Stick of Butter Rice
White rice is just so boring when there’s this stick of butter rice you could be having instead. Four simple ingredients from the pantry are added to a single dish with long grain white rice and transformed into something truly special. A savory side dish with notes of beef broth, French onion soup, tangy Worcestershire sauce, and infused with rich butter- it all comes together in a single dish with hardly any effort at all.
The first few years we were married, the Hubs was always shocked when I served rice with dinner. We were having chicken for dinner? Rice goes with that. Add a little gravy and you’ll see.
Tacos or quesadillas for dinner, rice goes with that too! I’d just make it my famous yellow basmati rice. Rice goes with almost everything friends. Or at least it did in my house growing up! I seem to have carried on the tradition without even trying.
For me, rice goes with just about anything. I mean white rice is so adaptable. It’s literally a perfect side dish. Universal really. 100% why I love it so much, and probably why my Grandma & Mom did too. It takes the guess work out of cooking.
How many times have you spent wondering what’s for dinner? You’ve probably settled on, or at least considered, an entree- but what to do about sides? We’ve got to serve a meal to the family after all. Good ol’ rice, always there to save the day.
Sometimes white rice is a given. If you have a sauce laden dish, it’s perfect to serve because it will soak up any juices absorbing the flavors. Or it can be made in a way that pairs perfectly with the dish you’re dying to enjoy.
Sometimes though, rice can be and is meant to be the star of the side dish show all on it’s own. Nothing’s a better example of this than our stick of butter rice.
A simple ingredient list is all that stands between you & a gorgeous golden brown heavenly tasting rice laden side dish. Five ingredients are all you need. Seriously, five that’s all.
Jasmine rice, one can of French onion condensed soup, one can of condensed beef consume, a stick of butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce- that’s all you need.
The ingredient list may seem small and it’s simple, but it makes for crazy flavorful rice. My favorite part is that it also cooks all in one dish. It makes it so easy! It’s like the one pot meal equivalent on the side item menu.
How To Prepare Stick Of Butter Rice, a One Dish Side:
Remember when I said just a second ago that this was the one pot meal of side dishes? I wasn’t kidding. Start by lightly greasing an 8×8″ baking dish with non stick spray. Spread the rice evenly out over the bottom. The recipe calls for jasmine rice, but basmati also works just as well.
Empty both cans of condensed soup into the dish, then sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce over top. Place the pats of butter evenly out over top of the mixture. Next cover the dish with foil pressing it tightly all around to seal.
A tight seal is important. It’s crucial to the dish turning out. Don’t be tempted to take a peek while it’s cooking. You’ll let the built up steam escape, resulting in under cooked or crunchy dry rice.
Bake the stick of butter rice at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. No matter how tempted, don’t open the oven or peel back the foil and peek. Remove it from the oven, take off the foil, and bake another 15 minutes. That’s it, that’s all it takes to make the ultimate rice.
Can You Make This Rice Recipe In The Slow Cooker?
Sometimes my oven is already full and overworked, but this Mama still needs to round out dinner. That’s when I can put my trusty crockpot to work to get the whole job done.
It’s super simple to make this stick of butter rice recipe in the slow cooker (or crockpot- whichever you call it!). Although it does require a little bit of babysitting, unlike when it’s done in the oven.
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of the slow cooker, just as instructed in the original recipe. Cover and cook the rice on low for 2-4 hours, checking every thirty minutes or so after the first hour.
Check to see if the rice is fluffy and cooked, or if the mixture needs to continue cooking. If the liquid has reduced significantly before the rice is done, you may need to add in a little extra. That’s ok, and you can use either beef broth or plain water- both will work just fine!
Under Pressure- Stick Of Butter Rice Cooks Perfectly In The Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
While we usually bake this in the oven, and have provided slow cooking instructions- this cooks up just as well in the pressure cooker. So whichever appliance or method is more convenient for you, it will work.
Start by adding the rice to the insert of your pressure cooker- we use the Instant Pot brand. Then add all of the other ingredients, EXCEPT the butter.
Gently stir to mix the soups and rice together. Add the butter slices evenly out over top. Put the lid on, turn to close, and make sure the vent is set to seal.
Using the rice button, on low pressure, cook the rice for 12 minutes. If you don’t have a rice cooker setting, you can use the manual (or pressure cook) setting for 12 minutes at low pressure.
Careful to avoid any hot steam, turn the valve to venting & perform a quick release. Once all the steam’s been released, stir & fluff the rice using a sturdy spoon.
That’s it- your rice is perfectly done & ready to serve.
What Can I Add To Turn This Stick of Butter Rice Into A Complete Meal?
Speaking of rounding things out, some nights are busier than others. I don’t have time for a full sit down dinner with a main course and several savory sides. I need a one pot, one stop dinner that everyone can agree on. Oh, and it must include some sort of vegetable.
That’s another reason I adore this easy rice recipe- it’s always there for me, whatever the occasion. The kids love it when I throw in some chopped cooked chicken, and steamed broccoli. You don’t have to cook the two separately. You can add two uncooked, chunked chicken breasts and raw broccoli directly in with the uncooked rice. Everything will cook together.
I also like to use stew beef and add a handful or two of freshly sliced baby bella mushrooms. It’s so good! It’s also one of the few times even the youngest, pickiest son will happily eat mushrooms.
I’m Serving A Crowd, Can I Double The Recipe?
Remember when I mentioned that this easy rice recipe always had my back? That includes family dinners, and when the occasion means a larger crowd and calls for more food to fill up our hungry guests.
This recipe easily doubles to feed a hungry crowd. I’ve even tripled it once or twice for Holiday dinners. If doubling, you’ll want to switch to a 9×13 inch baking dish instead of the 8×8 originally called for. When tripling it, I’ve used a 3 quart casserole dish with great success.
I told you this recipe was simple. Change things up, and kick boring white rice to the curb. Don’t just serve it with sauce served over top. Make stick of butter rice, and bake sweet savory flavor into every single grain. It’s easy enough for any night of the year, but fancy enough for any occasion.
Other Savory Ways To Prepare Rice:
If you’ve tried this STICK OF BUTTER RICE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Stick Of Butter Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 can condensed French onion soup
- 1 can condensed soup beef consume
- 1 stick butter, slice into roughly 8-9 slices
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 8x8" baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Spread the uncooked rice evenly out over the bottom.
- Empty the cans of condensed soup evenly out over top. Sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce out over top.
- Place the pats of butter evenly out over top of the rice mixture.
- Cover the dish tightly, sealing it with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the dish, and bake an additional 15 minutes.
- Let the dish rest 2-3 minutes before serving.
Yummy. Great post & recipe Thanks for sharing on fiesta friday #270
This is my kind of recipe… simple!! We love rice with our dinners too! And I have all of the ingredients in my pantry…. 🙂 I’ll be trying it soon and let you know how it went. Thanks!
I can’t wait to hear back, Tess!
Does it have to be jasmine rice? We usually use California Rose white rice. Just wondering if that would cause a problem.
No it doesn’t. We’ve also used basmati. I’m not familiar with that particular brand, but if it’s a rice with a similar cooking time to the recipe then it should be just fine. Enjoy!
Ooohhhh, this sounds absurdly delicious! Have you tried doubling the recipe? I have a 14×10 lasagna pan and think it’d be perfect for a double batch!
I haven’t before, simply because I haven’t needed to- but this recipe can easily be doubled for a crowd. Your lasagna pan, or even a 9×13 inch baking dish, should work well.
Raw or cooked rice ?
Never mind – I see it in the instructions !
If you wanted to make a whole pan meal, could you add porkchops or chicken to this? What would you have to add to do that? Just wondering, it sounds delish.
You could add either. You may need to let it finish cooking uncovered for a few minutes though.
I always add baked or boiled chicken to mine and I don’t have to add any other products. I use same amount of products and just add cooked chicken.
This was delicious and so easy. Even my son who doesn’t like rice enjoyed it.
Don’t you love it when you find something so simple & easy that’s even picky eater approved?!
Could you make this in an instant pot?
I believe that you absolutely can. It’s on my list to test out this week, and I will update the post with the perfect method for the pressure cooker when I’m done.
Can you use instant rice and could you add frozen vegerables?
I never use instant rice, so I’m not sure- but I’d worry it would cook to quickly without absorbing all the liquid properly. You can absolutely add vegetables, frozen ones too. The post includes some of our favorite ways ti incorporate veggies to make it more meal-like.
Delicious and easy! We turned this into a meal by adding beef. My hungry boys gobbled it up! I’m definitely adding this into our recipe rotation!
Can I use long grain brown rice?
I haven’t, but several readers have said they used brown rice with yummy results!
What kind of meat can you add for an entree? Or can you add meat in while it’s cooking or add after cooking?
You must’ve missed it while scrolling, Jane- there’s a whole in depth paragraph in the post about how to turn this rice into a meal and what meats you can add, when, and how 🙂
Why so much butter? I would think you could use so much less.
It’s just the way ‘stick of butter’ rice has always been done. Never thought to try it any other way really. I’m sure you could cut the butter down some though without affecting the overall flavor or cooking process. I’d try it with 1/3 cup instead of the traditional half and go from there.
So I was the one who questioned why so much butter. I made it with half a stick of butter but next time I will add another 1/4 C. of liquid. The melted butter adds just enough liquid that you must replace the butter with an equal amount of liquid. Very tasty!!
When you add stew beef do you put it in raw and it cooks in the rice?
Since this is basically French Onion soup rice I assume I could add cheese, when do you suggest I add it? During the last 15 minutes you bake it uncovered, but I’m afraid the cheese would burn in that time.
That should be fine, and it shouldn’t burn in that amount of time. Love the idea of adding a bit of swiss too, to really embrace the ‘french onion’ flavor.
When doubling it do you just double everything?
Yep!
I making this for the first time for my husband and I were both in late 60s so we only need half of this recipe. Should I bake it less time would it be faster??
Even when you halve the recipe, the cook time will remain the same 🙂
hi could I use cauliflower rice?