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This easy Crockpot French Onion Chicken is an ultra-flavorful recipe that’s perfect for meal prep and packed with nutrients. A high protein, incredibly flavorful, hands-off dinner that’s ready when you are! If you are in the mood for more crockpot chicken dishes, you will love this White Chicken Chili recipe.
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Why you’ll love this Crockpot French Onion Chicken recipe
- Full of Nutrients: This French onion crockpot chicken recipe contains ingredients like caramelized onions that contain fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. When cooked low and slow, they become perfectly sweet and savory. Paired with tender chicken and a hint of thyme, this dish is simply melt-in-your-mouth YUM! Onions are also rich in vitamins C and B6, and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Onions are a natural source of prebiotics, specifically inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which feed beneficial gut bacteria and support digestive health. Find out more about prebiotics in the post Prebiotics: What You Need To Know.
- Hands Off Cooking: The slow cooker French onion method consists of low and slow temperature, which creates a perfect environment for onions to release their natural sugars gradually and evenly. Over several hours, they gently soften and turn perfectly golden brown. Just set the slow cooker and let the onions create a rich, deep, incredible flavor while you’re doing other things!
- Big Flavor: French onion chicken in the slow cooker delivers that deep, savory-sweet flavor without needing to babysit a skillet. Just toss your sliced onions in the crockpot on top of the chicken, set it, and forget it. The result? Golden tender, caramel-kissed onions that elevate regular ole’ crockpot chicken to something truly special.
Plus, the slow cooker does most of the work for you, making this a perfect recipe for busy weeknights or meal prep for the week ahead.
Ingredients
The ingredients that work together to make this Crockpot French Onion Chicken recipe healthy and delicious are the following:
- 2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 3 or 4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsps homemade Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsps high-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dried or fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup beef or chicken bone broth
- 2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped, optional for garnish
Slurry to thicken the sauce:
- 2 Tbsps arrowroot powder (or gluten-free flour, or cornstarch)
- 3 Tbsps water or bone broth
How to Make Crockpot French Onion Chicken
Step 1. Add the chicken, sliced onions, garlic, Worcestershire, balsamic, and all the seasonings to the crock pot, then pour in the broth and stir to combine.
Step 2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees f.
Step 3. Remove bay leaves, then using two forks, gently shred your chicken a little bit. Return the shredded chicken to your onion sauce.
Step 4. Whisk the arrowroot (or flour/cornstarch) with your water or bone broth until smooth to create a slurry.
Stir in your slurry the last 10 minutes of cooking to help thicken up the
sauce.
Garnish this delicious chicken dish with French onion sauce with fresh parsley, and serve it over mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, quinoa, or brown rice. Enjoy a comforting, healthy dinner that’s sure to become a staple.
Recipe Tips and Variations
For a faster option, you can also make this recipe in a Dutch oven or Stockpot. Here are the instructions:
This can be prepared in a heavy-bottom Dutch oven on the stove-top. Following the Crockpot instructions above, add everything to your pot. Simmer on the stove-top on LOW for about 1-1/2 hours or just until the chicken is falling apart. Add slurry for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
Serving Suggestions for Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
This crockpot chicken made with French onions is perfect on its own or served with some of my favorite sides like:
- Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Parsnip Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Cauliflower Garlic Roasted Chickpeas
- Easy Roasted Vegetables
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
- Refrigerator: This crockpot French onion chicken recipe will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: If you plan to freeze this recipe, use an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: To reheat, I suggest using a microwave and heating it until warmed through.
Looking for a new slow cooker? This is what I have on my wish list :0:
Recipe FAQ’s
Is this French Onion Chicken Recipe gluten-free?
This recipe is gluten-free as long as you’re using arrowroot powder (which is naturally gluten-free), gluten-free cornstarch (some cornstarch contains trace amounts of gluten), or gluten-free flour. Alternatively, you may decide to skip the slurry/thickener altogether which is still delicious but a thinner sauce.
Can you put raw chicken straight into a slow cooker?
Yeah, you can put raw chicken straight into a slow cooker. In fact, it’s a common way to cook chicken in a crockpot. Just make sure to follow safe food handling guidelines and cook the chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165°F to ensure food safety.
Can raw onions go in a slow cooker?
Raw onions can definitely go directly in your slow cooker, and it’s actually a great way to caramelize them and bring out their natural sweetness. They’ll cook down and blend into the dish beautifully over time.
Can I use flour to thicken the French onion sauce?
Yes flour works great as a thickener to create a slurry when whisked together with a liquid like water or bone broth until it’s smooth. I highly recommend using organic flour, and gluten-free if you’d prefer to avoid gluten.
Does frozen chicken work in this recipe?
It’s generally not recommended to put frozen chicken directly in the crockpot. The USDA recommends thawing frozen chicken before cooking it in a slow cooker to ensure food safety.
Frozen chicken can take a long time to thaw and cook through, which can lead to foodborne illness. It’s best to thaw the chicken first, then add it to the crockpot.
If you’re short on time, you can thaw chicken quickly by submerging it in cold water or microwaving it according to the defrost setting. Once thawed, you’re good to go!
What is the best cheese to add to French Onion chicken?
OK everybody is asking! Yes! You can top your dish with cheese if desired. Swiss or Gruyère cheese are great choices for your French Onion Chicken. They melt well and complement the caramelized onions and chicken nicely. You could also try Mozzarella, Provolone, or even a blend of cheeses for added creaminess. I think a light sprinkle of parmesan would also work well here.
Looking for more delicious chicken dishes? Then you should try one of these other delicious choices, Chicken Lettuce Wraps , Watermelon Chicken Salad, or Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken.
Easy Crock Pot French Onion Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 3 or 4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsps Homemade Worcestershire sauce , https://cleanfoodcrush.com/homemade-worcestershire-sauce/
- 2 tsps high quality balsamic vinegar , https://amzn.to/4aor6Mh
- 1 Tbsp dried or fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup beef or chicken bone broth , https://cleanfoodcrush.com/homemade-roasted-beef-bone-broth/
- 2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped optional for garnish
Slurry to thicken the sauce:
- 2 Tbsps arrowroot powder, (substitute gluten-free flour, or cornstarch)
- 3 Tbsps water or bone broth
Instructions
- Add chicken to your slow cooker.
- Add the sliced onions, garlic, Worcestershire, balsamic, and all the seasonings.
- Pour in the bone broth.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- I cooked this on LOW for 7 hours and my chicken was falling apart.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Using two forks, gently shred your chicken a little bit. Return the shredded chicken to your onion sauce.
- Whisk the arrowroot (or flour/cornstarch) with your water or bone broth until smooth to create a slurry.
- Stir in your slurry the last 10 minutes of cooking to help thicken up the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, quinoa, or brown rice.
