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.
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 9x13-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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!