Baked French Onion Rice is a savory, easy-to-make side dish that combines rice with the rich, comforting flavors of French onion soup. Serve it as a side dish with dinner or make it a complete meal by adding shredded steak, pork, or chicken along with your favorite veggies for a hearty protein-packed plate!
What is French Onion Rice?
Our French Onion Rice recipe is a foolproof, low-maintenance method for making fluffy, flavorful rice. Who knew a can of soup, beef broth, and an entire stick of butter could elevate a bland bowl of rice into a rich, savory side dish?
This rice recipe with French onion soup couldn’t be simpler: simply pour all ingredients in a single baking pan, stir, and let it cook like a casserole. So simple! When you skip the skillet and bake the rice in the oven, the long grains absorb the liquid, so you’re left with light, soft, tender rice with a perfectly caramelized onion taste.
Similar to stick of butter rice, the dish has gained popularity because it bakes in the oven without breaking out the rice cooker, crock pot, slow cooker, or instant pot. When you crave that classic French onion flavor, a can of soup and broth work together to give you all the delicious depth of homemade French onion soup, but with much less effort. It’s the perfect go-to for a flavorful side dish without the fuss!
Ingredients for French Onion Rice
- Long grain rice: Long grain white rice or brown rice can be used for this recipe. Do not use instant rice (like boil in a bag) as the texture will be overcooked and mushy.
- Can of French onion soup: I used a can of condensed Campbell’s French onion soup, but you can use a generic version.
- Beef broth: Feel free to use low sodium condensed beef broth or beef consommé. Chicken or vegetable broth can also be substituted for the beef broth.
- Salted butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter to better control the salt content in this recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make French Onion Rice
- Rinse The Rice: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
- Make The Rice Mixture: Stir together the rice, soup, and beef broth in the baking dish. Place the slices of butter on top of the rice.
- Bake: Cover with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the liquid has been completely absorbed.
- Fluff With A Fork: Fluff the rice and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!
Baked French Onion Rice for a Richer Flavor
Baking a French onion rice dish (rather than cooking it on the stovetop) creates deeper caramelized flavors and a golden brown crust by allowing the rice to slowly absorb the rich liquids from the French onion soup and beef broth. As the rice bakes, the natural sugars in the onion soup caramelize, deepening the savory, umami flavors. The pats of butter placed on top melt into the rice, helping form a crispy, flavorful layer on the surface and enhancing the caramelized onions in the crust.
For an extra layer of richness and flavor, you can sprinkle some cheese over your French onion soup rice during the final few minutes of baking. Gruyère cheese or Swiss cheese will complement the French onion flavors perfectly, creating a melty, golden layer on top. Mozzarella or cheddar cheese will also work well if you prefer a milder, gooey texture. Prefer Parmesan? It won’t melt as gooey as Gruyere or mozzarella, but it will still create a crispy, golden cover. Bake or broil the cheese just long enough to melt and form a bubbly, slightly browned layer on top.
Tips for the Best French Onion Rice
- Skip A Step: If you are pressed for time, you can skip rinsing the rice, but it really does help reduce some of the starch and produce a fluffier and less sticky rice.
- Pair With Protein: To turn this into a full meal, mix in shredded chicken, pork, or beef for an extra protein boost.
- Choose The Right Rice: Long-grain rice is ideal for fluffy, non-sticky results, but you can use Jasmine rice or Basmati rice as well. Just adjust the liquid or cooking time as needed based on your preferred texture and the rice type.
- Prepare With A Packet of Onion Soup Mix: If you’re using a packet of onion soup mix instead of canned soup, stir it directly into the beef broth. Onion soup mixes will still give you that rich onion flavor without requiring the full can of soup. Follow the baking instructions as written.
- Grab A Garnish: While the recipe calls for fresh parsley as a garnish, you can experiment with other fresh herbs like fresh thyme, chives, or cilantro.
- Add Vitamins With Veggies: You can add vegetables like peas, sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, or sautéed yellow onions for added taste, texture, and a healthy dose of vitamins.
How to Store and Reheat French Onion Rice
- In The Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- In The Freezer: Once completely cooled, the rice can be stored in a freezer safe container or in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Allow the rice to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a microwave safe dish for 1 ½ to 2 minutes before serving. You may need to add a splash of broth or water to prevent it from drying out.
More Easy Rice Recipes
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French Onion Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice Do not use instant rice as the texture will be overcooked and mushy
- 10.5 ounces (1 canned) french onion soup undiluted, I used Campbell’s soup brand, but you can use a generic version
- 1¼ cup (10 ounces) beef broth
- 8 tablespoons salted butter sliced into 1 tablespoon pats
- 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, add the rice and use cold water to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. (This will help reduce some of the starch and will produce a fluffier rice)1 cup long grain rice
- In the prepared baking dish, stir together the long grain rice, soup and beef broth just until combined.10.5 ounces (1 canned) french onion soup, 1¼ cup (10 ounces) beef broth
- Arrange the sliced butter pats on top of the rice. (The butter gives the rice a rich flavor)8 tablespoons salted butter
- Cover with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the rice has cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed. (15 minutes uncovered cooked my rice perfectly, your oven may need an additional 5 minutes)
- Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve while hot.1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh parsley
Jenn’s Notes
- In The Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- In The Freezer: Once completely cooled, the rice can be stored in a freezer safe container or in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Allow the rice to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a microwave safe dish for 1 ½ to 2 minutes before serving. You may need to add a splash of broth or water to prevent it from drying out.
- If you are pressed for time, you can skip rinsing the rice, but it really does help reduce some of the starch and produce a fluffier and less sticky rice.
- To turn this into a full meal, mix in shredded chicken, pork, or beef for an extra protein boost.
- Long-grain rice is ideal for fluffy, non-sticky results, but you can use Jasmine rice or Basmati rice as well. Just adjust the liquid or cooking time as needed based on your preferred texture and the rice type.
- If you’re using a packet of onion soup mix instead of canned soup, stir it directly into the beef broth. Onion soup mixes will still give you that rich onion flavor without requiring the full can of soup. Follow the baking instructions as written.
- While the recipe calls for fresh parsley as a garnish, you can experiment with other fresh herbs like fresh thyme, chives, or cilantro.
- You can add vegetables like peas, sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, or sautéed yellow onions for added taste, texture, and a healthy dose of vitamins.
Hi! I’m not a big rice cooker…but I bought some Jasmine rice because I hear it is a little less “carb-y” than potatoes. How much of an adjustment to the cook of this is needed? I am diabetic, but still eat most foods I like, and I love French onion soup.