🍚 Mexican Rice Per Person Calculator
Get exact dry & cooked rice quantities for any group size — side dish or main course
| Guests | Dry Rice (cups) | Dry Rice (grams) | Cooked Rice (cups) | Cooked Rice (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ½ cup | 95g | 1½ cups | 285g |
| 4 | 1 cup | 190g | 3 cups | 570g |
| 6 | 1½ cups | 285g | 4½ cups | 855g |
| 8 | 2 cups | 380g | 6 cups | 1,140g |
| 10 | 2½ cups | 475g | 7½ cups | 1,425g |
| 12 | 3 cups | 570g | 9 cups | 1,710g |
| 16 | 4 cups | 760g | 12 cups | 2,280g |
| 20 | 5 cups | 950g | 15 cups | 2,850g |
| 25 | 6¼ cups | 1,188g | 18¾ cups | 3,563g |
| 30 | 7½ cups | 1,425g | 22½ cups | 4,275g |
| 40 | 10 cups | 1,900g | 30 cups | 5,700g |
| 50 | 12½ cups | 2,375g | 37½ cups | 7,125g |
| Serving Role | Dry Rice / Person | Grams / Person | Cooked Yield / Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side Dish – Light | 3 tbsp (¼ cup minus) | ~45g | ~140g cooked |
| Side Dish – Normal | ¼ cup | 48g | ¾ cup / 145g |
| Side Dish – Hearty | ⅓ cup | 63g | 1 cup / 190g |
| Main Dish – Light | ⅓ cup | 63g | 1 cup / 190g |
| Main Dish – Normal | ½ cup | 95g | 1½ cups / 285g |
| Main Dish – Hearty | ⅔ cup | 126g | 2 cups / 380g |
| Buffet | ⅓ cup | 63g | 1 cup / 190g |
| Dry Amount | Cooked Yield | Weight Dry | Weight Cooked |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | ¾ cup | 48g | 145g |
| ⅓ cup | 1 cup | 63g | 190g |
| ½ cup | 1½ cups | 95g | 285g |
| 1 cup | 3 cups | 190g | 570g |
| 2 cups | 6 cups | 380g | 1,140g |
| 5 cups | 15 cups | 950g | 2,850g |
| 1 lb (dry) | ~10½ cups | 454g | ~3,000g |
Mexican Rice, also known as red rice form a reliable side dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking. It goes well with tacos, enchiladas and refried beans. That food bears several names.
In the United States people commonly call Mexican Rice Spanish rice, which can create a bit of mix. The red or orange color of the rice comes from tomatoes that appear in most recipes.
How to Make Mexican Rice
In Mexican cooking the favorite kind of rice is that with medium grains. In Mexico people grow two types: Sinaloa, that has long grains, and Morelos, that is short grain. To prepare this side dish at home usually one chooses long grain white rice.
The preparation of Mexican Rice follows a style similar to pilaf. One toasts the rice in oil until it becomes golden. That stage is important.
After browning one commonly mixes diced onions and garlic, that one cooks together with the rice. Then one pours broth from meat and tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, before covering the rice. The method is similar to that for rizotto, where one first fries the rice in oil or butter.
Tomato bouillon cubes help to add flavor and reach that ideal orange shade. A product called Consommé, which is tomato broth, works really well. Some versions include fresh juice from tomatoes to give a nice red color.
Lard can replace the usual oil during toasting the rice, witch adds even more flavor.
The proportion between rice and water is around two parts water to one part rice. It really matters to reach the right amounts of rice, liquid and salt. When one pours the liquid, the rice heaves until almost all liquid is absorbed.
Later one lowers the flame and leaves the jar covered for around twenty to twenty-five minutes. A fork works best for fluffing the rice after one lets it rest a bit.
Common extras include coriander, carrots, peas, onions, corn and chili powder. Fresh vegetables can join when one pours the liquid. A little amount of corn gives pleasant texture.
In traditional Mexican restaurants one usually serves rice as a classic side, whether with tomato red or white version with garlic taste.
Rice is a hard ingredient to manage well. Even expert cooks struggle to perfect it always. Quite a long toasting of the rice before adding the liquid, followed by cooking uncovered before covering and lowering the heat, makes a big difference in the result.
A ricecooker also works as a good shortcut, after one fries the rice in a pan first.
