French onion chicken has been a favorite in our household for quite some time. I love making it but wanted to find an easy way to do that in our pressure cooker. This Instant Pot French Onion Chicken does just that!
Everything is made right in the Instant Pot which means no extra dishes to clean and more time with the family.
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This recipe uses both the Sauté and High-Pressure Cooking functions to use the Instant Pot to its full potential.
If you don’t have the Sauté function on your pressure cooker, I have included an alternate way to make this recipe using just the high-pressure function and the stove.
I cooked this French Onion Chicken recipe in my 6-QT Instant Pot Duo Nova. The 6-quart size is perfect for my family of 4.
How to Make Instant Pot French Onion Chicken
STEP ONE: Put some flour on a plate or flat-bottom bowl. Cover, or dredge, the chicken in the flour to cover both sides.
STEP TWO: Turn your Instant Pot onto Sauté mode and add in the oil. Sauté the chicken for approximately one minute on both sides. This will help the chicken retain more flavor from the beef broth and seasonings when cooked later on.
STEP THREE: Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and add butter and sliced onions. Sauté the onions for approximately 5-7 minutes.
I love sautéing my onions in my Instant Pot because they cook at the perfect temperature, so they cook quickly but never burn.
STEP FOUR: Add in the beef broth and Italian seasoning and mix.
Carefully add in the chicken breasts and push each piece to the bottom. Try to get each part covered by the sauce as much as possible to bring in extra flavor.
STEP FIVE: Change the Instant Pot to High-Pressure Cooking and set for 10 minutes. You will need to turn the Instant Pot off first to be able to change to Manual High-Pressure Cooking mode.
STEP SIX: After the chicken has cooked on high pressure for 10 minutes, do a quick release. Directions on how to do that are below.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it to the side. I usually set them in my serving dish to keep my other dishes clean.
STEP SEVEN: Turn your Instant Pot back to Sauté mode.
Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of water together and add into the Instant Pot. Allow it to cook for approximately one minute. This slurry mixture helps thicken the sauce so it’s not so watery.
Remove the mixture from the Instant Pot. You can pour it on top of the chicken if you would like.
STEP EIGHT: Turn the Instant Pot and immediately put the chicken back into the Instant Pot with 1 slice of Provolone cheese and Swiss cheese on top. Place the lid loosely on the Instant Pot for 1-2 minutes to let the cheese melt.
STEP NINE: Carefully remove the French Onion Chicken from the pressure cooker and place back into the serving tray with the beef broth mixture and enjoy!
What TO Serve with French Onion Chicken
- Roasted Carrots and Asparagus
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Garlic Cheese Bread
- Green Beans Almondine
- Baked Potatoes
I Added in a Full Can of Beef Broth. What Do I Do?!
It’s okay! If you dropped in a 15.5-ounce can of beef broth, your dish is not ruined, I promise.
Simply complete the recipe as normal but double the slurry mixture to help thicken up your sauce more.
That means use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water mixed together instead of the 1 each the recipe calls for.
More Instant Pot Recipes
How Do I Quick Release My Instant Pot?
Quick releasing an Instant Pot is very easy. Using a long oven mitt, push the vent down and turn slightly to the side. It will stick down allowing the Instant Pot to immediately vent all the pressure in it.
If the Instant Pot starts spraying (I’ve never had this issue with this recipe), stop the quick release right away, wait 10-15 seconds and then try again.
Do not cover the vent with a washcloth, towel, or anything that obstructs the steam for safety reasons.
The quick-release is complete when the metal valve drops down on the Instant Pot showing that all pressure has been released. You can now open the Instant Pot safely.
I Don’t Have Saute Mode. Can I Still Make This?
Yes! It will require another dishpan on the stove, but you can still make this recipe.
Heat a saucepan on medium heat with the oil and cook the dredged flour for 1 minute on each side.
Remove the chicken and add in the butter and sliced onions. Sauté the onions for 7-10 minutes then add them into the Instant Pot with the beef broth and Italian seasoning.
High pressure cook as normal and finish the recipe as stated without the Sauté function by keeping the lid closed.
If the cheese has not melted fully in 1 to 2 minutes, you can place the dish in the oven for a minute or cover it with the hot beef broth and onion mixture to help.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
- Southwest Chicken Wrap
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak
- BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
Instant Pot French Onion Chicken (No Soup Mix!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 1- inch thick chicken breasts about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion sliced (or 2 small onions)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 thin slices provolone cheese
- 4 thin slices swiss cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place oil in Instant Pot and turn on saute mode.
- Dredge chicken in flour and saute for about 1 minute per side. Remove from Instant Pot.
- Add butter and sliced onions to Instant Pot and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add beef broth and Italian seasoning. Stir to mix then add in chicken breasts by pushing them down to the bottom until they are coated in the broth.
- Pressure cook on high (manual mode) for 10 minutes, then quick release to vent all pressure immediately.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Mix together the cornstarch and water in a bowl and add to the broth mixture. Stir for 1 minute then remove from Instant Pot and add into a serving dish.
- Add the chicken back in and place 1 slice of Provolone and 1 slice of Swiss cheese on each chicken breast. Place the cover on top of the Instant Pot and let it sit there for 1-2 minutes to help melt the cheese.*
- Place chicken in the serving dish with the broth mixture and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Oh my goodness! I made this for my wife and I this evening and we loved it. It was so simple but tasted like it was from a fancy restaurant. I served it over a bed of steamed rice and with a side of beets not only did it taste great it looked pretty as well. The only change I made was I doubled the broth and italian seasoning because we love gravy over our rice.
I’m so glad you loved it, Mike! I love the idea of doubling the sauce. We do that too to add over our mashed potatoes!
This has become my go to for instant pot chicken. Delicious! I don’t use the cheese, and I serve it with mashed potatoes smothered in the yummy gravy.
That just sounds delicious, Susan! I love making these with mashed potatoes too!
This was excellent! I made rice to go with it but after tasting the gravy, I’ll definitely make mashed taters next time. Great and easy recipe, thanks for sharing it with us
Hi Ron, You’re so welcome! I love this recipe with mashed potatoes, too.