Skillet French Onion Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice bake together in French onion soup, topped with onion sour cream, provolone, and toasty croutons.

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The first time I pulled this skillet out of the oven, the provolone was still bubbling, and the whole kitchen smelled like a bowl of French onion soup. Nobody waited to be called to the table!

We love anything French onion-flavored in our house, so I’m always looking for new ways to get it on the dinner table. Here, the rice cooks right in the soup and beef consommé, so every grain soaks up that savory, beefy broth.

The chicken sits on top of the rice under a layer of onion sour cream, croutons, and melted provolone. It’s the best part of French onion soup, the cheesy bread on top, sitting on a piece of chicken.

There’s no browning and no pre-cooking the rice. Everything goes into one skillet raw, the lid goes on, and the oven handles the next hour.

I’ve made it enough times now that it’s in our regular rotation, especially once the weather turns and everyone wants something warm and cheesy.

What Makes This Recipe Work

• Beef consommé gives the rice a rich, beefy base that tastes like the broth in real French onion soup. Chicken broth on its own would taste flat next to it.
• The lid stays on for the full hour. That traps the steam, and the steam is what cooks the raw rice all the way through.
• The butter melts down into the rice as it bakes. It keeps every grain tender and adds a lot of the flavor.
• The onion sour cream works like a blanket over the chicken. It keeps the breast meat moist and seasons it from the top down.
• The croutons go on in two layers. The bottom layer softens like the bread in onion soup, and the top layer crisps under the broiler.
• A few minutes under the broiler browns the provolone the same way it would on a crock of soup.

Ingredients

• 1 (10.5 oz) can French onion soup
• 1 (10.5 oz) can beef consommé
• 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, sliced
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp dry onion soup mix
• ½ cup croutons, slightly crushed, divided
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

How to Make It

Heat the Oven and Grab Your Skillet

Preheat the oven to 350°F. You’ll need an oven-safe skillet with a lid, somewhere in the 10- to 12-inch range.

Mix the Rice Base

Stir the French onion soup, beef consommé, and uncooked rice together in a bowl, then pour it into the skillet and spread it into an even layer. Use both cans straight from the can, no water added. Mixing it first keeps the rice from settling into one clump.

Lay the butter slices across the top. It looks like a lot of butter. Use all of it. It melts down into the rice as it bakes and it’s a big reason this tastes so good.

Season the Chicken

Mix the garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a small bowl and season both sides of the chicken. Arrange the four pieces on top of the rice with a little space between them.

The salt is light on purpose. The canned soup, consommé, and onion soup mix all bring plenty of their own.

Spread the Onion Sour Cream

Stir the dry onion soup mix into the sour cream. Spread it over the top of each piece of chicken with the back of a spoon, all the way to the edges.

It’s a thin layer, not a thick coat. It keeps the chicken from drying out during the long bake, and it gives the croutons something to stick to.

Layer the Croutons and Provolone

Sprinkle half the croutons over the sour cream. Lay a slice of provolone on each piece of chicken, cutting the slices in half if they need help fitting. Finish with the rest of the croutons on top of the cheese.

Don’t skip splitting up the croutons. The ones under the cheese soak up the sour cream and go soft, like the bread in a bowl of French onion soup, while the top ones get toasty. You get both textures in every bite.

Bake Covered, Then Broil

Cover the skillet and bake for 1 hour. Try not to peek. Every time the lid comes off, steam escapes, and the rice needs that steam to finish cooking.

After the hour, take the lid off and switch the oven to broil. Give it 2 to 3 minutes, until the provolone is bubbly with golden spots. This is my favorite moment! The cheese browns, the croutons crisp, and it finally looks like the top of a crock of onion soup. Stay close, because the broiler works fast.

Garnish and Serve

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top if you like. The handle will be very hot, so keep an oven mitt on it.

Serve each piece of chicken with a big scoop of the rice from underneath. The rice right around the chicken picks up the drippings and it’s the part everyone fights over.

Make It Your Way

• Swap the provolone for Swiss or Gruyère if you want it even closer to classic French onion soup.
• Use 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts. They stay juicy through the long bake.
• Stir a handful of sliced mushrooms into the rice before the chicken goes on.
• Spoon some caramelized onions over the sour cream before the cheese if you want more onion flavor.
• Try garlic or Parmesan croutons in place of plain ones.

What to Serve With It

• A crisp salad cuts through all the cheese and butter. Any of these quick and easy side salads works.
• Roasted broccoli or asparagus adds something green and a little crunchy.
• Roasted carrots with hot honey and whipped ricotta bring a little sweetness and heat next to the savory onion.
• Sautéed spinach or zucchini comes together on the stove while the cheese broils.

Simple Tips

• Stick with regular long grain white rice. Instant rice turns mushy, and brown rice needs more liquid and more time than this recipe gives it.
• Check the chicken with a thermometer before serving. It should read 165°F in the thickest part.
• You can mix the sour cream topping and the seasoning blend a day ahead and keep them in the fridge. Assembly then takes about five minutes.
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered dish at 350°F, or in the microwave with a splash of broth over the rice. The croutons will soften, but the flavor holds up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to add water to the soup?

No. Both the French onion soup and the beef consommé go in undiluted. That concentrated liquid is exactly the right amount to cook one cup of rice.

What is beef consommé, and where do I find it?

Beef consommé is beef broth that’s been clarified and cooked down, so it’s clearer and richer than regular broth. Look for it in cans in the soup aisle, usually on the shelf with the condensed soups, not with the boxed broth. It’s often right near the French onion soup, so you can grab both cans in one stop.

What can I use instead of beef consommé?

An equal amount of beef broth, about 1¼ cups, works fine. The rice will taste a little less rich, but it still cooks the same.

Why is my rice still a little crunchy?

Usually the lid wasn’t tight or it came off during baking, and too much steam escaped. Add a splash of broth, cover it back up, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

Final Thoughts

This skillet has everything we love about French onion soup, and it’s a whole dinner. The rice soaks up all that beefy broth, the chicken stays tender, and that broiled provolone gets me every single time. I already know it’s going back in the oven the next chilly night we want something warm and cheesy.

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