Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken with tender chicken thighs, Dijon, and melty Gruyere cheese. An easy weeknight dinner that's great over mashed potatoes.
This Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken is tender chicken thighs cooked in a rich French onion gravy with Dijon and topped with melty Gruyere cheese. It's an easy weeknight dinner that you prep in minutes, and the slow cooker does the rest. We love it served over mashed potatoes to soak up all that gravy.
I love a good slow cooker recipe, and I've been trying to make more that aren't soups. Don't get me wrong, I love soup. The problem is, my kids get sick of it. So I've been leaning toward main dishes cooked in the slow cooker, and this French onion chicken is one of our favorites.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken dinners? Try my Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken. For a slow cooker beef recipe, check out my Slow Cooker Korean Beef or Slow Cooker Beef Chili. And for a one-pot slow cooker meal, try my Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes.
Looking for a slow cooker beef recipe? Check out my Slow Cooker Korean Beef or Slow Cooker Beef Chili.
Check out my Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes for a one-pot slow cooker meal!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Prep - this is one of those "set it and forget it" slow cooker recipes that is so easy to prep.
- Fast - this isn't an all-day slow cooker recipe. To cook the chicken, it takes only 3-4 hours on low to get tender chicken.
- Minimal Ingredients - this French onion chicken dish only requires 5 ingredients!
- Tender Chicken - this is one of those recipes that will be a hit with anyone who tries it. It has the classic French onion flavors combined with moist tender chicken and gooey cheese!
Key Ingredients
Chicken Breasts - I use boneless skinless chicken breast that I pound until they are thin. I find this helps evenly cook the chicken as well as make sure it is cooked through in the slow cooker. I also love using chicken thighs for this recipe.
Yellow Onion - thinly sliced onion adds even more onion flavor and gives the dish some tender onion to bite into.
Condensed French Onion Soup - I like to buy the Pacific Organic brand of French onion soup for this recipe.
Onion Soup Mix - this comes in a packet or a box with two packets and is a mixture of onion soup spices. If you want to make your own, combine 2 teaspoon dried minced onion, 2 tablespoon beef bouillon, ½ teaspoon dried onion powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon celery seed, ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, and ¼ teaspoon paprika. I like to use Simply Organic brand of French onion dip mix.
Swiss Cheese - slices of Swiss cheese are added to the top of the chicken for a cheesy chicken dish.
Variations
Different Cheese - instead of Swiss cheese, you can use a different cheese like Havarti, Gruyere cheese, Provolone, or even slices of Mozzarella would work.
Chicken Thighs - boneless skinless thighs would work great in this recipe. I love thighs in the slow cooker because they stay very tender and moist.
Fresh Herbs - you could definitely add some fresh herbs like fresh thyme to the slow cooker while the chicken is cooking. This will add great flavor to the broth.
Different Onions - if you don't have yellow onions, you can use sweet onions or Vidalia onions.
How to Make Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
Photo 1. Pound the raw chicken breasts so they are an even thickness throughout. Place them on the bottom of your slow cooker.
Photo 2. Top the chicken with the sliced onion.
Photo 3. Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top of the onions.
Photo 4. Pour the French onion soup on top of the soup mix and around the chicken. Add ½ cup of water to the crock pot as well. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Photo 5. Place cheese slices on top of the chicken and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Photo 6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Expert Tips and Serving Suggestions
- If you don't want to wait 30 minutes for the slow cooker to melt the cheese, transfer the chicken to a baking dish and top with the cheese. Bake in an oven at 400 for 5 minutes or broil until the cheese is golden.
- This onion chicken dish is delicious served with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. I love my Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes and Parmesan Brussels Sprouts. Other ideas would be my Parmesan Grilled Zucchini or some simple rice or noodles.
- I have not tried cooking this on high heat. The low heat setting on the slow cooker works well because it cooks it slower. If you want to cook it on high heat, check it after 2 hours.
- Storage - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I have made this with both and they are both delicious. Personally, I prefer the thighs and so do my kids.
Mashed potatoes are our favorite so you can spoon the gravy over the top. Egg noodles or rice work well too, along with a green vegetable like Brussels sprouts or green beans.
Other Chicken Recipes to Consider...
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 10.5 ounces condensed French onion soup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ounce packet French onion soup mix
- ½ cup water
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Place chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and pound them to ½" thickness.
- Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of slow cooker.
- Top with sliced onion. Mix together the dijon, French onion soup, onion soup mix, and water and pour over the onions.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- Top with Swiss cheese and cook for another 30 minutes on low, until the cheese is melted.
- Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
