Cheesy French Onion Chicken Casserole takes less than 10 minutes to prep and also has less than 10 ingredients! This decadent French onion chicken and rice bake is still one of my most popular and famous recipes. It's a comforting and decadent mashup of French onion soup with roasted chicken!
When I was young, one of my favorite meals my mom made was No Peek Chicken, a one-pan entree that is quick to assemble and one of the best set-it-and-forget-it meals. One night when I made it for my family, after some dinner talk around the table, I knew I could take this dish to the next level!
This French onion chicken rice bake combines two delicious recipes, French onion soup and roast chicken, into a delicious one-pan casserole meal. Better yet, this recipe is great to make ahead or meal prep since it takes 10 minutes to prepare with less than 10 ingredients.
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This next level French Onion Chicken has a depth of flavor that is unmatched. The addition of French onion soup, cheese, and crispy fried onions will leave the family asking “When are we having this again?”
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Magical Combination of Flavors: Chicken and rice with French onion soup were flavors and textures that were meant to be together!
- One Pan Masterpiece: A recipe that mixes together all in one pan and bakes while you can takes care of other tasks is a win!
- Quick Meal to Assemble: Requires minimal prep and takes less than 10 minutes to combine before baking!
- Cozy Comfort Food: This French onion chicken with rice is hearty and filling. The warm, creamy and cheesy texture hits all the cozy senses perfectly!
Ingredients in French Onion Chicken Casserole
Scroll down to see the ingredient amounts in the recipe card.
- Yellow Onion: Adds flavor, texture and healthy nutrients to the casserole.
- French Onion Soup: Contains sweet caramelized onions and a rich broth base that adds savoriness and flavor to the dish.
- Broth: Provides the moisture necessary to cook the rice and chicken as well as provides savory flavors.
- Long Grain Rice (see Frequently Asked Questions below): Soaks up and savory juices of the dish and becomes incredibly tender.
- Butter: Enhances the richness of the rice and adds a slightly creamy texture.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs: Pairs perfectly with the savory flavors of the seasonings and a hearty dose of protein.
- Shredded Cheese: As with any cheesy casserole, this adds a texture and an ooey gooey goodness to the casserole.
- Lipton Onion Soup Mix: Gives this dish an intense savoriness and boost of beefy caramelized onion flavor.
- French’s Crispy Fried Onion: Adds the perfect pop of onion crunch.
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make French Onion Chicken and Rice Bake
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, whisk together sliced onion, French onion soup, broth, and rice.
- Lay the butter slices on top followed by the chicken. Sprinkle evenly cheese and onion soup mix on top.
- Cover the French onion chicken tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil, evenly distribute the fried onion pieces, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
How to Make French Onion Chicken in the Crockpot
See the ingredient steps below for making this recipe in the slow cooker. This makes it the perfect meal to prep while away from home for the day!
- Lower the rice volume to 1 to 1 ¼ cups. Make sure to use rinsed long-grain white rice. Minute rice will be mushy. Other rice varieties might work, but I cannot speak to them.
- Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix before sprinkling on the cheese.
- Cook covered securely with the lid on HIGH for 2-3 hours. As seen in the video, the liquid will completely absorb and rice will be tender but not mushy. Slow cooker times/temps can vary. Use your judgement on your cooking model.
- Sprinkle the Crispy Fried Onions on once the cook-time is complete.
Tips and Substitutions
- It is important that the pan is SECURELY covered with the foil. The steam must be captured in order for the rice to cook properly.
- There are a lot of flavors that come from the cheese, onion soup mix and French onion soup mix. However, you can season the chicken as you prefer.
- Searing the chicken first 1-2 minutes per side in oil in a skillet over high heat is optional. The bake time should be about the same or 5-10 minutes less.
- You can use homemade French onion soup rather than canned if you prefer.
- Swap chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer dark meat, just make sure the chicken comes to the right temperature at 165ºF at the end of baking. The chicken shouldn't be thicker than ½-inch.
- A homemade version of 1 Lipton Onion Soup Mix packet can be used instead of store-bought. Simply combine 2 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion, 4 cubes regular or reduced sodium beef bouillon, crumbled, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Adding the French Fried Onions at the end of baking keeps them crispy! Be sure to follow this step.
What to serve with French Onion Chicken and Rice
French onion chicken bake is such a comforting one-pan easy dinner recipe, I love to serve a simple vegetable recipe on the side. Try my honey roasted carrots, crispy green beans, or easy cooked vegetables for a simple side dish.
If you prefer a side that's a bit more decadent to compliment the richness of the French onion chicken and rice casserole, my prosciutto wrapped asparagus or iceberg wedge salad are both so delicious.
Storage and Freezing
Store French onion chicken casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
It's best to reheat the casserole in the oven at 300ºF for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
While it can be tempting to try different types of rice, be sure to take into account the liquid ratio and the baking time. From personal experience, I have NEVER had uncooked rice at the end of bake time following this exact recipe.
For other types of rice, here are some suggestions:
Brown Rice: needs 5-10 minutes more covered bake time
Minute Rice: needs 5-10 minutes less covered bake time. I have not made it with this rice, but I’ve been given feedback that it works great as well. My mom’s No Peek Chicken had minute rice and a similar baking time and temperature, so I would imagine it works just fine.
Short Grain: not recommended as it becomes too soft and mushy
Did you cover the dish tightly? If not, there wasn’t enough steam to cook the rice properly. Did you change any of the ingredients in the rest of the recipe? If you use fewer/more/different ingredients, I cannot guarantee the same result.
Rinsing or washing rice removes that excess starch, resulting in grains that are more separate when cooked.
The rice can be decreased to 1 cup if desired.
You can use boneless, skinless tenders as well. For the tenders, you’ll likely need 5-10 minutes less covered bake time. The chicken shouldn't be thicker than ½-inch.
You can assemble this dish up to a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. You’ll need to allow the dish to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Yes! Follow these instructions:
1. Lower the rice volume to 1 to 1 ¼ cups. Make sure to use rinsed long-grain white rice. Minute rice will be mushy. Other rice varieties might work, but I cannot speak to them.
2. Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix before sprinkling on the cheese.
3. Cook covered securely with the lid on HIGH for 2-3 hours. As seen in the video, the liquid will completely absorb and the rice will be tender but not mushy. Slow cooker times/temps can vary. Use your judgment on your cooking model.
4. Sprinkle the Crispy Fried Onions on once the cook time is complete.
Be sure to put the fried onions on after the casserole has initially baked just for the final 15 minutes of cooking. This way they will stay nice and crispy.
Combine 2 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion, 4 cubes regular or reduced sodium beef bouillon, crumbled, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Try my honey roasted carrots, crispy green beans, or easy cooked vegetables for a simple side dish.
Try these Other Casserole Recipes:
- Queso Chicken and Rice
- Southwest Queso Chicken and Rice
- Savory Rice Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Casserole Recipe
French Onion Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 10.5 ounces can Campbell’s French Onion Soup
- 14.5 ounces can chicken or beef broth regular or low-sodium
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup butter cut into slices
- 2-2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs ½-inch thick
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese mozzarella or an Italian cheese blend
- 1 ounce packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
- 1 cup French’s Crispy Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To a 13”x9” baking dish, whisk together sliced onion, French onion soup, broth and rice.
- Disperse butter on top followed by the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese and onion soup mix on top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil. Evenly distribute the fried onion pieces on top.
- Bake an additional 15 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, ensure the chicken has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
Video
Notes
1. Lower the rice volume to 1 to 1 ¼ cups. Make sure to use rinsed long-grain white rice. Minute rice will be mushy. Other rice varieties might work, but I cannot speak to them.
2. Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix before sprinkling on the cheese.
3. Cook covered securely with the lid on HIGH for 2-3 hours. As seen in the video, the liquid will completely absorb and rice will be tender but not mushy. Slow cooker times/temps can vary. Use your judgement on your cooking model.
4. Sprinkle the Crispy Fried Onions on once the cook-time is complete.
-
- It is important that the pan is SECURELY covered with the foil. The steam must be captured in order for the rice to cook properly.
- You can use homemade French onion soup rather than canned if you prefer.
- There are a lot of flavors that come from the cheese, onion soup mix and French onion soup. However, you can season the chicken as you prefer.
- Searing the chicken first 1-2 minutes per side in oil in a skillet over high heat is optional. The bake time should be about the same or 5-10 minutes less.
- Swap chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer dark meat, just make sure the chicken comes to the right temperature at 165ºF at the end of baking. It's best if your chicken is ½-inch thick.
- A homemade version of Lipton Onion Soup Mix can be used instead of store-bought. Simply combine 2 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion, 4 cubes regular or reduced sodium beef bouillon, crumbled, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Adding the French Fried Onions at the end of baking keeps them crispy! Be sure to follow this step.
Lindsay
This recipe is so delicious!! It really doesn't take a lot of time either. We have eaten this several times and I have even made it for company. It's always a hit!
Laura Ashley
That makes my heart so happy to hear! THANK YOU!!
Beth
My husband loves french onion soup. I am going to have to make this for him ASAP! It looks so yummy!!!
Laura Ashley
Aww!! Thank you so much! I hope you do and that y'all love it too! It's definitely one of my favorites! 🙂
Rebecca
I found this recipe on TikTok and was excited to make it. I made it exactly as written and it smelled wonderful. However, the flavor was very underwhelming. The chicken was incredibly bland. The rice was just okay. We ended up throwing it away as we had no interest in eating any of the leftovers. We sadly will not be making it again as this wasn’t to our taste.
Laura Ashley
Happy to hear you gave it a try, but sorry it wasn't a hit for you and your family.
Quen
I was very underwhelmed by the lack of flavor also. I was disappointed. However the next day I was surprised...this is one of those dishes that taste better the next day.
Laura Ashley
I'm happy to hear you ended up liking it after all! A leftover WIN! 🙂
Jen
This was fantastic! I was worried that it was not going to be flavorful based on some of the other comments, but I’m so glad that it was. I don’t know what the others did or didn’t do, but this had SO much flavor, really delicious…family approved! Thank you for sharing, Laura. I will definitely be making this again.
Laura Ashley
This makes my heart so happy to read! Thank you so much! I"m so happy you made it and liked it so much! I'm with you...it has SOOO Much flavor 🙂
Cal
I have made this recipe many, many times and it is always a home run. Can’t recommend it enough.
Laura Ashley
That makes my heart so happy to hear! Thank you SO much!!
Shirley
Great recipe!!! Thanks!!
Laura Ashley
You’re very welcome, and thank you so much for making it and for your review too!
Leanne Eaton
This is one of my new favorite recipes! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes with us. We have enjoyed every one that we have tried.
Laura Ashley
This is wonderful! Thank you so much, Leanne! I'm so happy it was a hit and that you've enjoyed all of my recipes too!!
Noel Temple
The dish has amazing flavor but the rice didn’t cook. I cooked it longer and longer and longer and it never cooked.
Laura Ashley
I'm happy to hear you liked the flavor! I have some troubleshoots for uncooked rice results under Tips and Substitutions and under the FAQs. I hope it's perfect next time! 🙂
Kristin
Hi. . excited to try this next week, however, since we don't eat beef, I wouldn't use the Campbell's French Onion Soup - do you think it would affect it greatly if I used 10.5 oz extra of chicken broth?
Thank you
Laura Ashley
That will be a perfect substitution. I hope you love it too!
Olivia Kreisher
Do you think it would be possible to use shredded chicken?
Laura Ashley
I haven't tried making it with pre-cooked chicken. It might begetter to make the rice bake in the oven and then add the cooked chicken afterwards.
Danna Kennedy
Well I made this and it’s amazing ty so much I did add more French onion power that I get from the Amish it’s delicious ty Ty Ty again! I wish I could send pictures
Laura Ashley
YAY!! Thank you SO much!! I'm so happy you made it and liked it! If you'd like to send a picture or a picture in the future, you can email it to dinnerin321@gmail.com or message it to Instagram @dinnerin321 🙂
Misty
This sounds so good! Chicken,french fried onions… sign me up!
Laura Ashley
Thank you so much!! 🙂 You will love it!
Joni
The French Onion Chicken recipe is sooo good!!!! All six of us absolutely loved it, no leftovers at this house!!! I love all the flavors too. Thank you so much!! I now get emails with all your recipes, so nice and convenient.
Laura Ashley
Thank you so much!! 🙂 I'm so happy it was a hit!
Stephanie
This recipe instantly became a staple in our household! I’ve made it several times because it’s SO delicious.
Laura Ashley
Thank you so much!! 🙂 I'm so happy you liked it and that it's a repeat!
Michael
Made this 2 weeks ago. So good, making it again today. I try lots of recipes I find on line, and this is one of the best so far. Retired in 2021 and I make all meals every day. Keeping this one! Thanks. Go Horns!
Laura Ashley
Thank you so much! I'm so happy it was a hit!! 🙂
Sandy
I am going to try this recipe this weekend. I love onions but not a fan of French's fried onions. any other suggestions beside making my own fried onions to go on top!
Thanks!
Laura Ashley
You could add crushed crackers instead 🙂 I hope you love it!
Robin Oday
My family really enjoyed this meal. Thank you for the recipe! Thank you
Laura Ashley
This makes my heart so happy to read! Thank you so much! I"m so happy you made it and liked it so much!
Darlene
I’ve made this exactly as it’s written a few times and also have had to make it with tweaks when I don’t have the right stuff. It’s such a great recipe. My family loves it. It’s easy and flavorful.
Laura Ashley
Thank you SO MUCH, Darlene! It makes my heart so happy to hear that you've made it multiple times and like it so much!!
Monica A.
I searched for a French onion chicken casserole because I love that stick of butter rice recipe with French Onion Soup. This was awesome - my husband loved it (and he is super picky).
Laura Ashley
This makes my heart so happy to heart! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I'm so happy you made this casserole and that it was such a hit with you and your hubby!
Keeryn
I made this and was worried that it wasn’t going to be as good based on some reviews. However, this was amazing!! So easy, only one pot, and delicious!
Laura Ashley
That is AMAZING! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I'm so happy you made it and that it exceeded your expectations!
D David
Easy and taste fantastic! Will be making again!!
Laura Ashley
Aww!🥹You’re so sweet! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I'm so happy you made it and that it was such a hit!