When you start feeling a little ho-hum about serving rice as a side dish (again), that’s precisely when you need to make stick of butter rice. This rice isn’t plain buttered rice, though; it’s a baked dish that cooks the rice in all French onion soup’s rich flavors. Add the whole stick of butter to that, and you’ve got a ridiculously indulgent side dish.  Another thing to love about this dish is that it’s baked. No need to watch your rice on the stovetop; just pop it in the oven, set the timer, and get on with the main course. So nice and easy! 😅 Honestly, making this soup from scratch only takes about half an hour, but it’s a pretty hands-off process, making it completely worth it. Try when you’ve got a few extra minutes, and see if you don’t notice a huge difference in flavor. 🙌

Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Stick of Butter Rice Recipe

Make the French Onion Soup

Caramelize Onions – In a Dutch oven, add olive oil and cook sliced onions on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook, stirring constantly until the onions reach a deep rich brown color or are caramelized.  Make Roux – Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two, long enough to remove the raw flour taste. (Photo 1) Add Wine – Stir in the wine while deglazing the bottom of the pan to remove the tasty browned bits. Season – Throw in the bay leaves, garlic, and thyme sprigs and give it a quick stir. (Photo 2) Soup Base – Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Then simmer for another 10-15 minutes uncovered—season with salt and pepper. You should have about 2½ cups of onion soup. (Photos 3-4) Adjust to taste and take out the bay leaves. 

Assemble and Bake

Preheat Oven – While your onion soup is simmering, preheat your oven to 400℉/205℃. Assemble – Stir in the rice and 2½ cups of onion soup in an 8″x8″ baking dish. Stir well. (Photo 5) Add Butter – Top with pats of butter, then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. (Photo 6) Finish Baking – Remove foil, fluff to evenly distribute the rice, and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Serve – Enjoy your stick of butter rice on its own or as a side to your favorite veggies or proteins.

Recipe Variations

Tips and Tricks

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can certainly make this rice ahead of time and reheat it before serving. It should stay good for 2-3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. You could also make the French onion soup the day before to save a little time. Simply assemble and bake the next day when you’re ready to get cooking.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve stick-of-butter rice piping hot and garnished with some freshly chopped parsley if you’d like. You can refrigerate any leftover rice in an airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat it by adding a couple of teaspoons of water to the rice and microwaving it in a covered dish. 

What Goes With Stick of Butter Rice

This rice goes great with any protein! I love complementing its beefy goodness with a tasty beef tenderloin roast or a slow cooker pot roast. It also goes great with veggies, like sauteed Brussels sprouts, grilled squash, or green beans and bacon. 😋

More Scrumptious Rice Recipes to Try

Conclusion

Kids and adults alike agree stick of butter rice is one of the most luxuriously delicious rice recipes. Give it a try and see if you don’t agree! Already made it? Let me know how it turned out for you in the comments. 🫶

Watch How to Make It

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