Cooking rice for a crowd is SO easy! For a potluck, family reunion or church party, bake it in the oven and have up to 50 servings in less than an hour. 
Rice for a Crowd
Cooking large quantities of rice doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it is pretty much one of the easiest things you can make for a crowd! used this method when I was serving 50+ people at our church’s Girls Camp and it worked like a charm. I love that you can hurry and prepare it and just forget about it while you are prepping other food. Why spend $25-$35 (or more) to have rice catered when you can literally make it for a few bucks? It is so so easy.
Cooking Rice in the Oven
Use a 20-3/4″ x 12-3/4″ x 4″ steam table pan (can be found HERE). It holds 15 quarts so plenty of room for rice expansion. You can also use a roasting pan. Just make sure that it can hold at least 10 quarts. I like using the steam pan because it seems 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.
Seasoning Variations for Rice
For this recipe I used long-grain white rice. You can also use basmati or jasmine rice. The cooking times should remain the same. Once you get the gist of baking rice for a crowd it is SO easy to make variations and flavors depending on what you are serving.
- Spanish or Mexican Rice for a Crowd: Reduce water to 3.5 quarts and add 2 (28 oz) cans of Rotel, 2 c. tomato sauce, 1/3 c. taco seasoning, and more salt to taste (if needed). Continue directions as directed below.
- Seasoned Rice for a Crowd: Use 2 quarts water and 3 quarts chicken. Eliminate salt (or use very little, to taste- the chicken broth should have plenty of sodium). Cut up 2 cups of butter into squares (pats) and evenly place over rice (it doesn’t need to be perfect, this is just so it will melt evenly when the hot water is poured on). Combine 2 Tbsp. EACH of thyme, basil, and paprika. and 1 Tbsp. turmeric. Sprinkle mixture evenly over rice and butter. Carefully pour water over the top and lightly stir to combine butter and herbs/spices if needed. Bake as directed below.
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 HERE! Or try some of these delicious recipes that you can make in bulk:
- Omelets in a Bag
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Breakfast Freezer Sandwiches
- Mom’s Cheater Chili
- Traditional Macaroni Salad
How to Cook Rice for a Crowd
Ingredients
- 3 quarts long grain, white rice (12 cups)
- 5 quarts water (20 cups)
- 3 tbsp 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 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.
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
Annette says
Can I use this recipe in an electric roaster instead of in the oven?
Echo Blickenstaff says
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.
April says
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.
Jackie White says
So did you adjust the recipe and make less? I need a recipe for 12.
Karen Smith says
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!
Echo Blickenstaff says
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.
Elisa says
When making the Mexican rice, do you add the seasoning and rotel, etc… after you pour in the boiling water or before?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Either way is fine! I usually do it before!
CorieLeigh says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Melanie says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Fenna Corry says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
We have only tested this method with long-grain rice, basmati and jasmine rice.
Fenna Corry says
Thanks. I’m not up to last-minute snafus, so will use longer grain rice.
Margaret says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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.
Sherilyn says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Dlinhay says
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
Karen says
Put your foil pan on a sheet pan so the bottom is supported. This worked for me.
Carol Snead says
I have tried this and it was so perfect. Thank you You’all made me look good!!
Linda says
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?
Erica Walker says
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!
Harriet says
I’m interested in making rice and beans for 100. Any suggestions?
Erica Walker says
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?
Angelika82 says
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
Erica Walker says
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!
keira says
since this is serving 50 people, how big would the serving sizes be?
Erica Walker says
The serving size is 1/2 cup cooked rice. Hope this helps!
keira says
does the water have to be boiling before we mix with the rice? or can we just use cold water?
Erica Walker says
It must be boiling. Hope this helps!
Bonnie Kane says
Can you tell me the how to make the mexican rice for about 30-35 people? What would be the ratios?
Erica Walker says
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!
Dayna Gonzales says
What is the ratio for the Mexican rice if serving 80 people? How much tomato sauce? And Water?
Erica Walker says
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!
Kathryn Fitzgerald says
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.
Erica Walker says
Great suggestion if you feel your pan is too heavy!
Pedro says
Do you recommend replacing the water for vegetable broth to enhance the flavor?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried that before, but I think it would work!
Bren says
I need enough rice for 150 people for Hawaiian haystacks. What would you suggest the amount of rice I would need?
Erica Walker says
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!
Bennett says
Apologies…not famy……family. Also I used Jasmine rice.
Bennett says
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
Daisy says
How much water for jasmine rice
Favorite Family Recipes says
It should be the same amount as listed in the recipe!
Sharonda Archie says
Can u cook the yellow rice a day ahead? And how can i rewarm it?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Sure! Just add a little water to the pan and rewarm it in the oven.
Sally Vest says
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!
Emily Walker says
Thanks Sally! I am so glad this recipe helped!!
Erica Walker says
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 😀
Erine Harrison says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
I think that should work!!
Terry says
Hi, did you keep the liquid ratio the same? As well added boiling water? I think the parboil rice is genius!
Matt Sutton says
Took an hour and a half too cook. Boo!
Erica Walker says
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?
Danielle Hailey says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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.
Jim Mailhes says
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
Erica Walker says
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?
Tammy says
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!
Jackie says
Can disposable aluminum pans be used for cooking the rice?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes! That should work!
Rachel Twogood says
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
Erica says
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!
Laura B says
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.
Lisa Nash says
Can I use this formula with brown rice? Ty
Favorite Family Recipes says
We haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice, so I can’t say. I know brown rice takes much longer to cook.
Suzanne says
Hi, Ladies,
What is the finished serving amount to get 50 out of a batch?
Erica says
It is a 1/2 cup serving. Hope this helps!
Mary Buffett says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Andrea Pollina says
Any idea how much black beans to add if I am making rice and beans? Thanks so much – this recipe is awesome!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Hannah says
For the Mexican rice, do you mean 2-28oz cans, or just a total of 28 oz of rotel?
Favorite Family Recipes says
No, it would be a totally of 28 ounces. Hope this helps!
Tam says
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 🙁
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Yvonne says
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.
Erica says
This is extremely helpful! Thank you so much for figuring this out!
Irene says
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
Yvonne Ochoa says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Yvonne Ochoa says
thank you so much
Kathy says
Do you have a recipe for yellow rice recipe for 50…with the adjusted seasonings. Thanks.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Debby Lappat says
will a roster oven also work?
thanks doing a baby shower toco lunch
debby
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Shawna says
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!
Erica Walker says
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!
dee says
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??
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Nick says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, the ratio is correct. 🙂 hope this helps!
Tracie says
Do you think you can add cooked chicken with a little extra water to make this a chicken and rice bake?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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/
Jackie White says
How can I make this recipe for 15? Can I use a large pan? I think it’s 18 x 24.
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can just scale down the recipe and use a smaller size pan! That should be fine!
Toni Hildebrand says
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???
Favorite Family Recipes says
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 🙂
Nuna Harrington says
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. ⌛
Favorite Family Recipes says
You should be able to make this as-is and there should be no crunch at all. Hope this helps!
Julie Grannis (on my husband's computer) says
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.
Erica Walker says
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!
Jeanne C Orrison says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Cynthia Lee Delbello says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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.
Ashley says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Brittany says
I just want to verify 5 lbs of rice 20 cups of liquid?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Brandi says
Any suggestions on making brown rice for 50 people? Thank you so much!
Favorite Family Recipes says
You will want to add more water and increase the cooking time by at least 20-30 minutes. Hope this helps!
Brandi says
Thank you for your help. Let ya know how it turns out.
Sheena says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
the serving size I used is 1/2 c. COOKED. Hope this helps!
Anna says
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.
Anna says
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.
Chelsea Cullen says
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!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Maud says
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.
Sherry says
Worked perfectly! Thank you so much!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Glad this worked out for you! 😀
Sarah says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Rachel says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Carol clayton says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
The instructions I gave would be for one pan – 50 servings.
Roxanne says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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.
Roxanne says
That’s whT I was thinking. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Susan says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, you should be able to add beans without adding any extra water. You will just want them drained and rinsed. Hope this helps!
Susan Beedon says
Yes, thank you very much!
Stephanie says
Do you think it would work for Asian Coconut Rice using half coconut milk, half water ?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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 🙂
linda jones says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
gail says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thanks for the tip, Gail! Great idea!
Karen says
How do you measure/buy quarts of raw rice? Is a quart of rice the same as 32 oz?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Jen says
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..
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Dina says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Cheryl says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, it should work for Calrose as well 🙂
Danielle says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Lori Mann says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Autumn says
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. ????
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Patti Simon says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Gigi says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, you can do 12 cups. I just used a big quart-sized measuring cup when I measured the rice
Lisa says
Are the cooking times the same for brown rice?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
tania says
hi…did you test the brown rice?
Erica Walker says
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!
Sharilyn Milcoun says
How much uncooked rice is 3 quarts
Favorite Family Recipes says
You want to have the rice uncooked. 3 quarts is 12 cups.
Michael Smith says
3 quarts equals a 5lb bag of uncooked rice.
Yanica says
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?
Erica Walker says
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!
Tracy Sheehy says
Do you rinse your rice first?
Favorite Family Recipes says
No, but you absolutely can. It’s always a good idea (even though I forget to do it sometimes..)
Laura says
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!
Irina Brusilovsky says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Sheila says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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 😀
Lori says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
This recipe makes enough for 50 servings… it should be plenty if you are feeding 30. Hope this helps!
Ed says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, I think you should be able to do that without any issues.
Amber D says
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
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Hilary Trunnell Adams says
Do you think a cheap aluminum pan would work?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hmmm how cheap? I would just be worried that it would collapse on itself when moving back and forth from the oven…
John says
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?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Martianne says
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!!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thank you for sharing your success! I love your idea of adding butter to the water. Probably adds a lot of good flavor!
Michelle says
If I make it at night can I leave it out overnight if I’m serving it the next day?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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
Patricia says
Can you use the easy oven method to make the Lemon Pesto Rice?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, it should be able to work just fine!
Carine says
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.
Favorite Family Recipes says
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 😀
Jessica says
Could i get that same help for 70 people quickly lol please
Erica Walker says
Hi Jessica- shoot us over an email with exactly what you need help with and we will try our best to help!
Mindee says
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!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes! You absolutely can. You will just need to adjust the measurements of everything. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Mitch says
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!
Erica says
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!
Mary Miland says
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
Erica says
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!
Staci says
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???
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!
Lura Oates says
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
Deb Stehn says
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.
Erica says
Excellent idea Deb! We have done this with corn on the cob, too! Such a smart way to keep things warm.