French Onion Chicken {Instant Pot Recipe}

French onion chicken tastes delicious and it is so easy to prepare. Here is how to make this family favorite.

These delicious, tender chicken breasts are easy to make, totally filling, work well for a low-carb diet, and taste positively wonderful. It’s a great option for dinner tonight!

What Is French Onion Chicken?

French onion chicken is just what it sounds like. Chicken cooked with French onion soup. But the good news is, you don’t have to make the soup first. You just put everything together in your Instant Pot, and let it do its job! Easy!

What Do You Serve With French Onion Chicken?

If you want to round out the meal, here are a few ideas.

• A side of steamed veggies.
• A side of pasta salad
• A side of brown rice
• A side of crusty garlic bread
• A side of mashed potatoes

Recipe Variations

While French onion soup leaves little room for variations, you can play around with this a bit by changing the cheese you use. Try swiss cheese, gruyere cheese, or even parmesan cheese in place of the mozzarella cheese called for in the recipe below. You can also add a little black pepper for some kick.

Can You Make This On The Stovetop?

You can! You’ll want to make this in a stockpot, soup pot, or large skillet. Sauté the onions in the pot or pan, and add the ingredients as stated in the recipe. 

Then place the chicken in as well, and place a lid over the top. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

If you are making it in a skillet or want to cook the broth down to get more of a glaze than a soup or sauce, you don’t have to use a lid. The broth will evaporate more. So you can either add more broth, or end up with more of a glaze, which would be equally delicious. In fact, you can even cut down on the amount of broth used if you go this route. Start with 1 cup instead of 2. You can always add more if needed for extra sauce or glaze. To cook down the broth more, keep the heat at a medium-high heat.

Either way, you’ll want to make sure you still use the arrowroot slurry. Particularly if you want to end up with more of a glaze.

Can This Be Made In A Slow Cooker?

Yes it can! You’ll want to sauté the onions in a skillet first. Then transfer everything (except the starch slurry) to a slow cooker, and cook for approximately 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Once finished, you’ll want to stir in the slurry while the broth is hot, and serve with melted cheese.

What You’ll Need To Make French Onion Chicken

(Print recipe from recipe card below)

Beef broth – Look for beef broth without any added sugars, dextrose, maltodextrin, or other unwanted ingredients. Bonus points if you make your own at home!

Onions – You’ll want yellow onions.

Balsamic vinegar – This is simply to give the broth some depth of flavor. You can add a little or as much as you like to adjust the flavor.

Oil – Use whatever oil you feel comfortable with. I used coconut oil. Avocado oil is another good choice, as is olive oil. And if you prefer the flavor of butter, you can use that too.

Mozzarella – Use as much or as little as you like.

Boneless skinless chicken breast – You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer. But they may not need to cook as long in the Instant Pot.

Salt – To taste. Salt may be needed depending on the broth you use.

Fresh parsley – This is optional. It makes a tasty garnish. Chop it well.

How To Make French Onion Chicken In An Instant Pot

Peel and cut your onions in half. Then slice into thin slices.

Add the onions to your Instant pot with the oil and sauté until they are caramelized.

Add the broth to the caramelized onions.

Stir in the vinegar.

Then add the chicken.

Secure the lid and close the steam valve. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes for chicken breasts on the thinner side, and 20 minutes for chicken breasts on the thicker side. They are done when they have an internal temperature of at least 165°F. So be sure to check these with a meat thermometer when the cooking time is over. When done, you can do a quick release and remove the lid.

While the chicken cooks, make a slurry by mixing water and starch together until the starch is dissolved.

When the chicken is done, quickly stir the slurry into the hot broth.

Place some of the broth, onions, and chicken in a serving bowl, and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Then ladle more hot onion gravy over the cheese to help it melt. Let it sit for about 2-3 minutes for the cheese to fully melt. Then serve.

How To Store French Onion Chicken

This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

How To Freeze French Onion Chicken

This freezes well! I recommend freezing it without the cheese, but it’s not the end of the world if you freeze it with the cheese on it. You’ll just have to let it thaw on its own in the fridge instead of using a microwave to thaw and reheat.

How To Reheat French Onion Chicken

The microwave is your best bet, although this could technically also be reheated in the Instant Pot, an air fryer, or an oven.

Tools You’ll Need:

For this recipe, you’ll need an Instant Pot, a good cutting board, and a good knife. To get to these items on Amazon, simply click the image. (Affiliate links).

More Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Lentils And Rice
• Instant Pot Texas Cowboy Stew
• Instant Pot Carolina Gold Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
• Instant Pot Chicken Ropa Vieja

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French Onion Chicken Recipe Card + Video