When you combine chicken and French onion soup you get the best of both worlds, French Onion Soup Chicken. The tender chicken breasts are simmered in a rich French onion soup, cooked low and slow in the crock pot and then covered with Gruyere cheese. Eat it like soup or French onion chicken bake, either way it will be delicious!
Hearty, comforting and delicious, you really can’t go wrong with this Crockpot French Onion Chicken. It’s the perfect meal for a fall or winter day. With just a few minutes of prep in the morning you can come home to the amazing aroma of a freshly cooked meal ready for the table.
Author’s Note
Years ago, when I first developed my French onion soup recipe, I was the only one in my house excited about eating a bowl full of onion soup. Everyone else politely passed. More for for me, I guess!
Fast forward a few years, and something shifted. As my kids got older, they became more curious, more adventurous, and genuinely excited to try new flavors. That’s when recipes like this Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken started to make sense, followed later by this Cider Braised French Onion Chicken, too.
Now these dishes live not only on my site, but also back on our table, enjoyed by everyone. It still makes me smile how food has a way of coming full circle, sometimes all it needs is a little time (and a lot of onions).
French Onion flavors you’ll love
Ingredients Notes
- Chicken breasts – Bone-in chicken breasts will give you the best depth of flavor and stay extra juicy in the slow cooker, but boneless chicken breasts work well too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Olive oil – Extra-virgin olive oil adds great flavor, but any olive oil (or neutral cooking oil) will work here.
- Butter – Both salted and unsalted butter are fine. If using salted butter, just be mindful when seasoning later.
- Onions – White onions, sliced lengthwise, are ideal for classic French onion flavor. Yellow onions are a great substitute, and sweet onions will work if you prefer a milder, slightly sweeter result.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic (minced or thinly sliced) gives the best flavor, but jarred garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Chicken broth – Low-sodium chicken broth is recommended so you can control the salt as the dish cooks. Vegetable broth or chicken bouillon can be used instead.
- White wine – Any dry white wine works well and adds a subtle fruity acidity. If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can substitute additional broth with a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for balance.
- Brown sugar – A small amount of brown sugar helps balance and caramelize the savory onions. Coconut sugar works as a great alternative, and often times that’s all I have on hand.
- Gruyère cheese – Gruyère is a classic French choice and melts beautifully. Swiss cheese or provolone can be used as substitutes if needed.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste, keeping in mind the saltiness of your broth and cheese.
- Thyme – Fresh thyme adds a lovely finishing touch and classic French onion flavor. Dried thyme can be used if needed (use about ⅓ of the amount).
How To Make French Onion Chicken (Slow Cooker)
- Step 1: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Step 2: Brown the chicken in the slow cooker, if your model has this option. If not, brown the chicken on the stove and transfer it to a plate.
- Step 3: Once chicken is done browning, keep the browning function on and melt the butter and then add in the onion. Cover the slow cooker and let the onion cook for 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Once the onion is done, add the garlic and brown sugar to caramelize the onion. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Step 5: Deglaze the caramelized onions with white wine and allow the wine to reduce.
- Step 6: Stir in broth, season with salt, pepper and add a small bunch of fresh thyme.
- Step 7: Place the chicken back into the pot, cover and cook on high for 3 hours and low for 5 hours.
- Step 8: A few minutes before the time is up, add the shredded Gruyère cheese and cover until the cheese has melted. Alternatively, you can transfer the chicken to a sheet pan, add the cheese, and broil in the oven to give the chicken a crust-like cheesy texture.
- Step 9: Garnish with fresh thyme and serve in a bowl with a scoop of the French onion soup and serve with a baguette or crusty bread.
What to serve with French Onion Soup Chicken
Pair this French onion chicken with your favorite baguette or one of these amazing bread recipes; No Knead Artisan Bread, Quick Sandwich Bread or these French Bread Dinner Rolls.
We also love adding a side of fresh greens to balance out the richness of the onion soup. This green salad with Brussels and kale is excellent paired with chicken onion soup or this kale pomegranate salad.
Now if you are looking to indulge (nothing wrong with that!) this garlicky mashed potatoes is all you need!
Silvia’s tips for the best french onion chicken
1. Don’t rush the onions
The onions are the heart of this dish. Slicing them lengthwise helps them soften and caramelize evenly as they cook, building that deep French onion flavor without extra steps.
2. Bone-in chicken gives the richest flavor
If you have the option, bone-in chicken breasts add more depth and stay juicier in the slow cooker. Boneless works well too just keep an eye on cooking time.
3. Go easy on the salt at first
Between the broth, cheese, and slow cooking, flavors concentrate over time. Start light on salt and adjust at the end for the best balance.
4. A splash of wine goes a long way
You don’t need anything fancy, just a dry white wine to lift the richness of the onions. If skipping wine, add a small splash of acidity at the end to brighten the dish.
5. Finish with fresh thyme
Fresh thyme at the end makes all the difference. It adds aroma and a clean finish that keeps the dish from feeling too heavy.
FAQs
Yes, you can make French onion chicken bake in the oven instead of the crockpot. To do so, place the ingredients in a Dutch oven and check for doneness at around 30-40 minutes. Cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want to use frozen chicken, thaw it overnight in the fridge before preparing this recipe.
While browning is not required to cook the chicken it is recommended. Browning adds a nice crisp texture and will enhance the taste.
This recipe will still work with boneless breasts though bone in breast may have more flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
If you like to meal prep and have a few meals ready to go in the fridge, you can prep this dish and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can store the soup with the chicken or transfer it to a mason jar.
Leftovers can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze individual portions so you can easily pull out one meal at a time. You can freeze the chicken with the soup or freeze it separately.
✨ NOTE: adjust the broth according to what you prefer, if want a French Onion Soup with Chicken served in a bowl with toasted baguette, add more broth. Alternatively if you want more like a French Onion Chicken Bake, reduce the broth or finish the dish off in the oven, in a baking dish.
More chicken options to rotate your meals? Try these next…
- Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken
- Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs
French Onion Chicken (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 bone-in chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 medium onions sliced lengthwise
- 3 cloves garlic minced or sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp brown or coconut sugar
- 6 oz gruyère cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside
- Turn on browning mode in your slow cooker (if available, otherwise do this step on stove). Heat oil and add chicken skin side down and sauté for 4-5 minutes until chicken skin is golden brown. Repeat on other side (total 10-12 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Keep slow cooker in browning/ sauté mode and melt the butter. Then add in onion, stir. Cover the slow cooker and let the onion cook down for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes add garlic and brown sugar, stir well. This will help the caramelization of the onion. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Deglaze the caramelized onions with white wine. Allow wine to reduce (about 5 minutes)
- Stir in broth, season with salt, pepper. Add a small bunch of fresh thyme. Transfer the chicken back into the pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours and low for 5 hours.
- Just before the time is up add shredded gruyère cheese on top of the chicken and cover it back up until cheese has melted. Alternatively you can transfer chicken to a sheet pan, add the cheese and broil in oven for a couple minutes to give the chicken a crust-like cheesy texture.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve in a bowl with a scoop of the French onion soup and serve with a baguette or crusty bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It sounds delicious, but there are way too many steps!! Can’t you create a dump and go recipe for the crockpot?
Hi Kim! by all means you could dump the ingredients and let it cook, however the texture and flavor won’t quite be the same. For instance the onions won’t be golden and caramelized but they will be nicely cooked. Try out both ways and see if you find that’s worth the extra effort.