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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.
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!
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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 679 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
Typically you drain orzo before eating. In this recipe, there were no instructions to remove the liquid in the pot before adding orzo. We were to remove most of the onions and all of the chicken. I was left with about 2 1/4 cups of liquid in the pot from broth, wine, and liquid from the onions and chicken while cooking. On top of cooking orzo in all this liquid, we were to add an additional cup of water to cook the orzo, AND add a half cup of heavy cream. I ended up with a pot of liquid, orzo I couldn’t find buried in the liquid, the mushrooms were a waste as I couldn’t find any swimming in all the liquid, and strings of melted parmesan cheese in about 2 3/4 cups of liquid. I don’t understand how onions will brown when they are covered with cheese. This was a hot mess. Certainly couldn’t pour liquid orzo on a dinner plate.
I also tried to cook this on high for two hours in the crock pot, but the chicken/onions weren’t done for me either. I put the chicken in the oven at 375 for the 30 minutes the orzo was cooking and then broiled it for about 10 minutes to make sure it was cooked through. It tasted amazing and the next time I make it, I’ll cut my chicken into smaller pieces and let it cook in the crock pot for longer. Overall it was very good!
Hey Kristen,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your review, so glad it was delish! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
This recipe was amazing! I did my own thing with the recipe, I’m not great a following instructions. I just put the chicken, onions, garlic, wine, mushrooms and broth in a dutch oven cooked for 2 hours then added the orzo cooked 10 min then added cream and cheese.
It smelled amazing and oohh it tasted better. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Alissa,
I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Have a great week! xT
I have tried so many HBH recipes and there have been very few I haven’t enjoyed. This one was a complete miss and followed the recipe exactly. The orzo was starchy and way overcooked. The onions were crunchy and undercooked. I hate to be harsh because I love so many of her recipes but this one was inedible, even my husband couldn’t finish it.
Hi Ashley,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I’m so sorry to hear that this recipe did not turn out well for you. If there is anything that I can help with please let me know! xx
The flavours were amazing! But my onions were still too crunchy which was disappointing I was expecting more a French onion soup vibe
Hi Corie,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed, sorry to hear about your onions! xx
This looks so delish but I can’t have orzo. Do you have any other suggestions for a carb that would work in the crockpot?
Hi Alesha,
Could you use a gluten free mini noodle like stars? I think that would work best here! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Disappointing. Tried the 1-2 hour on high crockpot version — The chicken was raw after 2.5 hours, the onions were crunchy and the orzo took 40 minutes. We “ate” dinner 2 hours late and ended up throwing it away. Waste of time and money. This recipe really missed the mark!
Hi Carolyn,
So very sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out for you! Was your chicken really large? 2.5 hours on high should be plenty of time for it to cook through. Please let me know how I can help! xx
Followed the crockpot recipe to a tea and was very disappointed. It had absolutely no taste and there was way too much liquid.
Hi Allison,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything specific that I can help with! xx
I did it on the stove and it was perfect. I cooked the orzo in the liquid after I removed the chicken and onions. I added a little bit More water through the process of cooking the orzo and I cover it. It turns out super delicious So easy to make
Hey Marie,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xx