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Creamy French onion chicken with mushrooms and orzo pasta, garnished with fresh parsley, served on rustic plate, cozy comfort food.

Creamy French Onion Chicken Orzo (Crockpot & Stovetop)

This versatile recipe offers two methods, slow cooker or stovetop, for a comforting and rich creamy French onion chicken and orzo dish. Tender chicken is cooked with sweet onions, savory herbs, and mushrooms, then served over creamy orzo pasta with melted Gruyere cheese.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 750
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 3-4 yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups dry orzo pasta
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Equipment

  • Large soup pot
  • broiler
  • Baking sheet

Method
 

Stovetop Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, sauté onions with 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, thyme, sage, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper, then pour in wine, broth, and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the cooked chicken and most of the onions from the pot and arrange them on a baking sheet.
  3. Dot the onions with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and top with shredded Gruyere cheese. Broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  4. While the chicken broils, cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, mix the orzo with any reserved mushrooms and liquid from the pot, then stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese.
  5. Serve the broiled chicken and cheesy onions immediately over the creamy orzo.

Notes

This recipe offers a convenient Crockpot option for a longer, hands-off cooking experience (cook low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours) as an alternative to the quicker stovetop method. Both cooking styles conclude with a broiler step to achieve perfectly melted Gruyere cheese.