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Crockpot Creamy French Onion Chicken and Orzo. This comforting French onion chicken dish is cooked with white wine, herbs, and butter, then served over a creamy parmesan orzo, it’s so delish. And it’s all made in the crockpot for an easy dinner recipe to have on rotation. It’s the perfect hearty and delicious meal to enjoy on busy nights.
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I’ve entered my “cozy” mode and it’s in full force this season. Our weather has been beautifully sunny this week, but cold at night. It’s been so chilly that everything in the greenhouse froze over the weekend.
This has me craving cozier fall food. And with the beginning of October this Sunday, I imagine I’m not the only one!
You seem to really enjoy my simple, all-in-one crockpot dinners, so I’ve been brainstorming what new flavors and variations to share with you all.
I have so many great recipes coming up! It’s going to be yummy!
But for today, we have one that everyone will enjoy. It’s like a French onion soup, but made with chicken and served with a side of creamy parmesan orzo.
It is so delicious!
Ingredients
- Yellow onions
- Salted butter
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Chopped fresh sage
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Garlic
- Dry white wine
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Sliced mushrooms
- Dry orzo pasta
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Shredded gruyere cheese
All of the details
Step 1: layer everything in the crockpot
It’s important to layer this dish in order. Arranging the onions on the bottom of the crockpot will ensure they receive the most amount of heat, which is ideal. We want the crockpot to really get the onions very, very soft.
Layer as follows, onions, butter, then chicken. Now, I love to add a sprinkle of thyme and sage. I usually use fresh, but dried herbs will work really well in this recipe. Then add some garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pour over dry white wine and add some mushrooms. Then start cooking. Go low and slow for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2. Either or is totally great!
Step 2: mix in the orzo
When the chicken is cooked, pull both the chicken and onions out of the crockpot and set on a baking sheet.
Now mix the orzo into the crockpot. Add some water and let the orzo cook.
Step 3: broil the chicken and cheese
Next, add butter to the onions on the pan, and cheese to the chicken. Broil until the cheese is very melty.
During this time, the onions should darken a bit in color.
Step 4: finish the orzo
Mix the parmesan cheese into the orzo.
It will be very creamy.
Step 5: serve and enjoy
Serve the creamy orzo topped with the onions and chicken. I add fresh thyme or parsley too.
Serve this with a bright salad. This pretty harvest salad has been my go-to in the fall. Ooh, and maybe some crusty bread too! Yum!
Looking for other French onion dishes?? Here are my favorites:
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Cheddar Flaky Pastries.
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
French Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Creamy French Onion Chicken and Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Creamy French Onion Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 3-4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
Crockpot Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, layer the onions, 3 tablespoons butter, and then the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with thyme, sage, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the wine and broth. Add the mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken and most of the onions from the slow cooker and place on a baking sheet.3. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the orzo, and 1 cup water. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. If the orzo needs more liquid, add additional water. Stir in the cream and parmesan.4. Arrange 3 tablespoons butter over the onions, top the pan with gruyere. Broil 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melty. 5. Serve the chicken and onions over the orzo. YUMMM!
Stove Top
- 1. In a large soup pot, add the onions and 3 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring every 3-4 minutes, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken, thyme, sage, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the wine and broth. Add the mushrooms. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken and most of the onions from the pot and place on a baking sheet.3. Arrange 3 tablespoons butter over the onions, top the pan with gruyere. Broil 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melty. 4. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Mix in the reserved mushrooms and any liquid left in the pot. Add the cream and parmesan.5. Serve the chicken and onions over the orzo. YUMMM!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was really delicious prepared on the stovetop. I added about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire when I added the broth and wine.
Hey Kelly,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, I’m so happy it worked for you! Have the best week!
Such a great easy recipe!! For anyone hesitating to try because of the step of broiling the cheese on the chicken and onions at the end- it’s SO easy!! My whole family loved! Just a side note.. the white white I bought, the seal was compromised and I subbed in just more broth and it still turned out great!
Hey Jenna,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you! Have the best Sunday!
Followed the stove top recipe, totally disappointed. The onions never caramelized even after a half hour, the chicken was basically boiled in wine/chicken broth and the orzo was still hard. Love HBH! So sad this one didn’t work out
Hi Kaitlin,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m very sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you!
Instructions do not equal results. I’ve had my onions on high for six hours and they are not caramelized and still have a crunch to them. The seasoning included isn’t enough for the recipe. Overall would NOT recommend.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Amazing! Just made this for my family and friends and it received fantastic feedback! I cut the chicken breasts into tenderloin size before cooking (easier for the kids) and subbed the white wine with 1/2 c water, 1/2c extra broth, and half a lemon worth of juice. Replaced the acidity from the wine well and was a little more appealing for my toddler. I ended up with the perfect amount of liquid for the orzo. This is definitely going to be in the rotation from now on.
Hey Alexandra,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family, thanks so much for making it!
Have a great weekend!
This looks so good but I typically don’t like eating chicken breasts whole (usually I eat meatballs or shredded chicken). Would there be a way to make this so that I could do it with shredded chicken instead?
Hi Katilynn,
Sure, you could remove the chicken before serve and shred then finish the dish!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Reposting this because I forgot to rate the recipe.
This was delicious! I followed the directions except I broiled the onions with butter for about 8 minutes first and then added the chicken and cheese and broiled it again. I did cut up the chicken breasts into smaller pieces so they cooked thoroughly. I bought smoke Gruyère cheese by mistake but I think it added a little extra flavor. Orzo came out creamy and perfect. We loved it!
Hey Donna,
I’m grateful you tried this recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out!
A big HBH fan and most of the time recipes are fantastic but this missed the mark for me. Agree with another user about too much fluid. Had to remove about a cup of fluid after orzo cooked and before adding cream and parm. Also used two large onions instead of 3-4 as listed yet they still were uncooked despite over 4 hrs in crock pot. Could just be old crock pot.
Hi Anna,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and so many others, so sorry to hear this dish was not enjoyed!
Made this for dinner tonight and my husband loved it! The flavors in this recipe are chefs kiss!! So freaking good!
Hey Emily,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your notes, so glad it was a winner!
Unfortunately this recipe was a total flop for me. I don’t know where I went wrong, followed the recipe to a T. There’s so much liquid in the crockpot from the wine and the chicken broth, plus what ever moisture the mushrooms release, was I supposed to dump out this liquid before making the orzo? ‘Cause my orzo was far from creamy. Super unfortunate because this looked amazing
Hi Sheela,
So very sorry to hear this! No, you do not need to remove the liquid. I’m surprised you had too much liquid. Again, sorry this did not turn out!
Can this be made in instapot?
Hi Haley,
So sorry, I have not tested this in the instant pot, so I do not have those exact instructions. I would use the stove top method for quicker cooking. I hope this helps!
Flavor was delicious but it needed more time in my crockpot. Onions were not soft at all and chicken could have even been a little more tender. Also, I’m lactose intolerant so I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream, Jarlsberg instead of Gruyère, and Romano instead of Parm! Will definitely make again but will cook longer in the crockpot.
Thanks so much, Paris! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe and that you will make again:) Have a great Thursday!
If I wanted to make this without the chicken would I use the same measurements of the other ingredients?
Hi Steph,
So sorry, I have not tried this dish without the chicken. I would probably keep everything the same for good measure. Let me know how it turns out!
What’s a good gluten free substitute for the orzo for this dish?
Hi Margaux,
Risotto is a nice alternative to the orzo for this dish. Please let me know if you have any other questions!