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If you love the rich, savory flavors of French onion soup, you are going to LOVE this French onion chicken and rice recipe. We’re talking juicy chicken thighs, basmati rice, and a delicious combination of three different kinds of onions, all finished with melty Gruyère and Parmesan cheese. It’s cozy, comforting, and the perfect dish for the fall or winter.
Before You Start
This French onion chicken and rice recipe is made in one pan, my fav way to cook when I want fewer dishes. First, you’ll sear the chicken thighs until golden brown, then slowly caramelize the onions to build that rich French onion flavor.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Once everything is combined, the chicken and rice bake together in the oven before getting topped with cheese. You’ll need an oven-safe skillet with a lid, or aluminum foil to cover it while baking.
What Gives This Bake Its French Onion Flavor?
The secret to this French onion chicken and rice casserole is all about building layers of flavor. We’re not just tossing everything into a pan and hoping for the best. Each ingredient is important! Let’s break it down a bit.
Three Types of Onions: Why use one type of onion when you can use three? The combination of shallots, pearl onions, and yellow onions creates a flavorful base for this dish. As they slowly caramelize (do not skip this step), they develop that golden color and rich, sweet flavor that makes French onion-inspired recipes so comforting. Make sure to stir them occasionally as they cook so they don’t burn. Trust me, taking your time with this step is worth it!
White Wine: Don’t skip the step where you deglaze the pan! After searing the chicken and caramelizing the onions, there are delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom. The white wine helps loosen them up so all that flavor doesn’t go to waste!
Basmati Rice: I love how the rice cooks with the chicken, soaking up the seasoned cooking liquid. There’s no need to prepare a separate pot of rice because everything cooks in the one pot.
Gruyère and Parmesan: Gruyère is a classic French onion soup ingredient, and when paired with freshly grated Parmesan, it creates the most delicious cheesy finish. A quick trip under the broiler melts everything together.
What to Serve With French Onion Chicken and Rice
This recipe is already a hearty meal with chicken, rice, and cheese, so I love the idea of pairing it with something fresh and crunchy.
My fennel salad with lemon dill vinaigrette is a great option. It’s made with crisp iceberg lettuce, fennel, and a bright lemon-dill dressing that provides a refreshing contrast to the rich, cheesy rice. You can also serve this dish alongside your favorite vegetable sides for a complete dinner.
Common Questions
Nope! Unlike some chicken and rice casseroles, this recipe involves a little stovetop cooking before everything goes into the oven. You’ll first sear the chicken thighs and caramelize the onions. Once the ingredients are combined, the covered skillet goes into the oven for approximately 30–35 minutes.
No! You add the uncooked basmati rice directly to the skillet with the onions, seasonings, and cooking liquid. The rice then cooks alongside the chicken during the covered baking stage. This recipe is specifically made with basmati rice, so I recommend sticking with it to make sure it all cooks up perfectly.
Covering the skillet during baking helps keep the cooking liquid in the pan so the basmati rice can cook alongside the chicken.
Make sure you’re using an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil as directed in the recipe. Once the chicken is cooked through, you’ll remove the cover, add the cheese, and broil briefly until melted.
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Ingredients
For the chicken
- 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the pan
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup white wine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Beef Base
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ½ cups hot water
For the topping
- ¾ cups freshly grated gruyere cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Start Cooking- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to an oven safe skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Remove any excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
- Keep the pan at medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the thinly sliced shallots, pearl onions and thinly sliced yellow onion. Add the sugar and salt and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Then remove the lid and turn to medium-low heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally (so they don’t burn), until golden brown and caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.
- While the onions cook, preheat the oven to 350F.
- When the onions are caramelized, turn the heat to medium. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the minced garlic, beef base, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, ground pepper and rice and stir to combine, making sure the rice is coated with the seasonings. Add in the bay leaf and hot water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken back on top of the rice along with any juices from the plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 30-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the rice a bit with a fork – remove the bayleaf.
- Sprinkle all of the gruyere cheese and parmesan over the chickens and rice. Broil for 1-2 minutes in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- If you don’t have beef stock base, use beef broth instead of hot water.
- Serve this recipe with your favourite vegetable sides.
- If you love this recipe, try Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
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