Easy Baked Rice Recipe

Baked Rice is a tried & true, easy method for getting fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. This pantry staple side dish is hassle free and doesn’t leave a sticky mess on the stovetop.

Oven Baked Rice

Do you cringe at the thought of making rice? Have you cooked it in a pot only to have rice stuck to the bottom?

Making a sticky mess on the stove top or digging out the rice cooker make you want to order take out? Me too! That’s why I love to bake my rice and enjoy it without all the stress.

If you are like me, you need a foolproof method for making fluffy rice the first time. You have come to the right place!

Cooking Rice in the Oven

If you haven’t tried baking your rice you are in for a life-changing recipe. Some delicious benefits include:

• hands free
• minimal prep
• perfectly cooked rice grains
• easy clean up
• great for a crowd
• easily adaptable with veggies and stock

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What do you need for baked rice? The same as your regular rice recipe:)

Ingredients Needed

Uncooked White Rice – Long grain rice is best. Do not use minute rice!

Butter – I prefer butter for this but you can use olive oil too.

Water – Boiling hot water or chicken broth

Oven Safe Dish – It needs a tight fitting lid. I prefer a Dutch oven but a 9×13 casserole dish works well too.

What is the best rice for the oven?

Any kind of rice can be baked but they require different amounts of liquid and cooking times. 

This recipe works best for white rice. I prefer Uncle Ben’s converted rice but any long grain white rice will work for this recipe. Use your favorite!

Sushi rice, jasmine rice, and brown rice require different cooking times.

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How to Bake Rice in the Oven

First: Place uncooked rice and butter in an oven proof baking dish with a tight fitting lid.

Second: Bring water/broth to a boil in a separate dish. Gently pour boiling water over rice.

Third: Stir to make sure the rice is evenly coated in the water and all the clumps are broken up.

Fourth: Cover tightly with lid. (Add a layer of foil if needed). Bake until the rice is tender, light, and fluffy. Enjoy!

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does it take to cook rice?

Baking rice in the oven takes about thirty minutes, but it all depends on how much you are making.

Most pans won’t be good for anything over two cups of rice. That makes 4-6 servings.

If not, then you will need a bigger oven safe casserole pan.

How long does it last?

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

What to Serve with Baked Rice

While rice works as a main dish like a rice casserole, baked rice makes the prefect side dish. Pork chops, salisbury steak, or a rotisserie chicken are great with rice.

Do you cover rice when cooking in the oven?

You need a tight fitting lid so the the water doesn’t escape when baking. This steams the rice, like a rice cooker. If you don’t have a lid that fits, cover with foil.

Can you reheat baked rice in the oven?

Did you make a large batch? You can reheat leftover rice easily in the oven.

Just add about 1/4 cups of water per two cups of rice. Stir and fluff. Tightly seal the container like when you initially baked it.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Fluff and enjoy!

I like to use it to make a new fried rice dish and use up extra or leftover vegetables.

Why is my baked rice crunchy?

There can be a few reasons why your rice turned out hard or undercooked.

1. You didn’t add enough water. Be sure to add the full amount of water or stock.
2. The heat was too high and the water evaporated before the rice could absorb it.
3. The rice didn’t cook long enough. I like to check my rice 5 minutes or so before the end of the cooking time as oven temps can vary.

Tips for No Leftovers

Preheat the oven – Start with a ready oven so cooking times are correct.

Boil the water – Make sure the water is boiling before adding to the rice so the cooking process starts right away.

Seal the baking dish – Keeping the steam in the dish is key or the water will evaporate before the rice finishes cooking. Adding a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil under the lid will help keep steam from escaping if you have a loose lid.

Add some butter – The butter prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you don’t want to use butter, then you can use olive oil instead or a light oil. You can leave out the butter altogether if you are watching calories and fat content but the rice may stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add extra flavor – I like to use chicken stock or beef broth instead of water. Spice mixes like Italian seasoning are easy to add. But a teaspoon or two of lemon zest is super easy.

Great for a crowd – When I cooked for 120 people at church I could easily make perfect rice without it being mushy and washing all those pots.

More Tips for the Perfect Rice

Add some veggies – For each cup of rice you can add 4-5 ounces of frozen or canned/drained veggies. My fave is green peas or pigeon peas.

Stir the rice – Once the boiling water is added you need to stir the rice before baking. I like to use a whisk to break up the rice grains. If they stay in a clump in the water they will be mushy.

Don’t rinse – Do not rinse the long grain white rice. The variety you buy for this recipe is already prepped. I prefer Uncle Ben’s converted rice.

White rice only – This recipe will not work for brown, sushi, or Basmati rice. Those varieties require different amounts of liquid and cooking times.

Fluff with a fork – Don’t use a wooden spoon as it can smash the rice. Always fluff with a fork.

Play with flavors – Make a cilantro lime rice, pesto rice, or a Mexican rice.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

Follow these tips for making easy baked rice and you will have fluffy rice that comes out perfect every time you need it. And in less than 30 minutes!

{Originally published 06/09/20 – photos and recipe notes updated 04/27/23 to improve reader experience.}

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