French Onion Rice - The Cookin Chicks (2024)

If you love onions and you love rice, then you’ll LOVE this French Onion Rice! Only 4 pantry staple ingredients needed to make this tasty side dish! It is a dump and bake recipe that is so easy, its fool proof! Pairing perfectly with any main meal, this is the ultimate rice recipe that’ll have everyone going back for seconds!

Stick of Butter Rice

You may have heard of this recipe originally called “Stick of Butter Rice”. Why? Well, probably due to the fact it uses one stick of butter in the recipe. I have always called it French Onion Rice due to the fact it calls for a can of Campbell’s French Onion Soup and that is where most of the flavor comes from.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like butter, that just enhances the overall flavor of the dish! Plus, it is split between 6 people, so don’t scratch this off your meal plan just yet!

This onion rice recipe is similar to a casserole in the fact that it is baked in the oven, rather than stovetop. Creamy, flavorful, and a favorite for any occasion. In fact, if you love casseroles, you will definitely want to check out my Lipton Onion Soup Pork and Rice Casserole and French Onion Chicken and Rice Bake. Both are two family favorite recipes!

Why this French Onion Soup Rice is a family favorite

• No Prep-this recipe is a dump and go type recipe, no bowls needed. Simply prepare in the pan start to finish!
• Flavorful- soft, tender rice combined with French Onion soup…how can you go wrong?
• Quick-this can be ready for the oven in under 5 minutes!
• Uses Simple Ingredients- using only 4 ingredients, you may already have everything needed on hand!

What is Rice Consommé?

Did you know that there is actually one more name for this rice in addition to French Onion Rice and Stick of Butter Rice? Yep, enter Rice Consommé! Consommé is a clear soup made from a concentrated broth. In this case, it refers to the sauce that the rice cooks in. Even though this recipe doesn’t use a classic consommé, it is very similar and in the same family.

French Onion Rice Recipe Ingredients

See printable recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and directions

• White Rice- make sure you use white or long grain, NOT Instant
• French Onion Soup-I use Campbell’s, you will find this by the canned goods such as cream of chicken soups
• Beef Broth-feel free to use low sodium, you can also use Beef Consummé which is a bit more flavorful and thicker
• Butter- sliced, one stick, I use unsalted, do not use margarine

How to make Onion Soup Rice

Follow these simple step by step instructions to make stick of butter rice.

1. Preheat Oven-to 425 degrees F and get out an 8×8 baking pan
2. Combine-rice, soup, beef broth, and butter slices.
3. Cover and Bake-cover pan with aluminum foil and place in oven to bake for 25 minutes.
4. Remove Foil and Finish Baking-for an additional 20-25 minutes. Serve!

Variations of Stick of Butter Rice

• Rice-feel free to use white rice, long grain rice, Basmati, or even Brown rice in this recipe. If using brown rice, you may need to cook a bit longer and increase the liquids a bit, but please do NOT use Instant rice as it will get mushy and ruin the dish.
• Broth-since most people keep chicken and vegetable broth on hand, and sometimes not beef, feel free to use one of those in place of the beef broth.
• Seasoning-You can use Lipton Onion Soup Mix and 3 cups of water or broth in place of the canned soup and broth.
• Protein-cooked beef, shredded chicken, or pork are great add in’s to make this a complete meal.
• Cheese-try sprinkling some fresh Parmesan or Mozzarella on top of the rice just prior to serving.
• Add 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce for an extra kick of flavor.
• Instant Pot- here is the Instant Pot version of this rice to make things even easier!

How to Store French Onion Rice

Once cooked and served, you can cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Allow rice to fully cool before placing into refrigerator.

You may also store this in a freezer safe container in your freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating in the microwave.

FAQ’s

Do I need to rinse the rice first?Nope, no need to rinse your rice first. Simply dump it into the pan and combine with the other listed ingredients.

What does adding butter to rice do? Butter is a flavor powerhouse and is used to make rice taste more buttery and rich.

Why is it called French Onion Rice? This recipe got its name from Campbell’s French Onion Soup, which consists of yellow onions and beef broth.

Can I make Stick of Butter Rice with Lipton Onion Soup Mix?Yes! Use 3 cups of water (or beef broth) and 1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Same amount of butter as this recipe and same cooking time! Works great!

Is this recipe considered healthy?White rice doesn’t have much nutritional value, so no, unfortunately I cannot classify this as healthy, but it sure is a tasty side dish and one I highly recommend trying!!

Can this recipe be made in the Instant Pot? Yes! Here is the Instant Pot version of this rice!

More Rice Recipes to try

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole– juicy chicken breasts and tender rice in a deliciously creamy sauce. This is a casserole that meal packs a lot of flavor in a filling one dish dinner and a meal that everyone will love!

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole– easy to make with pantry ingredients like cream of mushroom soup. Your family will LOVE this quick dinner recipe!

BEST EVER Instant Pot Mexican Rice– easy to make, flavorful and so versatile. Serve this homemade Mexican rice with all of your favorite Mexican dishes!

Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice– One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is!! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!!

Chicken Teriyaki Rice Casserole– a full meal in one pan! Vegetables, rice, and shredded chicken with an incredible sauce to make any mouth water!