Baked Rice is a foolproof method for getting fluffy, tender grains that have just the right texture. Combine rice, water, and butter and let it bake in the oven instead of on the stovetop.
One of the reasons oven-baked rice turns out fabulous is that the heat is distributed more evenly throughout the cooking cycle. It’s also perfect to pop in the oven alongside Oven Baked Chicken Breasts, marinated pork tenderloin, or with Chicken Cordon Bleu!
Tips for Making Baked Rice
To get the best white rice in the oven, follow these tips for recipe success:
- Follow the ratios in the recipe below (and not the ratios on the package)
- Adding butter helps keep the grains from sticking.
- Boil the water before adding to the rice.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil to seal in the steam.
- Allow the rice to rest for 5-10 minutes after removing it from the oven before fluffing with a fork.
You can easily make baked brown rice too, it will take a bit longer to cook.
What Rice is Best Baked?
Any kind of rice can be baked. Just be aware that cooking times can vary greatly. Basmati rice is one of the most quick-cooking varieties. Brown rice, on the other hand, takes more than twice as long as conventional white rice.
This recipe uses regular long grain white rice. If you’re changing the type of rice, you will need to adjust the cook time.
What to Serve with Baked Rice
Baked rice is the perfect starchy side dish that pairs well with saucy recipes like Salisbury steak or Crock Pot pork chops with mushroom gravy. It’s an easy way to pre-make rice for fried rice too, or for General Tso’s Chicken!
Leftover rice will keep in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to four months.
How to Reheat Rice
To reheat rice in the oven or toaster oven, gently break up any lumps and moisten slightly with a small splash of water. Cover tightly and bake at 300°F for about 20 minutes.
Easy Ways to Cook Rice
- Brown Rice – made in the oven or stove
- Easy Rice Pilaf – filled with veggies!
- Cilantro Lime Rice – deliciously zesty freshness!
- Dirty Rice – southern comfort food staple
- Garlic Butter Rice – full of flavor!
Easy Oven Baked Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 ¾ cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour all ingredients into a 2 qt baking dish and stir. Cover tightly.
- Bake until the water is absorbed, 22 - 27 minutes.
- Rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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PERFECT RICE!! Couldn’t be easier – great when I have a lot of things on the stove and don’t have time to mess with rice. Thanks so much!!!!
You’re welcome Gee Gee!
Hello,
Can you use medium grain rice for this? It’s all I have and I realize direction (ratios) for this rice if different.
Thank you,
Family loves your recipes! Appreciate all you do…
Thanks, Jo! So happy you are enjoying our recipes! For this recipe, we have actually never tested it with medium grain rice so I can’t say for sure. But maybe another reader can offer some guidance.
After cooking rice in oven for 30 minutes it wasn’t even close to being done…I’ve put it back for another 30 minutes…hopefully it cooks or we’ll be eating dinner at midnight!! Yikes!!
Sorry to hear that, Jackie! We haven’t had that issue with this recipe.
Did you use boiling water? The rice needs the boiling water to jump start the cooking process.
I made basmati rice today using this method. Wow, just like from a restaurant. Thank you!
So happy you loved it, Dev!
I always tend to mess up rice on the stove. This came out super yummy. I had to put the butter in halfway cooking because I realized adding the butter to the water first would probably make it more creamy! It turns out that was a good thing to remember. Your recipe was simple. I am a fan!
This recipe is fantastic! My rice comes out perfectly each time. When I found it, I used an online calculator to see recipe for 4, 8, and 12 servings. I don’t see the calculator any more, but it was a really helpful tool. I only cook rice this way now.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! Comes out perfect every time and it is so much better for you than microwave rice.
I have been cooking a long time, I never heard of this method. This will be the only way I do white rice from now on! The result is like it came from a Chinese restaurant!
Comes out perfect every time. Easy to double or triple to feed a crowd or cook once/eat twice. This is my go-to.
Amazing! I’ve made rice several times this way and silly as it sounds I show my husband the baking dish every time so he can see how clean it is. I was notorious for a pot that needed to be soaked and scraped to remove all the stuck on rice.
We love that, Sheri! So happy this method is working so well for you!
You need to be more specific about the baking vessel because this recipe either doesn’t work or it’s dependent on a very specific pan shape and size. I had to cook it twice because that temperature and time setting barely had the baking dish hot and inside nothing had cooked.
Hi Karissa, to ensure this rice dish cooks properly you will need to preheat the oven, make sure the tin foil covers the dish tightly to keep the steam inside and use boiling water so that it doesn’t have to heat up much once in the oven.
Love this recipe.
Please let me know the adjustments if I am making it for 10.
Thank you.
If you click the Print button on the recipe card, you can adjust the number of servings on the recipe. Hope that helps! Enjoy the recipe.
Perfect! My new go to recipe for rice. So easy. No bubble over on my stove. Put it in the oven and forget about it till the timer goes off! Thanks!
That is exactly how I prefer my recipes too…Perfect results with little effort!! So glad you enjoyed it too!
This came out perfect!! I’ve never had luck cooking basmati before and am so happy I found this recipe! ❤️
How long did you cook the basmati rice? Same as white long grain?
Hi Sheri, basmati rice is one of the most quick-cooking varieties. So you will want to reduce your cooking time to accommodate.
This was so good and easy! Thank you.
(I did cut the amount of salt in half)
Easy and the best baked rice recipe I have found. I think it also works well with milk or broth, not just water. Boiling the water first speeds it up and evens out the process for the best texture.
So easy and delicious! Easy cleanup too!!
So happy to hear that Lorie!
Turned this into Curried Rice! 1/2 onion, chopped and sauted in butter; 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, coriander, cumin; 1 teaspoon curry powder and garlic-ginger paste sauted with onions. Mix with rice, 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup golden raisins in baking dish. Bake as recipe says. Adding chicken makes this a main dish. Turned out really well!! Thank you!!
Delicious, thanks for sharing Anna!
Excited to try this out! Can I also put peas and carrots in the rice?
I’ve only tried the recipe as written, but other readers have added partially cooked carrots to it. Let us know if you do try it Asha!
After finding this recipe a year ago, we have made baked rice almost every single week, usually tripling the recipe. Best rice ever and couldn’t be simpler.
What about cooking in an enamel coated dutch oven?
I have not made it in a dutch oven, but other readers have had success using a dutch oven. Let us know if you try it Neal!
I have had great success doing it in a dutch oven, and also doubled the water and rice ratio.