Cooking

Calculate Rice Portions: Grams Per Person

Q: How many grams of raw rice per person for a main course?

For adults, the standard is **75–90 g of raw rice** as a main course, with 80 g being the most widely used benchmark. This yields approximately 200 g of cooked rice per person. For children under 10, reduce this to 40–50 g raw (about half an adult portion).

Q: How many cups is 80 grams of raw rice?

One US cup of raw white rice weighs approximately **180 g**, so 80 g ≈ 0.44 cups (just under half a cup). For a group of 4 adults (320 g total), that's about 1.8 cups of raw rice. Always weigh when precision matters, since cup density varies by rice variety and how tightly it's packed.

Q: What is the correct rice-to-water ratio?

Ratios vary by rice type: **long-grain white rice uses 1 cup rice : 2 cups water**; brown rice 1:2.5; sushi/medium-grain 1:1.5; risotto (Arborio) 1:3 of broth added gradually. Using the wrong ratio is one of the most common causes of mushy or crunchy rice regardless of portion size.

Q: How much rice do I need for 10 people?

For 10 adults eating rice as a main course: **10 × 80 g = 800 g raw rice** (≈ 4.4 US cups). For a side dish, use 60 g per person = 600 g (≈ 3.3 cups). If 3 of the 10 are children, swap their portions to 45 g: (7 × 80) + (3 × 45) = 560 + 135 = **695 g total**.

Q: Is there a difference in portion size for risotto vs. regular rice?

The raw portion weight is similar—about **80 g Arborio per adult**—but the water/broth ratio changes dramatically. Risotto requires roughly **3× its volume in warm broth** added in stages, compared to 2× for boiled long-grain rice. The starch released during stirring also makes risotto feel more filling per gram than plain boiled rice.

Q: How much rice should I cook for meal prep (5 meals for 1 person)?

For 5 main-course servings for one adult: **5 × 80 g = 400 g raw rice**, which yields approximately 1,000 g (1 kg) of cooked rice. That's just over 2.2 US cups dry. Store cooked rice in the refrigerator for up to **4 days** per USDA food safety guidelines (FoodSafety.gov), or freeze for up to 6 months.

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The Rice Per Person Calculator tells you exactly how many grams of raw rice—and how many cups of rice and water—you need for any group size, meal type, and age mix. The core formula is portion (g) × number of people = total raw rice (g), then divided by ~180 g per cup. Standard adult portions range from 60 g (side dish) to 90 g (main course) of raw rice per person; children typically need 40–50 g. Raw rice roughly doubles in weight after cooking, so 80 g raw yields ~160 g cooked. Use this calculator before grocery shopping, meal prepping, or catering to avoid waste or under-serving.

Last reviewed: May 12, 2026 Verified by Hacé Cuentas Team Source: USDA FoodData Central – Cooked and raw rice nutritional data, USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 – Grain portion recommendations, FoodSafety.gov – Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart (cooked rice) 100% private

When to use this calculator

Planning a dinner party: calculating exactly how much basmati or jasmine rice to cook for 6–10 adults as a main course without ending up with mountains of leftovers.
Family meal prep: adjusting portions when the table includes a mix of adults and young children (under 10), who need roughly half an adult portion.
Catering or batch cooking: scaling up to 20–50+ people for events, where precision in raw rice weight directly affects food cost and serving consistency.
Recipe conversion: a risotto recipe calls for 4 servings—you need to scale it to 11 people, including 3 kids, while also calculating the correct broth-to-rice ratio (3:1 by volume for risotto).

Real Example: Risotto for 4 Adults

Scenario: 4 adults, main course (risotto), no children.
Per-person portion: 80g raw rice.
Total raw rice: 4 × 80 = 320 grams.
In cups: 320 ÷ 180 ≈ 1.8 cups rice.
Broth/water: 320 × 3 = 960 ml for creamy risotto.

Result: For risotto serving 4 adults, use 320 grams rice and about 960 ml broth.

How it works

3 min read

How It's Calculated

The calculator applies a tiered portion system based on meal role and diner age, then converts grams to cups and calculates the correct water or broth volume.

# Step 1 – Determine portion per person (raw, grams)
adult_side   = 60 g
adult_main   = 75–90 g   (e.g., 80 g standard)
adult_risotto = 80 g
child_side   = 35 g
child_main   = 45–50 g

# Step 2 – Total raw rice
total_g = (n_adults × adult_portion) + (n_children × child_portion)

# Step 3 – Convert to cups (1 US cup ≈ 180 g raw white rice)
cups_rice = total_g / 180

# Step 4 – Water / broth (standard ratios)
cups_water = cups_rice × water_ratio

# Water ratios by rice type:
# Long-grain white (basmati, jasmine): 1 : 2.0
# Medium-grain white (sushi, arborio absorption): 1 : 1.5
# Risotto (broth, stovetop ladle method): 1 : 3.0 by volume
# Brown rice: 1 : 2.5
# Wild rice blend: 1 : 3.0

# Step 5 – Cooked yield (approximate)
cooked_g = total_g × 2.5   # white rice absorbs ~1.5× its weight in water

> Example (4 adults, risotto): 4 × 80 g = 320 g raw → 320 ÷ 180 ≈ 1.8 cups rice → 1.8 × 3 = 5.4 cups broth (~1,350 ml). Note: the quick-estimate formula uses 320 × 3 ml = 960 ml when working in grams directly with a 1:3 g-to-ml approximation.

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Reference Table

Rice Type	Meal Role	Raw per Adult	Raw per Child	Water Ratio	Cooked Yield
Long-grain white (basmati, jasmine)	Side dish	60 g	35 g	1 : 2.0	×2.5
Long-grain white	Main course	80 g	45 g	1 : 2.0	×2.5
Medium-grain white (sushi)	Main course	75 g	40 g	1 : 1.5	×2.2
Arborio / risotto	Main course	80 g	45 g	1 : 3.0 (broth)	×2.8
Brown rice (long-grain)	Main course	85 g	50 g	1 : 2.5	×2.8
Wild rice blend	Main course	70 g	40 g	1 : 3.0	×3.0
Parboiled (converted) rice	Side/Main	65–80 g	40 g	1 : 2.25	×2.4

All raw weights are dry, uncooked grams. 1 US cup of raw white rice ≈ 180 g.

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Typical Cases

Case 1 – Weeknight dinner, 2 adults + 2 children, jasmine rice as a side

Adults: 2 × 60 g = 120 g

Children: 2 × 35 g = 70 g

Total raw: 190 g ≈ 1.05 cups rice + 2.1 cups water

Cooked yield: ~475 g (about 3 generous side portions—right on target)

Case 2 – Dinner party, 8 adults, basmati as main course

8 × 80 g = 640 g raw rice ≈ 3.6 cups

Water: 3.6 × 2 = 7.2 cups (≈ 1,700 ml)

Cooked yield: ~1,600 g — roughly 200 g cooked per adult ✓

Case 3 – Risotto for 4 adults (replicating the calculator example)

4 × 80 g = 320 g Arborio

Cups rice: 320 ÷ 180 ≈ 1.78 cups

Broth: 1.78 × 3 ≈ 5.3 cups (~1,260 ml); simplified estimate: 320 × 3 ml = 960 ml (gram-based shortcut)

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Common Mistakes

1. Using cooked rice weight as the input. Recipes and portion guides almost always state raw weights. Treating 80 g cooked as a raw portion will leave guests hungry—80 g raw yields ~200 g cooked.

2. Ignoring rice type when measuring cups. 1 US cup of raw basmati ≈ 180 g, but 1 cup of wild rice ≈ 160 g and 1 cup of arborio ≈ 185–190 g. Always weigh for precision; use cups only as a cross-check.

3. Applying a universal 1:2 water ratio to all rice types. Brown rice needs 1:2.5, risotto requires ladling ~3× volume of broth, and sushi rice uses only 1:1.5. Wrong ratios produce mushy or undercooked rice regardless of portion accuracy.

4. Not adjusting for children. A child under 10 eats roughly 40–55% of an adult rice portion. Treating them as full adults wastes 30–40 g per child per meal—significant at scale.

5. Forgetting the resting/absorption step. Rice continues absorbing water off-heat. Measuring water yield before resting (typically 10 min covered) makes the batch seem undercooked and leads cooks to add excess water on the next attempt.

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Related Calculators

Since no related slugs were provided, explore other kitchen and nutrition tools on Hacé Cuentas for meal planning, food cost estimation, and dietary portion guides.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams of raw rice per person for a main course?

For adults, the standard is 75–90 g of raw rice as a main course, with 80 g being the most widely used benchmark. This yields approximately 200 g of cooked rice per person. For children under 10, reduce this to 40–50 g raw (about half an adult portion).

How much does raw rice weigh after cooking?

White rice (basmati, jasmine, long-grain) absorbs water and expands to roughly 2.5× its raw weight—so 80 g raw becomes about 200 g cooked. Brown rice expands to ~2.8×, and wild rice blends up to 3×. These multipliers assume standard stovetop absorption cooking.

How many cups is 80 grams of raw rice?

One US cup of raw white rice weighs approximately 180 g, so 80 g ≈ 0.44 cups (just under half a cup). For a group of 4 adults (320 g total), that's about 1.8 cups of raw rice. Always weigh when precision matters, since cup density varies by rice variety and how tightly it's packed.

What is the correct rice-to-water ratio?

Ratios vary by rice type: long-grain white rice uses 1 cup rice : 2 cups water; brown rice 1:2.5; sushi/medium-grain 1:1.5; risotto (Arborio) 1:3 of broth added gradually. Using the wrong ratio is one of the most common causes of mushy or crunchy rice regardless of portion size.

How much rice do I need for 10 people?

For 10 adults eating rice as a main course: 10 × 80 g = 800 g raw rice (≈ 4.4 US cups). For a side dish, use 60 g per person = 600 g (≈ 3.3 cups). If 3 of the 10 are children, swap their portions to 45 g: (7 × 80) + (3 × 45) = 560 + 135 = 695 g total.

Is there a difference in portion size for risotto vs. regular rice?

The raw portion weight is similar—about 80 g Arborio per adult—but the water/broth ratio changes dramatically. Risotto requires roughly 3× its volume in warm broth added in stages, compared to 2× for boiled long-grain rice. The starch released during stirring also makes risotto feel more filling per gram than plain boiled rice.

How much rice should I cook for meal prep (5 meals for 1 person)?

For 5 main-course servings for one adult: 5 × 80 g = 400 g raw rice, which yields approximately 1,000 g (1 kg) of cooked rice. That's just over 2.2 US cups dry. Store cooked rice in the refrigerator for up to 4 days per USDA food safety guidelines (FoodSafety.gov), or freeze for up to 6 months.

Does the type of rice significantly affect how much I should cook per person?

Slightly—denser, drier rice varieties like brown or wild rice are more filling per gram because of higher fiber content, so some people find 70–75 g of raw brown rice sufficient as a main. Refined white rice has a higher glycemic index and digests faster, which is why the 80 g standard applies. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend making at least half your grains whole grains.