Creamy, cheesy baked rice mixed with rich sour cream, specks of sweet sauteed onions, and corn. Once you try it, you'll crave it! Sour Cream Rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. I make my recipe slightly different from others, who often use canned green chiles in their dish. I think that sounds great, too, but my version is pretty spectacular!
This dish is simple to assemble as well as fix up! Sometimes, I'll add sliced black olives before baking for a briney kick. Topping it with fresh green onions after baking is equally delicious! Sour cream rice is a solid side dish to accompany seasoned chicken or a Mexican-inspired main dish. It's also very satisfying as an easy vegetarian dinner.
Read on for all the loving details to make Sour Cream Rice.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Sour Cream Rice.
Rice - My go-to is jasmine rice, but this dish would be fantastic with just about any rice or larger grain, like farro or even barley. It's that good!
Corn - frozen or canned corn is perfect. If you use it off the cob, cook it first. For a fun twist, try roasted corn from the freezer section of the grocery store. Sometimes, I will sear frozen or canned sweet corn in a skillet with butter to achieve a similar effect. The corn kernels caramelize a little, giving them a deeper sweetness.
Cheese - I prefer to buy cheese in blocks and hand grate. Preshredded cheese has anti-clumping agents that also hinder the cheese's ability to melt fully.
Also, I love to make this with more like 12 ounces of cheese (rather than 8 ounces as the recipe calls for). If you're a cheese lover like me, go big! You won't regret it.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
- Large bowl
- 2-3 quart baking dish
- Stirring spoon
- Cheese grater
- Foil
How to make sour cream rice
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Make 1 ½ cups of rice on the stove or in a rice maker with either chicken broth or water. Once the rice is cooked, pour it into a large mixing bowl (paid link).
- While the rice is cooking, saute the diced onions. Add them to a warm pan with some oil and cook and stir until they darken.
- Then, stir the sauteed onions, corn, and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar into the cooked rice.
- Next, fold in the sour cream and combine completely.
- Put the rice mixture into a greased 2-3 quart baking dish or oven-safe skillet and top with the remaining cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until all the cheese fully melts.
- OPTIONAL: For a toasted top, after baking for 30 minutes, put the dish under a broiler and cook until toasted, 3-5 minutes.
Saute onions
Make rice
Combine all ingredients
Add to baking dish
Top with more cheese
Bake covered in 350°F oven for 20 minutes, uncovered for 10 minutes
Hot Tip!
If you want to achieve a crispier texture, try baking the sour cream rice uncovered at 375°F. Check it at the 20-minute mark until you reach your desired texture. Also, use a little less cheese on top to expose more rice.
Substitutions and Variations
- Rice - Swap out the jasmine rice for another, like basmati or brown rice.
- Add garlic - Saute a few cloves of minced garlic with the onions, or add a ½-1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the rice mixture before baking.
- Cheese - Use a cheese blend like cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack.
- Bulk it up! - This casserole can handle more of everything! Double the corn, cheese, sour cream, and/or onions, whatever you love the most!
- Top before baking - Add sliced green onions, sliced olives, or diced tomatoes before baking. Blend with the shredded cheese before topping the sour cream rice. It's probably a good idea to add a little more cheese, too!
Leftover sour cream rice
- Refrigerate leftover baked sour cream rice in a sealed container up to 1 week.
- Reheat covered in a 325°F oven until heated through. Add a few teaspoons of water for each cup being reheated.
- Freeze the fully cooled rice bake, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
FAQ
I love this recipe for using up leftover rice because you can make any size of sour cream rice you'd like! If it's cold, it will take 10-15 minutes longer to bake than starting with warm rice.
Use one 4-ounce can mixed in with the other ingredients.
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More dishes with rice
If you like to include rice in your meals, try these:
I say yes to cheese
If you feel the same, try these:
Print
Sour Cream Rice
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 cups
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Indulge in the creamy goodness of sour cream rice. This cheesy baked rice dish with sauteed onions and corn is the perfect comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked rice
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- olive oil
- 1 ½ cups dice onion, about 1 large onion
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Make rice: In a 2-quart lidded pot, add 1 ½ cups of jasmine rice and 2 ¼ cups of chicken broth (or water). Season the rice with ¾ teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, turn the heat down to low and put a lid on the pot. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let the rice set for 5 minutes, then add to a large bowl.
- While the rice is cooking, warm a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Warm a few teaspoons of olive oil in the pan, then add the diced onion and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Stir and cook for 10 minutes or until the onions start to get some color.
- Add the sauteed onions to the bowl with the rice along with the corn and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Toss to combine, then fold in the sour cream.
- When the sour cream has been fully incorporated with the rice, pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese then cover the dish with foil.
- Bake the sour cream rice in the oven, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Cook for 10 minutes more or until the cheese has fully melted on top.
- OPTIONAL: Broil the dish for a few minutes to brown the cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stove-top, oven
- Cuisine: American
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