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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!
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on September 27, 2023
This was good! I made it in the crockpot. Cooked 4 hours on low. Similar to other comments, the additional cup of water was not needed. I would only add 3 yellow onions, and I would cook in the crockpot a bit longer (the onions were still a little crunchy).
All in all, it was delicious!
Thank you sooo much for trying out the recipe! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
I want to make this…, sounds delicious. Can you use chicken with skin-on, bone-in?
Hi there! Yes, that should be fine but you’ll likely have to increase the cooking time! xT
Delicious! Made a few modifications. Cooked on stovetop and I didn’t have fontina cheese. Followed directions but did not broil chicken kept in pot cooked orzo with chicken. Shredded chicken and added 1 cup parm cheese with cream and mixed.
Thank you for trying out the recipe! Have a great week! xT
I am making this right now. I assume I am leaving the mushrooms in the crock pot with the orzo? and what about the cream and parmesan??
Could you adapt this for an instant pot version?
Instapot directions ?
I made this in the crockpot last week and it was a hit! I followed directions as written except I caramelized the onions in a sauté pan for 20 minutes to give them color and added a dash of balsamic vinegar. Cooked mushrooms in sauté pan with butter. Then everything went in to the crockpot. I was skeptical that the orzo would cook properly but it did and meal was delicious.
Hi Susan! Thank you so so much! Hope you’re having a great fall season! 🙂 xT
We really enjoyed this recipe! I could tell it wasn’t going to be actual soup due to it having orzo, but just keep that in mind in case you thought it was French onion soup. I cooked mine in the crockpot so can only attest to those instructions, but will say the instructions called for adding a cup of water to the crockpot when you cook the orzo. However, there was still plenty of liquid in there (the wine and broth from cooking the chicken) so I didn’t add any water and it was perfect. Keep that in mind! I kept an eye on the orzo as it cooked just in case, but never needed to add any water.
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Hope you enjoyed! xT
I followed your directions to a T.
Except I did not add the extra water. This was delicious! Would not change a thing.😊
I think this is a crowd pleaser for picky palettes, but I wouldn’t add so much onion next time. I left in slow cooker on low for 5 hours and the onions weren’t totally soft. I felt like the end dish was all onion! But to each their own. I would probably do one small yellow onion next time. The gruyere was delicious, I love trying different cheeses in these recipes!
Thank you for letting me know Ashleigh! xT
So I’m making this right now- slow cooker version. I went into the comments for clarification about the broiling- removed chicken and onions. Do they both go under the broiler? Just the onions? Not clear, but maybe only to me?
Hi there! Yes, they both go under the broiler! xT
I making this in my Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting and when I opened the lid after the 2 hr cook time on high the chicken wasn’t cooked through and the mushrooms were still on top not cooked, onions not fully softened. I put the lid back on and added more time (another hour). Is this right? What did I do wrong?
It smells great. I’ll have to save it for tomorrow as it’s already 6:30 pm but am not loosing hope on it.
I finished this off on the stove top the next evening. Strained out the chix and onions and cooked orzo in the remaining broth – this turned out good. The chix & onions under the broiler turned dry (I used breast) and meat was tough to me. Husband liked it but I prob won’t make this one again.
Thanks for the feedback Jenny, I’m sorry this didn’t turn out the way you hoped! xT
Delicious! We loved it, a great twist from french onion soup.
Thank you so so much! 🙂 xT
This recipe is yummy and super flavorful! I would recommend making it on the stovetop and caramelizing the onions first.
Thank you so much Casey! xT
Dear Tieghan,
I have this recipe cooking in the crock pot right now, and it smells wonderful. Also, thank you for inspiring me and my family with this and your other wonderful recipes. My family members look forward to dinner time, with thanks to your thoughtful ideas. Your talent has been much appreciated!
Penny
Awww thank you Penny! So glad you’re enjoying these recipes! xT
I always appreciate you including stovetop directions for slow cooker recipes, but in this case I think they missed the mark. I had to cook that very large amount of onions far longer than 10 minutes to soften them (which was fine), but it was literally impossible to separate them from the mushrooms to put on a baking sheet (so everything had to go under the broiler, also OK). But the worst part was putting “any liquid left in the pot” into the cooked orzo (which I did in reverse, but same difference) — there were still some two cups of broth and wine in the pot since it had been simmered with the cover on, plus then adding a half cup of cream, making for incredibly watery orzo (that I simply couldn’t eat). I usually love your great recipes, but sadly this one just didn’t turn out well.
Hi Helen! Thank you so much for the feedback! I appreciate it! xT