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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.
Five star recipe for cooking rice for a large crowd.
Thank you, Carole! I’m glad you like the recipe!
All I have to say is don’t be scared! I have been cooking all of my life, but never have I had to cook 5 lbs of rice at a time, let alone in an oven…::::this IS THE BEST RECIPE FOR A CROWD. I was nervous because my steam pan was not quite 4 inches in height. In my mind, I was thinking I was going to have a boil over mess in my oven BUT NOPE! This is the absolute best ! My rice was light and fluffy. Not gummy, soppy, or dry. THANK YOU from Sarita Dawn Alston
Someone asked how the cooking time would be altered for cooking the rice in a convection oven. I never did see an answer. I am looking forward to using this recipe but will be using a convection oven with which I am not very familiar. What should I do differently?
I haven’t tested this recipe with a convection oven before so I can’t say for sure. However, if it is covered (which it is) it shouldn’t make much of a difference whether it is a conventional or convection oven. You should be able to heat it at the same temperature for the same amount of time (maybe even a little less). Just make sure it is tightly covered because a convection oven will blow the air around and can blow the foil off. Hope this helps!
This is a life saver! Do you drain the two 28 oz cans of rotel tomatoes before adding in the Mexican Rice version? Thank you!
No, you don’t drain the tomatoes. The water is reduced to make up for the extra juices in the cans of tomatoes. Enjoy the recipe!
Made this for a crowd of 35 hungry teenagers tonight alongside tikka masala and cucumber/tomato/cilantro/onion salad. I washed the rice well, used the same ratio of water to rice, and it baked up like a dream! Even with the salt it was pretty bland, so I tempered some spices in ghee and drizzled over the top. Everyone loved it and came back for seconds and 3rds!
Impressive! You are one brave parent! I’m so glad the recipe worked for you. Thank you for your comment!
Thanks! We’re doing it again tonight since it was such a hit the first time. The robotics team thanks you!
I haven’t made this yet. My question is rice is usually a 1 to 2 ratio. It says you will need more water when cooking it this way.You have 12 cups of rice and only 20 cups of water. That isn’t even 1 to 2 ratio. Did I miss something?
You are absolutely correct, I fixed it in the post writing. It is a little less than a 1:2 ratio.
This works! Thank you so much for the great recipe!
The second time I tried it I used 12 cups of rice and 24 cups of boiling water. This was the perfect ratio for me. The first time I had to add water after a half hour. Leaving time for it to sit afterward made for perfectly fluffy rice.
Thanks for the comment! I am glad you found the ratio that works perfectly for you. Thanks for the tip!
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!
did you try this in the electric roaster?
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