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If you’re looking for a hearty dinner that practically makes itself, this French onion ground beef and rice casserole is it. French onion soup, ground beef, and rice all bake together in one dish with just 10 minutes of prep. The oven does the work, and you get a meal the whole family will love.
I started making this back around 2009, when my kids were in middle school, and my stick of butter rice was already a regular at our table. One night I just decided to brown some ground beef and turn it into a full meal. No grand plan, just a mom trying to stretch a side dish into dinner. It was a hit from the first time I made it, and honestly, it never left our rotation.
I finally shared it here in 2022, and I’ll be honest, I had no idea it would take off the way it did. When this recipe started going viral on TikTok in 2025, I just smiled. We had been making it for fifteen years by then. I can’t take credit for stick of butter rice; that one comes from a cookbook.
But this version? I never saw anyone doing it this way until the internet caught up.
Why you’ll love this French Onion Hamburger & Rice Recipe!
This hamburger and rice casserole has been a family favorite for years, and it’s easy to see why.
❥ One dish, almost no cleanup. Everything goes into a single 9×13 baking dish. Brown the beef, combine everything, bake. That’s it.
❥ Hands-off cooking. Ten minutes of prep and the oven takes over for a full hour. You can help with homework, set the table, or just sit down for a few minutes.
❥ Easy to make it your own. Stir in mushrooms, melt cheese over the top, or add crispy onions for crunch. It takes beautifully to a few extra touches.
❥ Budget friendly and filling. It stretches a pound of ground beef into a hearty dinner that feeds the whole family.
French Onion Casserole Ingredients
- Lean ground beef: I almost always keep this in the freezer. It’s flavorful, affordable, and feeds a crowd. I use lean because this recipe already has a good amount of butter, and you don’t want extra grease competing with that.
- Garlic salt: This is my go-to for seasoning ground beef. It’s simple, and it works. If you’re watching sodium, you can cut back or skip it, since the soups already have plenty of salt.
- Beef consommé: This is what gives the rice that deep, rich, beefy flavor. It’s more concentrated than regular broth, so don’t swap it out if you can avoid it. Look for it in the soup aisle, usually near the broths.
- French onion soup: This does all the onion work for you. No chopping, no caramelizing. The soup brings that slow-cooked onion flavor straight out of the can.
- Water: Just a small amount to give the rice enough liquid to cook through fully.
- Long-grain white rice: Use regular long-grain white rice here, not instant or minute rice. Instant rice cooks too quickly. The uncooked rice goes straight into the dish and absorbs all that flavor as it bakes.
- Butter: Cut into slices and laid across the top before baking. It melts down through the casserole as it cooks, adding richness and helping the top get that lightly golden finish. Don’t skip it and don’t reduce it too much.
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How to Make French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
✱ Below shows step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1 | Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Make sure you get into the corners so the rice doesn’t stick.
Step 2 | Browning the Ground Beef
In a large skillet (I like to use my cast-iron here or a nice, heavy non-stick pan), add the ground beef and garlic salt to season. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned and cooked through, and be sure to drain off the fat.
Step 3 | Combine Everything
Add the uncooked rice and browned beef to your prepared baking dish. Pour in the beef consomme, French onion soup, and water. Stir everything together until combined.
Step 4 | Add the Butter
Cut the butter into slices and lay them evenly across the top of the casserole. This is what gives the top that golden finish and adds richness throughout the whole dish as it melts down.
Step 5 | Cover and Bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Tightly covered is the key here. A loose seal lets steam escape, and the rice won’t cook evenly.
Step 6 | Uncover and Finish
Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. This is what browns the top and finishes the rice.
If you’re adding cheese, pull the dish out with about 10 minutes left, add your cheese and crispy onions or jalapeños, and return it to the oven uncovered until melted and golden.
Step 7 | Fluff and Serve
Once the hour is up, your rice should be tender and the top lightly golden.
Fluff with a fork and serve straight from the dish.
Variations & Substitutions
- Ground turkey or chicken: Either works in place of beef. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan when browning since poultry is leaner and can stick.
- Mushrooms: A great addition if you love them. Stir a drained can of sliced mushrooms in with everything, or sauté fresh mushrooms with your ground beef. If you add fresh mushrooms, increase the water to 1 cup to account for the extra moisture they absorb.
- Cheesy topping: With about 10 minutes left in the uncovered bake, pull the dish out and add sliced or shredded cheese across the top. Mozzarella and provolone are our favorites. Return to the oven until melted and bubbly.
- Crispy topping: Fried onions or fried jalapeños on top take this casserole to another level. Add them on top of the cheese or directly on the casserole during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Lower carb: Some readers have had success swapping the rice for riced cauliflower and reducing the water by half, since cauliflower releases moisture as it cooks rather than absorbing it. I haven’t tested this myself, so results may vary.
Gluten-Free French Onion & Hamburger Rice Casserole
Campbell’s French onion soup is not gluten-free, and beef consomme can be hard to find in a certified GF version. My daughter makes this for my granddaughter using 2 cans of Progresso French onion soup (18.5 oz each), plus 5 oz of GF-certified beef broth to make up the liquid difference. If you want a little more flavor add a tablespoon or 2 of my onion soup mix to this or some GF beef bouillon to get that robust flavor of the consomme.
You can also use an equal amount of liquid and my gluten-free onion soup mix stirred in to create your own French onion soup.
If you’re adding a crispy topping, look for a certified GF fried onion brand. Sprouts carries one, and Golden, Mae Ploy, and Simple Truth Organic are options worth checking. Always read labels carefully if you are cooking for someone with celiac disease.
Shortcuts & Time Savers
One-Pot Method: Want to cut down on the dishes? Try a cast-iron Dutch oven or large 12-inch cast-iron skillet to brown the ground beef, then add the rest of the ingredients as listed above.
Pro Tips
- Wrap the foil tightly. This is the step that makes or breaks the rice. A loose seal lets steam escape, and you’ll end up with rice that’s unevenly cooked or crunchy in spots. Press the foil firmly around the edges of the dish before it goes in the oven.
- Drain the beef before adding it to the dish. I drain mine in a colander or on paper towels. With lean ground beef, you may not have much grease, but with the amount of butter in this recipe, you don’t want extra fat making things greasy.
- Don’t use instant or minute rice. Regular long-grain white rice is what makes this work. It cooks at the right pace to absorb all that liquid and flavor during the full hour of baking. Instant rice will overcook and turn mushy.
- Use beef consomme, not just broth. Broth will work in a pinch, but consomme is more concentrated and gives the rice that deep, savory flavor that makes this casserole taste like it cooked all day. It’s worth finding.
- Let the top do its thing. Once the foil comes off, resist the urge to stir. The uncovered bake is what creates that lightly golden top. Let it go the full 30 minutes.
- Fluff before serving. Once it comes out of the oven, give it a good fluff with a fork before scooping. It brings everything together and keeps the rice from clumping.
Serving Suggestions
This casserole is a complete meal on its own, so it really just needs a simple side to round things out. Green beans are my first choice. Crock Pot Green Beans can cook low and slow while the casserole bakes, and Southern Style Green Beans are always a hit too. A side salad or corn on the cob also work perfectly, and if you want to put both on the table, my Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or Grilled Corn on the Cob are both easy options depending on the season.
If you want something to scoop up the extra goodness from the dish, a pan of skillet cornbread, cornbread muffins, or a basket of homemade dinner rolls is all you need. This is the kind of dinner that doesn’t need much else to feel like a full meal.
Storing French Onion Soup Casserole
Storage: Once cooled, cover the hamburger onion soup casserole with foil or plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. This casserole reheats well. For individual servings, microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
Make Ahead: You can brown the beef ahead of time, drain it, and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. When you are ready to bake, just combine everything in the dish and go.
Freezing: Bake the casserole covered for the first 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Cover tightly and freeze. The night before you want to serve it, thaw in the refrigerator. Remove the covering and bake uncovered for the remaining 30 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water or broth to finish it offServing Suggestions
FAQ
The amounts listed in this recipe are written for long-grain white rice, which is what I use and recommend. I have not tested it with brown rice myself, but readers have reported success by adding extra liquid and increasing the covered bake time. If you try it, keep a close eye on it and adjust as needed.
Yes, with a few specific swaps. Campbell’s French onion soup is not gluten-free, and certified GF beef consommé can be hard to find. My daughter makes this for my granddaughter using 2 cans of Progresso French onion soup (18.5 oz each), plus 5 oz of GF-certified beef broth to make up the liquid difference. She loves it. If you are adding a crispy topping, look for a certified GF brand. Always read all labels carefully if you are cooking for someone with celiac disease.
Mozzarella and provolone are our favorites. Both melt beautifully and complement the savory French onion flavor without overpowering it. Gouda and cheddar also work well if that’s what you have on hand.
Beef consommé is a concentrated, clarified beef broth with a deeper, richer flavor than regular broth. It is what gives this casserole that savory depth that makes it taste like it was cooked all day. Beef broth, stock, or bone broth will work, but the flavor may be lighter.
Easy Casserole Recipes for Busy Weeknight Meals
- Ground Beef and Sausage Rice Casserole
- Baked Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Ground Beef Doritos Casserole
- Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
- Mimi’s Ground Beef Potato Chip Casserole
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French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - lean
- ½ to 1 tsp garlic salt - or to taste
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef consume
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans french onion soup
- ¾ cup water
- 2 cups long grain white rice - uncooked (not minute rice)
- ¾ cup butter - 1 ½ stick, cut into slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, add ground beef and garlic salt to season. Cook and crumble ground beef until browned and cooked through.
- In a prepared baking dish add rice and ground beef. Pour in soup, broth, and water and stir until combined.
- Cut butter into slices and place on top of the mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes more. * see the notes section for a cheesy and crispy topping version.
- Once done fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
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How salty is this? My Husband hasn’t completely gone no sodium, but we try and do low sodium, so not sure if this will be a salt shock to him? He LOVES anything French onion, so I really want to make this!
The dish is naturally salty with the soup mixes. You could substitute a lower sodium beef broth for the consume, use unsalted butter, replace garlic salt with granulated garlic, and just be sure to check your french onion soup cans to verify it fits within your restrictions. It really is delicious and hope it will work for you.
Oh my goodness, this was so delicious, my family devoured this hot dish! I added mushrooms and didn’t drain them, then I added Beef stock instead of beef consume, and the rice was very moist. My family wants me to make this really soon again!
Thank you, Reba! It makes me so happy that your family loved this one! It’s my granddaughter’s favorite dish and thrills me to know your family wants to enjoy it again.
Great taste! Making it again I will halve the recipe and make it as a skillet meal rather than very full 9×13. That will be easier than carrying the dish and placing in the oven without spilling the liquid on the way and will make plenty for our family.
You can definitely make this as a skillet meal as well. I am so thrilled to hear you are making it again.
Hi Nikki,
This sounds great! However, I’m in Ecuador and can’t get those soups often. When I can find Them, they’re $3-$4 each. However, I’ve got envelopes to the dry French Onion soup and can get beef broth. Can you give me your best guess on how I can substitute the? Thank you in advance for your help.
The soup cans are 10.5 ounces each. I would try one packet of dry soup mix to 21 ounces of beef broth to start. Give it a taste and adjust from there. I have thought I would test this before, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Please let me know how it goes for you.
Recipe is great and thanks Anthony for you comment. My family like brown basmati rice. I did as you recommended and cook the rice first using 2 cups rice, 2 cans of beef consume and 1 can of french onion. I then browned the ground beef as instructed and placed the meat along with the remaining can of french onion in the casserole dish along with the cooked rice, no additional water. Butter on top and all went in the oven for 30 minutes. I recommend 15 covered then 15 or so uncovered. I will be making again.
This was so good! My picky children loved it too! So nice to please everyone in a family of 5!! I halved the recipe because I wasn’t sure if everyone would eat it… next time, it will be a full recipe because there were no leftovers! I also used ground turkey.
Thanks for an easy, yummy addition to our dinner rotation.
Thank you, Crystal! I am so glad your family enjoyed it. It really is as delicious as leftovers too! We love easy recipes here!
I had some Success rice that I wanted to use up, so I opted for the Quick Version. Using an instant rice I wasn’t sure if I needed to change the amount of rice and/or if I should use less liquid. But I made some guesses and went for it and it came out perfect – nice crisp rice along the top edges, moist and flavorful, good beef to rice ratio. Here’s what I did:
-Add the 2 cans of beef consumme & 2 cans of french onion soup to a pot and bring to a boil. I didn’t add any water.
-Added 3 bags of Success rice to the pot. (I emptied the rice from the perforated bag directly into the pot. Each bag contains 1 cup rice). Note that I started with 2 cups, but was concerned there would be too much liquid, so I added the third.
-Boiled the rice for about 8 minutes.
-Combined the rice/soup mixture with the ground beef in a 9×13 pan and added the butter on top as instructed. Baked for exactly 30 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
Excellent. I added some Swiss cheese , about half a cup, to the top when it was done. Melted in a couple minutes. Will make again
Flavor was delicious, but it had to cook well over an hour which I wasn’t a fan of
Sorry, yours took longer to cook. Mine is usually spot on in an hour. You could adjust with instant rice and test the cook times. Maybe 1/2 hour.
I found this recipe to be easy and very flavorful. My picky husband did not. I’m a “foodie” he is a food chicken.
I put some Swiss cheese on top of mine. It tastes good either way, I’m just a cheese addict.
I am so glad you love it, even if hubby wasn’t a fan! I bet swiss cheese was amazing! I agree with you about cheese – YUM!
Has anyone tried this in the crockpot?
I made this today for dinner. I used white jasmine rice instead, because that was all I had. It was delicious! My whole family loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much, Mary! I am glad the jasmine rice worked well for you. Perfect to sub what you have on hand.
Made this 2 times with modifications to use what I had. One with hot Italian sausage and wild rice blend. One with sweet Italian sausage and jasmine rice. Both times I added 2 cups of mixed veggies that I microwaved first and added after the sausage/rice came out of the oven. Both were very good!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Love your additions and changes to change it up every once in a while – and it’s always good to improvise with what you have on hand.
I used my 12 inch cast iron skillet with my cover. I used brown jasmine rice. I noticed I have to cook it longer than the overall one hour. Close to an hour and a half. I don’t recommend this option. Recipe though is delicious.
Sometimes brown rice can take a little longer. But the flavors are worth the wait.
If you use precooked rice how will it affect the amount of soups/water?
I haven’t tested the recipe with already cooked rice so it’s hard to say for sure. I’d try half the amount of liquid if I were to start testing it.
I don’t have regular rice, would minute rice work? Would I need to adjust anything?
I have not tested the cook time with minute rice, but it will be less. Test it at 30 minutes to see if done and then cook further if needed.
I’m always looking for easier weeknight dinners, and this casserole was AMAZING last night. Comforting, hearty and delicious. Will definitely make again.
This is my kind of comfort food! I love French onion flavors and never thought to use it like this.
Thank you, Julie! I love french onion too and love how easy this dish is.
Yum! This is looks amazing I cannot wait to try it!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
I was so tired of our usual recipes with ground beef, found yours, this was so yummy. The family devoured it!
Thank you, Kathleen! Using ground beef is economical and delicious! It’s nice to change it up and glad you found that in this recipe!
Do you think I could use 2 lbs og ground beef but keep the rest the same as far as amounts and cook time
I think it would be fine. I haven’t tested it. I would check half way through cooking and you can add a little water if needed.
I love French onion anything! This recipe turned out so well and I can’t wait to make it again soon.
What would you serve as sides with this dish?
Thank you!!
I love to serve green beans or a salad with this dish to keep it easy. But we also love lima beans or corn as well with it.