! Good luck feeding all those people!
I have n]made this recipe several times and it has always turned out great. I would lke to do a cilantro lime, what would your suggestions be on this variation? thank you
We haven’t tried this before, but if I was trying it I would cook the rice as written and then at the end add 8 cups of chopped cilantro, 3 cups of lime juice, and 3/4 cup butter. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes then uncover and stir.
Thank you!!!
Hi there, I am trying this with brown rice, sense it was what was purchased for a fundraiser for our youth group. Thoughts on cooking in an electric roaster (think turkey roaster)?
I haven’t tested brown rice so I can’t say for sure but you should be fine in the electric roasting pan. Go by the cook time it says on the bag.
Can you clarify if you still rinse the rice first or just use parboiled and skip the rinse? Thank you so much!
I’m not exactly sure what you as asking so I will try my best to answer. I don’t use parboiled rice for this recipe. If you want to rinse the rice you totally can. If I rinse the rice I like to make sure that it is well drained before continuing with this recipe. You can even rinse it and let it dry completely. Does this answer your question?
Any ideas on cooking time using a convection oven?
I haven’t done this in a convection oven before so I’m not sure of the time and temp. If I were to guess I would say keep the time the same but reduce the temperature by 25-degrees (so 325 instead of 350).
I’d like to make this with coconut and pineapple for a luau party. Any suggestions?
I have suggestions – but they are not tested. I’ve never made rice with coconut and pineapple. If you have a recipe you use for coconut and pineapple rice, you can use that recipe and then adjust it to prepare it in bulk using this oven-baked method. Most recipes for coconut and pineapple rice use coconut milk for about 1/4 of the liquid for the rice. So in this recipe, you could use 5 cups coconut milk and 15 cups water. You can also use pineapple juice for part of the liquid. With 12 cups of rice, I would add 6 cups of pineapple tidbits and 3-4 cups of toasted coconut. Since you are making it for a luau, test the amounts by making a small batch of rice on the stove top using these portions and then you’ll know if you need to add more or less of the coconut and pineapple for the large batch. Good luck!
When I multiply it the cups of rice in the recipe doesn’t change
I’m not sure what you are saying? Can you please clarify?
I know what you’re saying I hit the 2x and 3x and only the water changes. Why doesn’t it give you the amount of rice to add ?
That is really strange. It is working on my computer, but only the “quart” amount is changing not the cups. There are 4 cups in a quart, so you can adjust it accordingly:
For 2x the recipe: 6 quarts long grain rice (24 cups)
For 3x the recipe: 9 quarts long grain rice (36 cups)
i followed recipe verbbatim i added red and yellow pepper white onions to cans rottelle and 2 cups tomato sauce with 5lb mahatma rice long grain after 45 minutes in oven at 350 the water was still in rice i put 3.5 litre water in it should i increase heat to 375 for 30 minutes help
This really depends on how much of each vegetable you used and the water content of each. I can’t guarantee that it will turn out right if the recipe is altered. You can try to increase the heat to try and evaporate more out? If you try it please let me know how it turns out.
I’ve made this rice several times; once with veggie broth and the other times with the Spanish seasoning. While they tasted very good, I’m having problems with very sticky rice. I must be doing something wrong…..I follow your directions to the letter but still have problems.
I make this rice recipe for at least 70 people once a month. Any suggestions you have are very much appreciated.
Thank you.
What kind of rice are you using? There could be a lot of reasons. What kind of rice are you using? What elevation are you at? If you live at a higher altitude or in a humid area, water behavior and evaporation change — this can affect final texture. You may need to reduce water slightly or bake slightly longer if in a very humid or high-altitude environment. Also be sure that you fluff the rice immediately after baking, that can release some of the moisture from the rice so it doesn’t get sticky. Hope these ideas help!
Simply delicious! I received so many compliments on the taste and texture of the rice. Simple recipe come out perfect.
So glad it was a hit! Makes rice so easy when cooking for a bunch of people!