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Perfectly caramelized onions, tender chunks of chicken, creamy rice, and Swiss cheese make this French Onion Chicken Casserole an easy, flavorful, and cozy dinner the entire family will love.
I am a huge fan of French onion anything, whether it’s classic French onion soup, French onion beef casserole, or French onion grilled cheese. One of my personal favorites is French onion chicken, which is part of my inspiration for today’s recipe. Onions are caramelized in butter and oil and then stirred into a mixture of chicken and rice, before being topped with a very generous amount of Swiss cheese.
Why This French Onion Chicken Casserole Is A Family Favorite
What makes this casserole one of our favorites? Well, there are quite a few things!
- The caramelized onions! This casserole is loaded with onions caramelized in butter and oil. That’s what gives it the “French onion” twist, after all. I even have a few family members who claim to despise onions but love this casserole.
- Super cheesy! There’s an entire 16 ounce block of Swiss cheese in this casserole! I know, I know – that sounds like a LOT, but, in my opinion, it’s just the right amount! I recommend popping it under the broiler for a few seconds to get this bubbly browned cheese effect, like with French onion soup.
- Cozy and comforting. This is definitely a cozy comfort food casserole! I love this recipe during the fall and winter when we’re craving something savory and hearty. Between the cheese, rice, and chicken, it definitely checks all the boxes of a good comfort food dinner.
Recipe Ingredients
This casserole is made with caramelized onions, chicken, rice, and a few other simple ingredients. The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Butter – I used salted butter for the added flavor.
- Vegetable oil – I use a combination of butter and oil to caramelize and cook the onions.
- Onions – It’s not French onion without onions! I recommend large onions as they’re easier to slice.
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic – For added flavor.
- Chicken broth – I like to use low-sodium broth.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds layers of savory umami flavor.
- White rice – Any regular white rice works. Brown rice may require a different cook time.
- Heavy cream – Adds a rich creaminess to the casserole.
- Chicken – Cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. Rotisserie chicken is great. Canned chicken will also work.
- Swiss cheese – I recommend shredding the cheese from the block. Freshly shredded cheese melts easier and tastes better.
How To Make French Onion Chicken Casserole
Caramelizing the onions takes a bit of time (it’s worth it!) but the hands-on time for this recipe is quite minimal. The printable version of the instructions is in the recipe card below.
- Caramelize the onions. Melt the butter with the oil on low heat in a large pan then stir in the sliced onions to coat them in butter. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes, without stirring. After 10 minutes, stir every few minutes for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
- Cook the rice. Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and rice. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the chicken. Stir in the heavy cream and chicken.
- Bake. Spray the baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the rice and chicken mixture evenly into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 10 minutes.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this French onion chicken casserole, as well as some ways to customize it.
- Don’t rush the onions. It really does take at least 30 minutes to get them truly caramelized. Do not touch them in the first 10 minutes as this really allows them to brown and caramelize on the bottom. I only stir them every 3-5 minutes for the second half of the cooking time.
- Broil the casserole. If you want the cheese to get brown and bubbly, broil it during the last few minutes until it’s brown. Just keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Add some crunch. Top with French fried onions.
- Make sure the broth is absorbed. After the rice is cooked there should barely be any chicken broth left, if there is let cook uncovered for another 5 minutes or until it’s cooked off.
- Add some spice. I sometimes stir in some red pepper flakes for additional flavor and a bit of heat.
- Other variations. Replace the Swiss with cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese or gruyere cheese. Mix in a cup of sour cream or cream of chicken soup for extra creaminess.
Serving Suggestions
Since this casserole is pretty savory and hearty, I often serve it with a simple side salad, wedge salad and/or sauteed green beans. With the chicken, onions, and rice, it can also definitely work as a complete dinner on its own.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Leftover French onion chicken casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The leftovers will last for 2-3 days.
- Reheat. The entire casserole can be reheated in the oven at 350F until the cheese is bubbling. I recommend covering it with foil to prevent the cheese from burning. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave.
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
French Onion Chicken Casserole
Perfectly caramelized onions, tender chunks of chicken, creamy rice, and Swiss cheese make this French Onion Chicken Casserole an easy, flavorful, and cozy dinner the entire family will love.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 large onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded into bite size pieces
- 16 ounces block of Swiss cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add the butter and oil to a large pan, melt on a medium to low heat, once melted add all the onion slices to the pan and stir to get coated in the butter. Let it sit on a medium to low heat for 10 minutes. Do not stir.
- Once it has been 10 minutes now begin to stir every once in a while for another 20 minutes. They may need another 5-10 minutes to get caramelized (mine took 30 minutes).
- Add the salt, pepper and the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and the rice, stir to combine and bring to a boil, once boiling turn to low and place the lid on and cook for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°.
- Once the time is up add the heavy cream and the chicken and stir. Grab a 9×13 baking dish and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop out the rice mixture and pour into the baking dish. Grate the Swiss cheese and sprinkle all over top. Place the dish into the preheated oven and cook until the cheese is melted. About 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley (optional), Serve and enjoy!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Calories: 794kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1230mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1423IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 752mg | Iron: 2mg
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5 comments on “French Onion Chicken Casserole”
I was thinking like Doris. My family isn’t into rice but it sounds so good. What other pasta could you use? I love your recipes. Have A Happy Easter everyone.
Looks good but was wondering what can you use instead of rice in this recipe
Hi Doris. Depending on if carbs are a reason my first thought was cauliflower rice. Other options that may work as substitutes would be shredded potatoes or shredded cabbage.
What kind of onion, white, yellow, sweet, your don’t state and there is a big difference, please clarify. Thank You
Hi Jeanne. We used Vidalia but any would work depending on your preferred taste for onion type.