How Much Rice Should You Be Boiling Per Person?

Making rice seems so easy, yet this simple culinary task remains the bane of some home cooks' existence. The correct ratio of water to grain to ensure it comes out fluffy instead of undercooked or soggy won't happen with estimation, nor will making sure you have enough for everyone at the dinner table. Sure, you can always err on the side of caution and prepare more than you think is called for, especially considering all the things you can make with leftover rice, like a fancy fried arancini. However, if you want to nail down the exact amount needed, precise measurements are in order.

Recipe developer and founder of Pinch and Swirl, Marissa Stevens, has cooking rice down to a science, and whether it is being served as a side dish or a primary component of a main course, she knows just how much uncooked grains to add to the pot to satisfy everyone. As for sides, "About ¼ cup per person," Stevens said. "That gives you a nice scoop without any leftovers." Raw rice roughly triples in volume after cooking, leaving you with ¾ of a cup per person when following Stevens' recommendation.

If you are putting together some stylish rice bowls for guests, that calls for a little more. "Closer to ½ cup per person — especially for sushi rolls or rice bowls, where the rice does more of the heavy lifting," Stevens said. That gets you a cup and a half cooked, which should be plenty when accompanied by various meats and veggies. Yet, that's the thing; the amount of food being served along with the grains can change how much rice per person is adequate.

Although Marissa Stevens knows how much rice to make for folks so that everyone gets their fill, she understands that the quantity isn't set in stone. "It depends on the type of rice and what else is on the table," she said. If it is served as a side that doesn't really bring anything extra to the main course, people might not be as ambitious when scooping some onto their plates. However, certain dishes could require more rice per person. "If you're doing a make-your-own roll night, I always make extra — people usually eat more when they're making their own rolls," Stevens said.

The type of rice you choose can also influence how much to prepare per person. Stevens said, "Short-grain sushi rice goes a long way." However, you will generally get less yield with short-grain versus long-grain rice, like basmati. If you anticipate folks coming by for dinner with an appetite, using Stevens' ratios for how much to serve per person might work best with something more along the lines of jasmine or plain white rice — long-grain varieties that are sure to satisfy even the hungriest guests.