This stick of butter rice bakes in the oven with onion soup mix, beef broth, and plenty of butter for a rich, savory side that pairs with almost anything. The hands-off method delivers fluffy, fork-tender rice and deep, roasty flavor every time.
Combine long grain white rice + onion soup mix + beef broth in a baking dish, top with sliced butter, bake covered until tender, then bake uncovered to finish and fluff.
Chef Jessica Approved ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- A fun twist – Plain white rice can get pretty boring, so this stick of butter rice is a great way to switch things up while still keeping it easy.
- Consistently fluffy texture – No more gummy rice, this stick of butter rice turns out fluffy every time.
- 4-Ingredients & Hands Off – Less than 5 minutes to get the ingredients in the dish, then cover, bake and go about your business.
Grab This at the Grocery Store
With simple ingredients you will be baking this stick of butter rice in no time. Check the printable recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
- Long grain white rice – Do not use an instant rice for this recipe. A long grain white rice is best and absorbs the seasonings and flavors so well.
How to Make Stick of Butter Rice (Step-by-Step)
As a busy mom and wife I love when recipes are quick to throw together. Makes me look great as a mom and really adds to our dinner menu.
- Prepare oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven and spray a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine rice, soup mix and broth. Stir together the rice, onion soup mix and beef broth.
- Add butter. Slice the butter into smaller pads and float evenly on top of the rice and broth.
- Cover and bake. Cover tightly with foil or the lid and bake. Remove the foil/lid and bake for an additional time.
- Fluff and serve. Remove and fluff with a fork before serving.
Pro Tip
Rinse and drain rice. This added step helps to remove some of the excess starches from the white rice. Rinse rice in lukewarm water and drain liquid. Repeat until the water is clear.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I like to use a low sodium beef broth and unsalted butter when making this rice. That way I can add more salt at the end if needed. Fine sea salt is perfect to add to taste.
- Seasonings – If you are an onion lover you can also add some sautéed onions which add wonderful caramelized onions throughout this tasty side dish. To add more texture and flavor, you could add some cooked mushrooms to your rice mixture.
- Swaps – You could always use brown rice instead of white. Just make sure to not use instant rice. Although this original recipe calls for beef broth, you can easily substitute chicken broth or even vegetable broth in this recipe. It will change the flavor but will still be delicious.
- Senses – This stick of butter rice fills the air with the deep, nutty aroma of toasted butter and onions as it bakes. The scent alone is enough to draw people to the kitchen, promising warmth and indulgence.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Instead of baking in the oven, there are a couple of other ways you can make this stick of butter rice with lipton onion soup mix.
- Stove top – Making stick of butter rice is so quick and simple in the oven but you can also make this recipe on the stove top and it’s also quick and easy in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker with only a small adjustment.
- Instant Pot – Adjust liquid to 1 1/2 cups or 12 ounces. Pressure cook for 6 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release. Then don’t forget to fluff rice with a fork before serving this family’s favorite rice recipe.
What Completes the Meal
You can serve this rice with just about anything you’d like to! We like to serve it as a side with some sort of meat. You can also make it Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice!
Pork chops, a juicy steak, beef flanken ribs, an air fryer ribeye or even grilled chicken are all great main dish options. I also like to serve with a vegetable like broccoli, green beans or a side salad.
Test Kitchen Tips
I’ve tested this stick of butter rice recipe in my kitchen to be able to bring you these tips and tricks.
- Dish depth matters: A deeper dish helps even absorption and prevents edges from drying. I like using an 8×8 dish.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 50-55 minutes total to avoid over-browning.
- For less salt, use low-sodium broth and a reduced-sodium soup mix (or homemade). I actually encourage this just to have more control over the salt level.
- Let rice rest 5 minutes before fluffing to redistribute moisture.
What Happened To My Rice FAQ
I do not recommend this and only tested this recipe in an 8×8 (2 quart) dish. Changing the dimensions can throw off the browning and cooking rates.
My honest answer is- lucky you! I love a little crunch in my rice! But it’s likely because the foil or lid wasn’t tight enough around the edges. Fluff it with a fork to redistribute those crunchy bits and remember some recipes are aiming for this result.
Different brands of rice take differing amount of time to cook. I used Uncle Ben’s Original. DO NOT use a minute, parboiled or boil in a bag rice.
Sure! Chicken or vegetable broth can be swapped. Even water in a pinch. Aim for a low sodium option whichever you choose.
More Easy Rice Recipes
Rice is one of those ingredients that I love because of how versatile it is. Here are a few of our favorite rice recipes.
Stick of Butter Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice (not instant)
- 1 packet onion soup mix , 2 tablespoons homemade
- 2.5 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and spray a 8×8 or 2 quart casserole or baking dish with cooking spray. We've found that a deep, high sided dish works better than a shallow, wide dish.
- Stir together the 1 cup long grain white rice (not instant), 1 packet onion soup mix and 2.5 cups low-sodium beef broth.
- Slice the 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) into smaller pats and float evenly on top of the rice and broth.
- Cover tightly with foil or the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil/lid and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove and fluff with a fork before serving.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Notes
Nutrition
Will make this again very tasty. Good job lovey 😘
The recipe was super easy to make and I loved that I only needed a handful of ingredients.
This was so good and flavorful! Obsessed with this recipe.
Wow, this rice is so simple to make and has such great flavor. It’s a perfect side dish.
This was so delicious & easy to make & smelt amazing whilst it was cooking! I’ll definitely make this again
My family loves rice and I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds easy and looks delicious!