Oven Baked Smoky Tomato Rice
If you grew up in the South or ever sat down to a Sunday supper with a big ol’ spoonful of tomato-y rice on your plate, this one’s gonna hit all the comfort food notes. This Oven-Baked Southern Tomatoes and Rice recipe takes everything you love about the classic tender rice, rich tomato flavor, smoky bacon and turns it into a set it and forget it one-pan wonder. And here’s the best part: We’re taking things up a notch with a little trick that infuses the entire dish with buttery, bacony goodness. If you want more recipes like this one here, you can click here for a list of delicious recipes that are similar.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
🗒 More Delicious Rice Recipes
🤔 Common Questions
Yes, but you’ll need to increase the baking time to about 1 hour and 15 minutes or more, and slightly increase the total liquid to around 4 to 4¼ cups. Brown rice takes longer to cook and absorbs more moisture than white rice.
Absolutely! Just skip the bacon and sauté the onions and garlic in 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter before mixing. Consider adding smoked paprika or a dash of liquid smoke for that savory depth.
Oven Baked Smoky Tomato Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 –8 slices bacon
- 2 cups long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 medium white onion finely diced
- 2 –6 stalks of green onions whites and greens separated and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp knorrs chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp celery salt
Instructions
Preheat & Prep
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter — swipe it all over the bottom and sides like you’re painting on flavor.
Bake the Bacon
- Lay 6–8 slices of bacon directly into the buttered baking dish in a single layer.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and fat is rendered.
- Carefully remove the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel–lined plate.
- Leave all that bacon grease in the dish — we’re building flavor right on top of it.
Measure the Tomato Liquid
- Open your two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes and pour the liquids into a liquid measuring cup while using a strainer.
- Push the tomatoes down until you reach 2 cups if you don't reach two cups add a bit of vegetable broth, chicken broth or water until you reach two cups and set it aside.
- Why this matters: Baking rice in the oven needs precise liquid-to-rice ratio (about 1¾ to 2 cups liquid per 1 cup of rice). This method keeps it foolproof.
Mix It All Together
- In the same bacon-greased dish, add:
- 2 cups uncooked rice and toss it around to coat in the bacon grease.
- 2 cups tomato juice + 1 3/4 cups of broth
- Diced sweet onion
- add the strained petite diced tomatoes from the can
- Green onion whites (save the green tops for garnish!)
- Garlic powder, 2 bay leaves, smoked paprika, black pepper, knorrs chicken bouillon seasoning, Celery Salt
- Give it a gentle stir to evenly distribute everything.
Cover and Bake
- Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Finish & Fluff
- Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam!) and fluff the rice with a fork.
- If there’s a little excess liquid, return the dish to the oven uncovered for 5–10 minutes until it’s fully absorbed.
Garnish & Serve
- Crumble the reserved bacon and sprinkle it over the top.
- Add the sliced green onion tops for a fresh bite and pop of color.
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