French Onion Chicken and Orzo

If you are looking for a one pot french onion chicken and pasta dish, look no further! This french onion chicken and orzo recipe is an amazing one pot meal that you will love! This dish combines the rich flavors of caramelized onions, juicy chicken breast, tender orzo pasta, fresh thyme, and gruyere cheese. If you love the flavors of classic french onion soup, chicken, and pasta this dish is sure to be a winner.

How to make French Onion Chicken Pasta

For this recipe, orzo pasta works best because of how fast it cookes. If you choose larger pasta shapes, it will take longer to cook and then the chicken may end up dry. Orzo, pastina, or something small will work best!

1. Caramelize the onions: A couple of weeks back I posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions. These days I make my caramelized onions in a large batch and then freeze them in silicone containers for each access. Then, when I need them, I take them out, heat them up for about ten minutes and I have amazing freshly caramelized onions whenever I need them. I used 1.5 cups of frozen caramelized onions for this recipe. If you only want to make your onions in a small batch for this recipe, you will need about 2 large onions, 1.5tbsp olive oil, 1.5tbsp of salted butter, plus a pinch of salt. You should cook them on low heat, stirring frequently until they are nice golden brown. Do not let them burn. It will take about 45-50 minutes. Set them aside.
2. Prep the Chicken Breast: While raw, cut the chicken into 1″ pieces. Season the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Heat up a little olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet (4 quarts), and garlic and chicken. Then sear the outside of all of the pieces on medium high heat until you see a golden color on the outside. Do not cook them all the way through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add them to a plate to rest.
3. Add your Onions to the Pan: If you are using frozen onions, cook them for 10 minutes to get some additional color on them. Once they defrost add in you garlic and wine.
4. Add in the Pasta: I chose orzo for this dish because I knew it would cook as fast as my chicken. Mix your orzo around with the wine and onions and gently cook the orzo for about 1 minutes. Then add your salt, broth, and fresh thyme and mix.
5. Add the Chicken Breast back to the pan: Bring the pan to a boil and add your chicken on top of the orzo. No need to mix it yet. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
6. Add Cheese: Once your orzo and chicken are fully cooked, turn off your heat. Stir in your cheese, and add in a little black pepper and fresh thyme according to your preference.

Chicken and Orzo Skillet

I have been really into simple orzo dishes made on the stove top. I have learned that if you cut your chicken small, it cooks in the same amount of time as the orzo, which creates a convenient and delicious weeknight meal. Not to mention, when I use 1lb of orzo, we have enough food to last us for several lunches and dinners. I made my first chicken and orzo skillet when I made this Chicken Parmesan Orzo recipe a couple of months ago, and this time I was ready to try something new. This French Onion Chicken and Orzo combines the flavors of classic french onion soup with savory chicken and pasta.

During the colder months, so many of my recipes include caramelized onions. There is such a comfort that caramelized onions bring. They add depth and complexity to my meals, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. I like to cook them in a large batch in my slow cooker. This saves me a lot of time. While stove top caramelization requires constant attention and can take up valuable time, the slow cooker method allows me to achieve that perfect deep color and flavor without the hassle. If you make a large batch of caramelize onions, you must try this recipe for my french onion chicken and orzo skillet.

French Onion Soup with Chicken and Pasta

This french onion chicken and orzo skillet has all of the flavors of classic french onion soup, but with the added protein of chicken breast, and the added texture of orzo pasta. All of these ingredients are super simple ingredients that come together to create something extraordinary and that can be served as a meal. This is such a cozy meal that be served for a family dinner or a gathering with friends. This dish brings comfort to every bite.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1.5 lbs Chicken Breast cut into 1″ pieces while raw
• 1 tsp Seasoning Salt lawry’s
• 16 oz Orzo
• 1.5 Cups Caramelized Onions I used frozen caramelized onions. If you are making caramelized onions fresh you will need at least two large onions, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp salted butter, and salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup White Wine
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 6 oz Shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese trader joe’s makes a swiss/gruyere blend
• Fresh Thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

Caramelized Onions

• If you are using pre-made caramelized onions, you can ignore this step. I have a great recipe for slow cooker caramelize onions on my blog that you can use if you want to make a large batch of them.
• If you are making your onions fresh, follow this step. Cut your onions in half, and then slice each half into thin thin slices. Add the slices to a pan on medium low heat with 1.5 tablespoon of butter, 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir frequently for about 45 minutes until onions are a deep golden color.

French Onion Chicken and Orzo

• Dice your chicken into 1″ chunks and then coat in the seasoning salt
• In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add your garlic and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and lightly browning the outside of each piece of chicken. Remove Chicken from the pan and set aside.
• If you are using frozen onions, cook them for 10 minutes to get some additional color on them. Once they defrost add in you wine and let it come to a boil.
• Add your your orzo and mix it around with the wine and onions and gently cook the orzo for about 1 minutes. Then add a 1/4 tsp of salt, broth, and fresh thyme and mix.
• Bring the pan to a boil and add your chicken on top of the orzo. No need to mix it yet. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
• Once your orzo and chicken are fully cooked, turn off your heat. Stir in your cheese, and add in a little black pepper and fresh thyme according to your preference.