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Oven Baked Rice (How to Cook Rice in the Oven)

An all-around delicious and easy recipe for oven-baked rice. Not only is oven-baked rice taste great freshly baked, but this recipe can also be made ahead of time for tomorrow night’s fried rice.

fresh baked rice being fluffed with a fork


 

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Making perfect and fluffy rice shouldn’t be scary or intimidating. And if you’ve struggled with cooking rice, then you need this oven-baked method in your life. Baking rice proves over and over again to provide consistent perfect results.

Once I learned how to bake rice in the oven, it became one of my go-to methods for making rice. Rice is a perfect pairing for many dishes, similar to mashed potatoes! Don’t think gravy only goes on potatoes; pour my Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy overtop white rice or this tangy Instant Pot Pork Chops and Gravy. You won’t be disappointed.

Prepare this rice a day ahead and let it chill overnight in the fridge. Leftover rice is perfect for any fried rice recipe or stir fry. My Steak Kimchi Fried Rice features leftover or prepared ahead-of-time white rice.

dutch oven full of baked rice

Ingredients and Tools Needed

ingredients for oven baked rice with text naming the rice, hot water, butter, and salt
  • Long grain white rice – you can also use Jasmine rice, Basmati rice, or brown rice for this method. Brown rice does require a different ratio of water to rice as well as a longer cooking time.
  • Hot water – I boil my water in a kettle before adding it to the rice.
  • Unsalted butter – You can substitute this with a little oil or leave it out if you prefer.
  • Kosher salt – Just a little salt will bring out the flavor of the rice.

Tools needed for this recipe

  • Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid or a 2-quart baking dish with foil paper.
  • Fork for fluffing the rice.

How to make oven-baked rice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This removes the excess starch and leaves your rice nice and fluffy.

rinsing raw rice in a mesh strainer

Place into a dutch oven with a tightly fitted lid. You can also use a 2-quart baking dish and cover with foil. Add the hot water, butter, and salt to the baking dish until combined. Cover with heavy-duty foil or with the lid of the dutch oven.

dutch oven with all ingredients in it

Place in preheated oven and bake rice in the oven for 25-27 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

dutch oven in the oven

Remove from the oven and allow to rest covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, open the lid.

fresh bakes rice in the Dutch oven

Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve and enjoy.

fresh baked rice being fluffed with a fork

Can you make the rice ahead of time?

Oven-baked rice can be made ahead of time for future dinners or for prepped lunches. Using a dutch oven or a larger baking dish for doubling the recipe will work great for meal prep or if you’re expecting a larger crowd.

Flavor additions you can add to oven-baked rice

A beautiful base recipe of oven-baked rice lends itself to be seasoned or flavored in many ways that will fit your meal.

  • Cilantro & Lime Juice
  • Black Beans, Avocado Slices, & Salsa
  • Veggies & Soy Sauce
  • Pesto
  • Saffron & Onion Powder

Swap out the water for other liquids to help enhance the flavor.

Brown Rice

The same method can be used for brown rice. For brown rice, use 2 cups of water or liquid for 1 cup of rice and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

brown rice in dutch oven with fork

Serving suggestions for oven-baked rice

Rice is one of those dishes that can be put into almost any recipe and it makes sense. You can serve rice with or in:

It truly is such a versatile ingredient.

Tips for storing rice

Uncooked rice: Seal and store uncooked rice in an airtight container and in a dry place for up to a year or longer.

Cooked rice: Store leftover rice in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Freezing rice: Allow the cooked rice to chill and cool completely in the fridge. Once chilled, you can portion out the rice and freeze the portions in an airtight container. *Note: These are great to add to soups since, typically, freezing rice becomes drier once thawed.

Notes

  • This recipe can be doubled; just use a large baking dish or dutch oven. 

Looking for more rice recipes? Try these out:

Should you cover rice when baking in the oven?

Yes, for the rice to absorb the appropriate amount of water, it should be covered with a tight-fitting lid or foil paper clinched to the sides to ensure liquid and steam does not escape during cooking.

How do I know the liquid is absorbed while my rice is cooking?

After 25 minutes, you can take a quick peak to see if all the liquid is absorbed. If it’s not, cover and place back in the oven to cook a little longer.

How do I stop my rice from getting mushy?

Mushy rice is a result of adding too much liquid to your rice. Follow the correct measurements/ratios to ensure perfect rice each time.

Can I add vegetables to this oven-baked rice?

Adding vegetables directly to the pot will release excess water. If using watery vegetables, I suggest reducing the water by a little. Or cook vegetables separately and then toss them into the rice.

 If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

fresh baked rice being fluffed with a fork
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4.86 from 7 votes

Oven Baked Rice (How to Cook Rice in the Oven)

An all-around delicious and easy recipe for oven-baked rice. Not only is oven-baked rice taste great freshly baked, but this recipe can also be made ahead of time for tomorrow night's fried rice.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword oven baked rice
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 181kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Long grain white rice
  • 1 1/2 Cups Hot water
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Place into a 2-quart baking dish or dutch oven with a tightly fitted lid. Add the hot water, butter, and salt to the baking dish until combined. Cover with heavy-duty foil or with the lid of the dutch oven.
  • Place in preheated oven and bake for 25-27 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Suggested Tools

Notes

  • This recipe can be doubled, just use a large baking dish or dutch oven. 
  • The same method can be used for brown rice. For brown rice, use 2 cups of water or liquid for 1 cup of rice and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
4.86 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Nikita

Monday 15th of January 2024

Thank you so much for this! The rice was perfectly cooked and such a happy surprise as I lifted the foil.

Tanya

Monday 15th of January 2024

Thanks, Nikita! So happy it was helpful.

Reet

Sunday 3rd of December 2023

Greetings from Down Under (Australia). Thank you so much for this. I always, always make a mess when I boil rice on the stovetop. I made rice today using this method & I'm sold. Never boiling rice on the stove ever again. I added a bit of turmeric powder to give it a bit of colour.

Kindest regards Reet

Tanya

Monday 4th of December 2023

Thanks so much Reet! Love the idea of adding a little turmeric.

Tonne

Tuesday 20th of June 2023

I made this rice for a Juneteenth lunch. I doubled the the recipe, and it turned out perfect. I'm never boil rice again.

Tanya

Tuesday 20th of June 2023

Thanks Tonne! So happy to hear you like this method. It's still one of my favorite ways to make rice.

John

Saturday 29th of October 2022

You probably don't hear it enough, so thank you for what you do in putting these posts together. I very much appreciate your talent for cooking and your sharing with us and hope that the light of our creator keeps burning within you!

Tanya

Tuesday 1st of November 2022

Thank you so much for your kind words John, I truly appreciate it. It's a lot of work but I absolutely enjoy it.

Juanita

Monday 17th of October 2022

Made your buttered cabbage in pressure cooker. Best cabbages I have cooked. The time — the best feature, 8 minutes. Only method I use now. Wonderful!

Tanya

Monday 17th of October 2022

Thanks Juanita! So happy you like the cabbage recipe.