Slow Cooker Creamy French Onion Dip Chicken

📝Shopping list

To make this easy dinner recipe you will need these simple ingredients:

• chicken breast - two good sized boneless breasts
• sour cream
• mayonnaise
• French onion soup mix 
• dried onion flakes
• ground black pepper
• shredded cheese - to melt on top (optional, but recommended!) 

🔪Instructions

This great recipe just involves a few simple steps:

Preparing Your Slow Cooker

Prepare your slow cooker by coating it in a non-stick agent.  Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings. 

 NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface.  Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended over spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface.  Check the manual for your slow cooker if you have any concerns. 

Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.  

Cooking

• 🍗Place chicken pieces into the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer.  
• 🍗Add remaining ingredients on top of the chicken and stir to fully coat on all sides.  
• 🍗Cover and cook on low heat until chicken is fully cooked.  This takes about 3-4 hours in my slow cooker. If you cook on high heat, it should take about 2-3 hours.   
• 🍗Remove chicken and shred.  You can do this with with two forks, a hand held mixer or even a potato masher.
• 🍗Add shredded chicken back into slow cooker and mix to fully incorporate into the sauce
• 🍗Top with shredded gruyere cheese and return cover to slow cooker until fully melted
• 🍗Enjoy!

🍽Serving suggestions

Slow cooker French onion chicken can be enjoyed a ton of different ways.  Our favorite is to make an open faced sandwich on top of a piece of toasted crusty bread.  It is also great scooped up with some crispy tortilla chips.

This is an excellent dish to serve over white rice, brown rice or riced cauliflower. Quinoa and egg noodles both are also great options.

A fresh, crisp garden salad makes for a great side dish. Dijon cauliflower, garlic mushrooms and vanilla maple carrots are also incredible sidekicks. As is a glass of dry white wine!!😉

Looking for some heat? Top your crockpot French onion chicken recipe with some red pepper flakes.

🔁Substitution ideas

1. Use Plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream in this simple recipe.  
2. Shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese or Swiss cheese all make great toppings.  The melted cheese really adds a layer of deliciousness to the tender chicken.  
3. Chicken thighs can be used in place of breasts. If you will need to leave your chicken dish on warm for a bit, thighs are a little more forgiving. They don't dry out as fast as breasts
4. For extra wow - try adding some homemade caramelized onions on top of the melty cheese and delicious sauce! 

Storing

Store leftovers of this great recipe in an airtight container or zipper-top bag. Your creamy French onion chicken will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 3-4 months in the freezer. 

😉Hints & hacks

1. All slow cookers are different and as a result, cooking time may vary slightly. The first time you make this crockpot chicken dish use a meat thermometer to see when the chicken reaches 165℉. This will make your timing easier to gauge the next time you make it.
2. Store leftovers of this slow-cooker French onion chicken in individual serving-sized containers for easy grab-and-go future meals.
3. Do you like it hot? Feel free to top off your dish with a splash of sriracha or a dash of red chili pepper flakes.
4. This is one of the best slow cooker recipes to use with a slow cooker liner. If you use a liner, you can skip spraying your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
5. In the market for a slow cooker? I love mine!
6. Always double check to make sure your slow cooker is on and plugged in!!! Coming home to a cold slow cooker is the worst!