Making Baked Rice in the oven is fast, foolproof, and fluffy. This easy 3-ingredient recipe is great for meal prep and freezer friendly, too.
Say goodbye to sticky, burned pot bottoms, or al dente grains of chewy, undercooked rice. Even if you’ve never been all that confident in your rice-making skills, you can make perfectly cooked rice in about 30 minutes.
Once you master this method, add more flavor with chicken broth, bay leaves, or lemon zest.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Long-grain rice: Any rice works such as long-grain American, basmati, or jasmine. Brown rice takes longer to cook, so plan on at least an hour in the oven.
- Butter: It’s okay to reduce the butter to ¼ cup (4 tablespoons). Or, substitute ¼ cup olive oil.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 2-quart or larger baking dish, add rice, butter, and salt.
- Stir in boiling water until butter is melted. Cover and bake until rice the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked rice yields about 3 cups cooked).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Spread cooked rice on a rimmed baking sheet to cool (chill it faster in the refrigerator or freezer if you have space). Then, pack into a measuring cup and measure your preferred portion size (1 cup, 2 cups, 4 cups, etc.) into freezer-safe bags. Press flat, label, and freeze. Reheat to 165 degrees.
- Flavors: Substitute chicken broth, beef broth, or shrimp stock for the water. Or, add a spoonful of bouillon, a bay leaf, dried herbs, or turmeric to gently scent the rice as it bakes.
- Safety first: Cooked rice can make you sick if not cooled and stored properly. Once you cook the rice, keep it hot throughout the meal or cool it down as quickly as possible. Never let cooked rice sit out at room temperature for longer than one hour.
Recipe FAQs
There is no reason to rinse the rice. You might be thinking: “I’ll rinse the starch off the rice, and then I can bake it without butter or olive oil.” I tried that, and in the absence of all fat, rice stuck to the bottom of the baking dish. Rinsing didn’t help.
If you make this recipe without any fat, some rice will stick to the bottom of your baking dish. You’ll probably lose a couple of tablespoons, or maybe up to a ¼ cup, of cooked rice through the sticking. Even if you rinse the rice, some of the rice will stick to the bottom of your baking dish.
Uncooked rice, as long as it is kept dry, is good for at least a year in a sealed container.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) or less (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 2-quart or larger baking dish, add rice, butter, and salt.
- Stir in boiling water until butter is melted. Cover and bake until rice the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Long-grain rice: Any rice works such as long-grain American, basmati, or jasmine. Brown rice takes longer to cook, so plan on at least an hour in the oven.
- Butter: It’s okay to reduce the butter to ¼ cup (4 tablespoons). Or, substitute ¼ cup olive oil.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked rice yields about 3 cups cooked).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Spread cooked rice on a rimmed baking sheet to cool (chill it faster in the refrigerator or freezer if you have space). Then, pack into a measuring cup and measure your preferred portion size (1 cup, 2 cups, 4 cups, etc.) into freezer-safe bags. Press flat, label, and freeze. Reheat to 165 degrees.
Nutrition
This was soooo good. I don’t have a stove at the moment and this worked perfectly. I used olive oil, but will cut it down to 1/8 cup next time. I used an oven dish that is non-stick so I didn’t need as much. I don’t think I am ever going to go back to steaming rice on the stove! Thank you for this recipe.
That’s great Erin, so glad it worked out nicely for you. Thanks! – Meggan
If the recipe is cut in half, does the baking time remain the same?
Hi Terri, I believe the baking time would remain the same. I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure, especially if it is being baked in the same size dish. I would keep a close eye on it. Enjoy – Meggan
Sounds great! Any suggestions to make baked rice for 150 special dinner? I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
Hi Loreku! I would say to make it in small batches, and if reheating make sure the middle reaches 165 degrees on a digital thermometer. If holding the rice warm, make sure it is above 141 degrees. Hope this helps! – Meggan
I made the recipe as written and it came out perfect. I was wondering if anyone had tried adding cheese before baking it. I was thinking cheddar or Parmesan.
I have not
I just love this easy way of making it. It turns out perfect every time.
Do you rinse the rice beforehand to remove the starch?
Cindi
Hi Cindi, no I don’t. I never have. It’s fine without doing that because there is enough fat to keep the grains separated. Just for fun, today, I’m going to cook it without any fat (one reader commented and said that’s how she does it) and without rinsing, and I’ll reply back with my results. But if you use even 2 tablespoons of fat (butter or olive oil or whatever) I know you don’t need to rinse it. I’ll let you know today what happens if you use no fat at all. Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Cindi, in case you were wondering, I tried making the rice without any fat at all, and it stuck to the bottom. So, I need to confirm it with testing, but I think if I was going to do NO FAT I might rinse it. I also want to try doing a round of testing where I just coat the baking dish with nonstick spray and see if that is enough to prevent sticking. I know this isn’t your exact question but I’m getting to the answer a little at a time. :) Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Cindi, in case you’re still wondering, I tried baking a round of rice today without fat BUT rinsing the rice beforehand. Some rice still stuck to the bottom of the pan. So, I feel like rinsing the rice offers no benefit at all. I thought MAYBE rinsing the rice would remove enough start to prevent sticking in the absence of fat… but no… you’re literally just washing whatever added nutrients are on the rice (whatever they do to “enrich” it) and there is no benefit. So. I don’t recommend rinsing the rice for this recipe, ever. Thanks! -Meggan
This is my favorite way to make rice. You don’t need all the butter, but WOW it tastes good if you use it! I like to make a big batch and freeze it in 2-cup portions. So easy.
I’ve been baking brown rice like this for years. I’ve never added butter or oil. I cook my brown rice at 350* for about an hour and it turns out perfect every time.
Hi Cindy, I tried making a batch of rice without any butter or oil, and it stuck to the bottom of the baking dish. Do you use nonstick spray by any chance? I’m going to test it with that, and I’m also going to try rinsing the rice to see if that helps. Just wondering. Thanks! -Meggan