Tender chicken in a rich, savory sauce topped with gooey, melted cheese? Yes, please!
The best part?
It's all done with just 5 ingredients! This delicious comfort food is incredibly easy to make. Just toss everything into the crockpot and let it work its magic. It’s the perfect solution for busy weeknights and will quickly become a family favorite!
I've been making French onion chicken just this way for decades and, whether it's heading to a church potluck or the family dinner table, everyone always loves it.
Table of Contents
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Hearty and satisfying. I love this recipe! It's so full of mouthwatering onion flavor, just like your favorite French onion soup but with tender, juicy chicken.
- Perfect for busy weeknights. Just throw it all in the
slow cooker and it's ready to go. - Meal prep. Make multiples of this into easy freezer meals. Simply place all the ingredients (except the cheese) into a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months. No need to cook first!
Slow cooker French onion chicken is one of our family's favorite recipes for busy weeknights.
Don't forget some crusty bread to soak up all the flavorful sauce—it's the best part!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Swap boneless chicken thighs for white meat chicken breasts. Dark meat adds extra moisture—yum!
- Have leftover homemade French onion soup? You can definitely use that in place of the can in this recipe.
- Best onions. I love the flavor that sweet onions add to the dish, but you could also use Vidalia, white, or yellow onions. Avoid red in this recipe.
- If you're in the mood, indulge in the more classic Gruyere cheese. Of course, I'm a firm believer in cost-effective ingredients, so we use Swiss instead. Or, in a pinch, you can go for mozzarella cheese.
- Use a mix of Swiss and Gruyere cheese for a richer, more complex flavor.
- Adding a splash of balsamic vinegar can enhance the depth of the onion soup mixture.
- Add some fresh thyme leaves to the top of the crockpot before cooking.
- Enhance the rich broth with a splash of red wine—a good reason to open a bottle up!
- Creamier. For a creamier crockpot French onion chicken, whisk a few teaspoons of cornstarch into the onion soup before cooking. It'll help the sauce thicken a bit more.
- Bake it. Swap the crockpot for a casserole dish. Combine all the ingredients in a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F for around 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Or course, a large chicken breast will need a longer cook time than a thin one.
These French onion pork chops are also really yummy if pork happens to be on sale.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Add boneless skinless chicken breasts and onions to the crock pot.
Cover with onion soup mix and condensed soup.
Cook on the low heat setting for eight hours.
Sprinkle with swiss cheese, cover, and continue to cook until cheese is melted.
No time to cook? Give this easy French onion meatballs recipe a try! We love it and it takes just 20 minutes!
🤫 Cook's secrets -
For an extra layer of flavor, caramelize the onions in a skillet before adding them to the
🍴 Equipment
- slow cooker
- chef's knife
- cutting board
🥫 How to store leftover French onion chicken
Have leftover French onion chicken? No worries!
Refrigerator storage (3-4 days)
Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for three or four days.
Freezer storage (3-4 months)
Place leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for 3-4 months.
Prep ahead & freeze
You can also prep crockpot French onion chicken in advance to make an easy freezer meal. Simply place all the ingredients (except the cheese) into a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months.
Thaw & cook
Let the bag of ingredients thaw in the fridge for a day or so before you plan to make it. Then, when you're ready to cook, empty the bag into your crockpot and go!
Add the cheese as directed in the recipe card below.
Reheat
You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave or heat them in the oven until warm. This is one of those easy recipes that heats up quickly but stays nice and moist!
Marye's Tip
If you've got an extra few minutes, transfer the cheese-topped chicken to an oven-safe dish or large skillet and broil it under high heat. This will give the cheese a toasty, golden-brown, bubbly finish!
💭 Things to know
- You can also use a kitchen torch on the cheese topping instead of broiling it.
- When handling raw chicken, always be careful of cross-contamination. After touching the chicken, wash your hands (and anything that touched the chicken) very well.
- The French onion soup mixture is seasoned well, so the recipe has enough salt already. You don't have to season your chicken before cooking it.
- The meat will be really tender, so you can easily shred it if you want and mix everything together before topping it with the cheese. If it's shredded serve it over mashed potatoes or rice.
- If you don't want to shred the chicken (I prefer not to) you can cut the chicken breasts in half (before cooking them) to make serving easier.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
It's a condensed soup made with hearty beef broth and onions, simmered for optimal flavor. It really makes the difference in this French onion chicken recipe, so I wouldn't recommend swapping it with another stock or broth on its own.
Yes, absolutely! Make sure to trim off excess fat, though.
In theory, you could, but I don't recommend it. Chicken drumsticks only take about 5-6 hours to cook on low, and you'd have to carefully eat around the bones afterward. Slow-cooker French onion chicken is best enjoyed with boneless, fork-tender chicken breasts or thighs.
You could, if you'd like it to be creamy. I don't really recommend it though - this recipe is perfect just the way it is.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Serve with...
Southern Green Beans are tangy, smoky, and totally delicious!
These creamy au gratin potatoes are cheesy, hearty, and definitely a family pleaser. They go great with this meal, too!
Dutch Apple Pie, warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on the top? Yes please!
Add Apple Cider Sangria and you'll feel like you've eaten at a tiny French country inn!
🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
Don't let those leftovers go to waste!
- Shred the chicken and mix with the sauce for a delicious sandwich filling. Serve on a baguette.
- Use the leftovers as a topping for baked potatoes or a pizza base.
- Add beef stock and make a hearty French onion and chicken soup.
📞 The last word
I love this recipe because it just reminds me of crisp fall days and cozy nights! Honestly we love it all year, though.
This French onion chicken, slow cooker chicken parmesan, and the crockpot angel chicken all show up in my meal rotations several times a month!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs
- 1 cup onion, sliced
- 10.5 ounces French onion soup, condensed
- 1 ounce onion soup mix
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken in a single layer.
- Cover with the chopped onions.
- Sprinkle on the onion soup mix and add the condensed French onion soup.
- Cover and set slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
- 30 minutes before you're ready to serve sprinkle on the Swiss cheese. Put the cover back on and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Notes
- When handling raw chicken, always be careful of cross-contamination. After touching the chicken, wash your hands (and anything that touched the chicken) very well.
- The French onion soup mixture is seasoned well, so the recipe has enough salt already. You don't have to season your chicken before cooking it.
- The meat will be really tender, so you can easily shred it if you want and mix everything together before topping it with the cheese.
- If you don't want to shred the chicken (I prefer not to) you can cut the chicken breasts in half (before cooking them) to make serving easier.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published September 8, 2022. Last updated November 13, 2023 for editorial improvements.
A says
Delicious
Lynn says
I love this recipe! I appreciate how fast and simple it is. I'm making it for the third time today!
Cindy says
Makes such a great light meal with salad and bread, but still warm and cozy!
Camden says
I can't believe this French onion chicken crock pot recipe is so easy to throw together!
Alyssa says
I can't wait to try this french onion chicken crock pot recipe! This sounds like a perfect cold weather meal!
Kristen says
My mom always made the soup, but I never would've thought to combine it with chicken! Your french onion chicken slow cooker recipe looks like a fall and winter staple!
Cynthia says
This french onion chicken crock pot recipe is delicious! I'm especially pleased that it only has a 5 minute prep time!
Brittany says
I love French onion soup but it never feels hearty or satisfying enough... your French onion chicken crock pot recipe does!
Lisa says
Very easy to make. Chicken is super tender and flavorful. I used my casserole crock pot to avoid overlapping the chicken. I also used boneless skinless chicken breast. Served with roasted tri color mini potatoes, but any type of potato, rice or egg noodles would work really well.
Marye says
Thanks Lisa - glad you liked it.
Myra says
So easy! The dish was scrumptious and my mother could enjoy it because it was soft and tender. A Win in my book!