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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
The crockpot instructions were really poorly written and I felt like taking it out to broil was unnecessary effort. I would also recommend spending some time cooking the onions before placing them in the crockpot because they didn’t caramelize for me and I felt like my whole dish was just onion and nothing else came through for it.
Thanks for the input Selma! I appreciate it! xT
This sounds delicious and I’d like to make it tomorrow night in the crockpot, but I have one question I’m not sure about in the directions — when I take out the chicken and onions, are BOTH going into the broiler or just the onions? Thank you!
Please disregard, I found my answer higher up above the directions! Looking forward to giving this a try, thank you!
How is this gluten free if you use orzo? Did I miss a substitution?
Made this Sunday night. It was fantastic and had the house smelling wonderfully.
I did sauté the onions before adding them to the crockpot. I had the time to do it, so I figured why not.
My parents ate with my daughter and I. They wanted the recipe, so I have shared Half-Baked Harvest with them.
Hi there! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thank you for giving it a try! xT
Taking the onions & mushrooms out and adding cheese to then further broil them, added nothing but make this dish cold and have to warm the chicken etc up. This step was completely unnecessary. you should leave everything in the crockpot except for the chicken when you cook the orzo (also the directions had plenty of liquid and I had to drain the extra cup of water I added). This was not one of my favorite instructions but the food was good.
Hey Courtney! So sorry about that! Thank you for letting me know! xT
I made the stovetop version and it was one of my favorite recipes I’ve made from you! It was a big hit at my house! I am using left overs for a chicken French dip sandwich and I am so excited.
Hi Ally! Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
I did the stovetop version!
First; I Carmelized the onions using the wine. This took like 45 minutes as carmelizing does despite the instructions saying less.
Instead of adding only 1 cup of stock I did 6 – first to boil the chicken in and then to make the pasta so it was a one pot dish.
Lastly to truly make it a one pot I did it all in a Dutch over so I could broil it in the same pot at the end. I used Swiss because… in this economy?? 😝
It was super yummy!!!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
I am looking forward to trying this recipe and just want to confirm that the recipe calls for thawed chicken. Not frozen; is that correct?
Hi there! Yes, fresh chicken! xT
I made this in the crockpot but my mistake was trying to take it to a friend’s for dinner.
We left it on warm, but the orzo soaks up all liquid and got too thick. We added water and it was fine. You cannot leave this until you are ready to eat it.
But I think if you are not going to eat it as soon as it is done, the stovetop method probably is best. Easier to control, and can plan it to be done right before eating. I used thighs which were great, and added more sage and thyme and pepper to up the seasonings. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Rani! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! Thank you for letting me know! xT
I did the crockpot method. This recipe has potential for sure! The issue with the crockpot version is that by adding everything to the crockpot first and then slow cooking, the onions get soft but do not caramelize like french onion soup does :/ here’s how I think this can be improved to add that element (like I imagine the stovetop could have) :
Cook the onions and all of the butter in the slow cooker for the 3-4 hours (not sure about high or low). Then add the rest on top (except for the cheese and cream) and cook on high 1-2hr. Then broil cheese on top (either on the baking sheet or all together in a ramekin).
This extra cooking time in butter of just the onions (maybe some salt too) is it will allow it to caramelize more and get that deep flavor in French onion soup 😋
Thank you so much for all of this input! Thank you for trying out the recipe! xT
This was amazing! I did the stovetop instead of crockpot. I had to use rice instead of orzo, because I thought I had some in the pantry and actually didn’t. I actually didn’t use the broiler and just let the cheese melt with the kid on. It was seriously a 10/10.
Thank you! So glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe! xT
This was tasty. Chicken was a little dry and bland. Pasta was very flavorful. I didn’t love how you have to use the broiler. I was hoping for a one-pot crockpot meal.
Thanks for letting me know Brynne! xT
Could you use red wine instead of white?
Hi Emily! I haven’t ever tried red wine with this before, so sorry! xT
I made the stove top version – it was delicious! I am not good at adding the right amount of salt. I always underseason when a recipe doesn’t give an exact amount. Can you ballpark about how much you add to this dish when cooking? 1/2 tsp? 1 tsp? I know it’s personal preference, but I’d love to know!
Hi Sara! Yeah, it’s definitely personal preference but I would start out with 1 tsp and add more from there! xT
My goodness! Lovely! Delicious, flavorful, and oh-so-yummy! I’m wondering if that recipe could be made in the Instapot. I made it stove-top in my Dutch oven, deboned the chicken thighs, and threw them in the pot for added flavor, but I cooked the chicken a little longer. Tieghan, you amaze me with your coming up with highly creative recipes.
Wow! Thank you so much! so glad you loved the flavors in this recipe! xT
I made the crockpot version and it was delicious! I certainly will put this on rotation!