Is rice on the dinner menu for tonight? Then, you have come to the right place if you’re wondering how much rice to cook per person! As a general rule of thumb, you will need to cook ½ cup of dry rice per person. White rice doubles in size while being cooked, so if you cook 1 cup of dry rice, you will get 2 cups of cooked rice.
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Therefore, when preparing ½ cup of rice per person, it will amount to about 1 cup of cooked rice. A half-cup may not seem like much, but the water causes it to expand in size while boiling. Similarly, if you cooked 3 cups of dry white rice, it would yield 6 cups of cooked rice, and so on.
How Much Rice to Cook Per Person if Using Brown Rice
While white rice doubles during cooking, other kinds of rice yield different amounts. If you cook one cup of brown rice, you will typically have three cups of cooked rice.
How Much Is A Single Serving Of Rice?
If rice is the meal’s main dish, eating one cup of rice is typically considered an average serving size for an adult. However, the serving size can vary depending on how hungry and much rice you want to eat.
The serving size per person can generally be around a ½ cup of cooked rice with other foods. You can pair your rice with a side of vegetables and protein to create a well-balanced and healthy meal.
How Much Rice To Cook Per Person Per Day?
Knowing how much rice to cook per person will depend on your family’s dietary needs. While some people have a serving of rice during every meal, other people are cutting down on carbs or eliminating starchy carbs from their diets.
Most nutritionists agree that the average adult needs between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates per day. One serving of white rice, or a cup of cooked rice, contains about 45 grams of carbohydrates.
If white rice was your only source of carbs, you could eat up to five servings a day. However, I recommend including other whole grains and carbohydrate sources, like pasta, quinoa, potatoes, and fruits and vegetables.
You could easily have a serving of rice at lunch or dinner on most days. If everyone in your family wants a cup of cooked rice every day, then you would make ½ of dry rice per person per day.
How Much Rice to Cook per Person for a Party?
How much rice you cook per person depends on the size of your party. Two cups of uncooked rice will generally feed about 4 guests, so if you throw a party for 20 people, you will want to prepare about 10 cups of dry rice.
The general rule of thumb is for every 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield 2 servings. You can refer to this chart to help you know how much rice you need:
| 2 people | 4 people | 6 people | 8 people | 10 people | |
| Cups of Uncooked Rice | 1 cup | 2 cups | 3 cups | 4 cups | 5 cups |
Quick Tips for Cooking Rice
- Rinse the rice with a rice washing bowl before cooking. This will remove excess starch, which can cause the rice to be too gooey or sticky.
- Although optional, seasoning the water with salt makes a big difference in the flavor!
- Fluff the rice with a fork when it’s done cooking.
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Other Servings of Grains and Carbohydrates
What if you want to cook something other than rice for dinner? Do other grains have different serving sizes? You can find more information on other grains and carbs below.
Couscous
Couscous is just as nutritious as rice and contains more protein, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, couscous swells even more than rice does during cooking time. Like rice, one serving of couscous equals one cup.
However, you will only need about ⅓ of a cup of dried couscous per serving. Therefore, if you cook 1 cup of dried couscous, it can feed about three people.
Pasta
One serving of pasta equals 2 ounces or about 1/2 cup of dried pasta. Therefore, if you were cooking pasta for a group of four, you would need about 2 cups of uncooked pasta.
Quinoa
Quinoa grows exponentially during cooking time- usually about four times its original size! The serving size of cooked quinoa ranges from ¾ cup to 1.5 cups per person.
One cup of dry quinoa yields about 4 cups of cooked quinoa, so you’ll only need about ¼ cup of dry quinoa per person.
Barley
One cup of raw barley creates about 3 cups cooked. One serving size of barley is ½ cup cooked, so you will only need about ⅙ cup of uncooked barley per person.
Oats
Oats are a popular whole grain for breakfast or a snack. One cup of cooked oats is a standard serving size, equaling ½ cup of dry oats per person. Like rice, ½ cup of dry oats equals 1 cup cooked, essentially doubling in size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep leftover rice in the fridge?
Yes! Cooked rice lasts in the refrigerator for about 4 to 7 days. In fact, cooling rice in the fridge after cooking increases the amount of resistant starch in the rice, improving your overall gut health.
How much does 1 cup of dry rice make when cooked?
One cup of dry white rice makes about 2 cups of cooked rice. This equals between two and four servings, depending on the meal.
What is the rice-to-water ratio when cooking rice?
As a general rule of thumb, you need two parts water to one part rice when cooking. So if you are preparing 1 cup of dry rice, you will need 2 cups of water.
White rice is an affordable and nutritious grain, so it’s no wonder that this food is a popular staple throughout many cuisines. As long as you remember the standard serving size (½ cup) and that it doubles, you will always have the right amount of rice whether you are cooking for yourself or a large group of friends!
