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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
I would not follow the crockpot recipe especially putting orzo in the crockpot. It became gummy!! It is a good recipe if you do it on the stove/oven or tweak it. Suggest taking down this recipe and redoing it.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Jennifer. I’m so sorry to hear the crockpot version didn’t turn out for you.
I wish I would have looked at the comments first. I agree that the crockpot directions did not turn out great. My chicken was not cooked to temp yet and the orzo needed more time to get to al dente. I ended up cooking the chicken in a pan before transferring to the oven, which worked. The flavors were delicious, but the method was a bust. I’ll have to give the stovetop directions a try next time.
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Meghan. I hope you will try the stovetop version! Let me know how that turns out for you!
Not good. No one in my family could eat it. The orzo turned out so sweet which was very unappetizing. Way too many onions and they were soft and limp, again unappetizing. So disappointed as the ingredients were relatively expensive and were wasted.
Hi Alyssa,
So very sorry to hear this. Thanks for trying the recipe and your feedback. My apologies.
Delicious! My modifications were that I only used one onion and caramelized them while the orzo was cooking, left out the mushrooms, and made sautéed green beans on the side.
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a hit! xxT
It turned out awful, receive was followed exactly
Hi Valeri,
So sorry to hear this. What was wrong with it? Is there anything that I can help with? Please let me know! xx
Part of the issue just reading this off the bat is it will likely take you 20-30 min at minimum to cwramelize your onions. On too planet at no altitude will it take 10 min. But in general HBH’s flavor combos are second to none and I can’t wait to try this tomorrow night!
Also I would brown the chicken in this mixture and then put them in the oven to finish. That’s why the water ratios aren’t right.
Hi Cori,
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I hope this recipe turns out nicely for you! Happy Holidays! xx
Made this for Sunday dinner and the flavors were delicious! I did use beef stock instead of chicken broth, used 2 sweet and 2 yellow onions and didn’t add the water when adding the Orzo. Next time, I would cut the onions in half and double the orzo for a better ratio.
Hey Lindsay,
Happy Fall Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
No resemblance to a French onion soup.
The chicken cooked well, and the herbs left a good flavor.
Besides that, this recipe is a big miss.
There were far too many onions – or maybe it just seemed that way because they didn’t caramelize in the crockpot or the oven. The orzo was way too liquidy.
Really wish this had the richness and depth of flavor of a French onion soup. It’s a good idea but the technique isn’t there.
The recipe should have been a hint. Onions won’t caramelize if they are soaking in liquid. Crockpot caramelized onion recipes typically take 8+ hrs with no added liquids.
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! x
Hi I noticed on the tik tok video you used a red spice but don’t see it listed here.
Hey Vanessa,
My guess is it was a touch of paprika, you do not need to use that and can follow this recipe as written. Please let me know if you give this dish a try! xT
I will say…the crockpot did not need to be used in this recipe. This can all be made on the stovetop in a large skillet/pan with a lid.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Alexandra!!
I’ve made many of Tieghan’s recipes and they are all rich and yummy. After reading the reviews on this recipe, I made a few changes. I made the crockpot version and it was delicious. I cooked the recipe two hours on high. I pulled chicken and onions out. I put the onions in a skillet with the 3 tablespoons of butter. I sauced them while the orzo cooked in the crockpot. I added no water when adding the orzo.
There was still plenty of liquid in the crockpot. I upped the seasoning ingredients but didn’t measure.Everything else was exactly as recipe stated. It turned out wonderful.
Hey Shannon,
Thanks so much for making so many recipes! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for sharing your notes! Have a great fall weekend! xT
To anyone cooking stove top with consistency issues —
Cook the orzo in the pot with the chicken broth/wine liquid. Remove the chicken and onions, add the orzo right in with broth and mushrooms. Consistency came perfect!
Amazing recipe, especially as we approach fall and winter temperatures!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Erica! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed! I appreciate you making it! xT
Your recipes never disappoint! So delish! I ended up cooking the orzo on the stovetop cause it was quicker for me, but very good! Will def make this again!
Hey Marissa,
Happy Fall Thursday!
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! XxT
Amazing! So flavorful and filling. I felt like this recipe was super easy and easy to follow. My boyfriend gave it a 10/10 and mentioned there’s nothing he would change! Curious if we could make the same base but change the protein to shrimp for a switch up sometime. Thoughts?
Hey Summyr,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Glad to hear it was enjoyed. So sorry, I have never tried shrimp with this, it could work but it’s going to cook much faster than the chicken. Have a great week! x
I just made this tonight (stovetop way) and it turned out delicious!! Made as written but carmelized my onions a bit longer at the beginning. I was surprised to see all of the negative comments. Will definitely be making this again!
Hey Annie,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great week! x
The white wine and sage combo is splendid. And I could take a nap in that cheesy orzo. 🙂 This was a delicious fall dinner and I can’t wait for leftovers tonight. Thanks, TG!
Thanks so much, Aimee! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend:) xT