Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken


17 Comments


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Five ingredients are all you need to make this delicious slow cooker French onion chicken. Chicken breasts are butterflied before being topped with sliced onion, onion soup, dried onion soup mix, and Swiss cheese. This tender chicken meal is an easy dinner recipe the whole family will love.

Both the Lipton onion canned soup and dry mix can be used to make lots of different types of meals. Try it in my Slow Cooker Lipton Onion Potatoes and Beer and Onion Beef Ribs.

close up of french onion chicken on a spatula.
Save Recipe
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Why this crockpot French onion chicken works

One of the top reasons why this French onion chicken crock pot recipe works is because it only calls for just a few ingredients. Whether you’re looking to save money on the grocery bill or find a meal with a quick meal prep and reasonable cooking time, this is a dish the entire family will enjoy. If you love French Onion Soup, then you will LOVE this chicken dish.

Although it doesn’t take much to put this together, it’s still packed with so much flavor. The crock pot chicken grabs its taste from the onion soup’s rich broth and the creaminess from the melty cheese. Overall, with this recipe, you can have a complete meal on the dinner table in just a few short hours from start to finish.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for french onion chicken on a table with text labels.
  • Chicken Breasts: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can either find thinly sliced chicken or cut the breasts in half for thinner chicken pieces.
  • Onion: A medium sweet yellow onion sliced and slow cooked with the other ingredients not only adds flavor but also provides a little texture with the chicken.
  • Onion Soup: Skip making this homemade and grab a can of Campbell’s French onion soup, or use a brand of your choice.
  • Lipton Onion Dry Soup Mix: This soup mix is found in packet form and has all the added flavors you’ll need for making a delicious meal.
  • Swiss Cheese: You can use the sliced Swiss cheese purchased in the pack or sliced from the deli. Once melted, you’ll have a gooey cheese that takes this baking dish to a new tasty level.

Step-by-Step Directions

Six images showing how to make french onion chicken in a slow cooker.

Step One – Place the butterflied raw chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Step Two – Top the chicken with the sliced onions and soup mix.

Step Three – Pour over the canned soup.

Step Four – Cover and set slow cooker to the LOW heat setting for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Step Five – Top the chicken with the Swiss cheese. Cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes.

Step Six – Serve the Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken over rice or mashed potatoes, spooning some of the onion sauce from the slow cooker over the top. Enjoy!

Cheesy onion chicken in a crockpot.

How to serve

  • Crock pot chicken recipes like this taste amazing with sides like mashed potatoes and French onion gravy, green beans, or even a fresh side salad.
  • You can also serve it on a bed of brown or white rice or pasta noodles or egg noodles for an easy and quick meal.
  • Some people like to add crispy fried onions, extra melty cheese, fresh thyme, caramelized onions, and other fresh herbs on top.
plate of french onion chicken over rice.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

What can I use instead of chicken breasts?

You can use skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if you prefer.

How can I make the chicken more flavorful?

For extra flavor, you can sear the chicken breasts in a skillet before placing them into the slow cooker.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Can I use a different type of cheese?

While swiss cheese adds a delicious flavor for this dish, you can substitute it with other types of cheese like classic gruyere cheese, mozzarella cheese, or provolone.

How do I make this crockpot chicken recipe thicker?

You can use a condensed cream soup such as cream of mushroom.

Can I use different types of onions?

Yes. Sweet yellow onions taste great but you can also use Vidalia onions, Maui onions, red onions, or white onion slices.

French onion chicken over rice in front of a slow cooker.

Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on FacebookInstagramPinterest, Tik Tok, and YouTube.

Cheesy onion chicken in a crockpot.

Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken

4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Butterflied chicken breasts, dry onion soup mix, French onion soup, onions, and Swiss cheese are all you need to make this delicious chicken dinner meal.

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, (find thinly sliced chicken or cut the breasts in half for thinner chicken pieces)
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced
  • 10.6 oz. Campbell's French onion soup
  • 1 oz. Lipton onion soup mix
  • 8 oz. sliced swiss cheese

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Top the chicken with the sliced onions, soup mix, and canned soup.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
  • Top the chicken with the swiss cheese, cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes.
  • Serve the Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken over rice or mashed potatoes, spooning some of the onion sauce from the slow cooker over the top. Enjoy!

How to Video

Sarah’s Notes

  • You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts if you prefer.
  • For extra flavor, you can sear the chicken breasts in a skillet before placing them into the slow cooker.
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
  • While swiss cheese adds a delicious flavor for this dish, you can substitute it with other types of cheese like gruyere or provolone.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 1266mg | Potassium: 1153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 524IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 552mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Other recipes you may like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. Heather says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I always add an extra can of soup and an extra onion soup mix and extra swiss cheese. I put it over egg noodles my family loves it! Today Im making it with a little over 2 pounds of meat, 3 cans of soup a large sweet onion and 2 onion soup mix packs so we can have some left overs since we enjoy it soo much. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

  2. KP says:

    5 stars
    Made this today following the recipe as written including the notes to brown the chicken and onions if you have the time to deepen the flavor. Wow! Itโ€™s a winner. This recipe is going to repeat. Thank you!

  3. Sue says:

    5 stars
    Another excellent recipe. Busy day yesterday, so had no time to fuss with sides. I added a cup of chicken broth, a can of Cream of Chicken soup, baby carrots, and peeled and cut up red potatoes. No other changes. Shredded the chicken, mashed the potatoes with a fork, and sprinkled with basil before serving in soup bowls with warm, buttered buttermilk biscuits. Dinner in a dish. We loved it. The onion flavor was right on. Next up, your recipe for Italian Chicken with Gravy. Looking forward. Thank you.

  4. Sharon says:

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe and this came out delicious. My husband really liked it too. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.

  5. Shannon Sklar says:

    Love your recipes. 1 problem, I live in Amsterdam so some of the ingredients I do not have access to. Is there anything I can substitute the can of onion soup with? They do not have that here. And I really want to make this.
    Thanks so much

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Some beef broth would work well and possibly some dried onions? Unsure what you have there.

      1. Shannon Sklar says:

        Thank you so much. They have both of those here.

  6. Pam says:

    3 stars
    I made this last night – it turned out dry. Followed the directions exactly – what did I do wrong?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I’m unsure, there should be pleny of liquid from the soup and chicken breast. I’m so sorry.

    2. Elaine Williams says:

      I am an experienced cook (40+ years). The problem with dryness comes from using chicken breasts in spite of the amount of liquid used in the recipe. There is no fat. You would better off using either bone in breast or thighs. Boneless skinless chicken breast are very difficult to cook without turning them into hockey pucks. 4-6 hours cooking time for thinly sliced breasts is way long as well.

  7. Aurgus says:

    5 stars
    I made this exactly to your recipe. My wife loves French Onion Soup. Her words, “That is the best thing I have ever eaten.” and she went back for seconds and thirds.

  8. Gerrie says:

    5 stars
    Excellent…I was concerned it would be to salty but it was pleasantly mild. My husband really enjoyed it . I stayed true to the recipe.

    . No additional ingredients added. Perfect as stated . Easy prep !

  9. Richard says:

    5 stars
    This is brilliant! Five ingredients, a cinch to put together, and absolutely delicious. I added another can of soup to keep it moist and some mushrooms for the last hour. Worked perfectly.

  10. Cosette says:

    5 stars
    Love the flavors coming through! This is a great recipe if you have a taste for French onion soup. This was just for me and my husband I might have to double the recipe next time for more people! Will definitely try again ๐Ÿ™‚