French Onion Chicken

Turn your favorite soup into a hearty meal. Savory French onion chicken features chicken breasts topped with caramelized onions and covered with melted cheese.

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Savory French onion chicken turns your favorite soup into a rich, hearty meal with onions, butter, chicken, and cheese. This one-pan skillet meal makes a savory and satisfying meal for families.

MORE RECIPES: Ritz Chicken | Paprika Chicken | Honey Garlic Chicken

Juicy, tender chicken breasts are topped with caramelized onions and covered with glorious melted cheese in this hearty comfort food meal that the entire family will rave about. A new way to enjoy the classic taste of French onion soup, this French Onion Chicken recipe is easy to prepare in a skillet on the stovetop and then bake in the oven. 

This lip-smacking chicken recipe pairs deliciously with favorite side dishes like creamy mashed potatoes or glazed carrots for a filling meal that is sure to be a huge hit with the whole family. French onion chicken is full of rich flavors and topped with ooey-gooey bubbly cheese, and makes a great choice for a weeknight dinner or a big Sunday dinner. 

Pan-seared chicken breasts are simmered in a flavorful onion broth, smothered in cheese, and then baked in the oven until everything is bubbly and delicious. This rich and succulent chicken dinner is one that you will want to make again and again. 

French Onion Chicken Ingredients

• Oil - olive oil
• Butter - salted butter
• Onions - sweet yellow or white onions
• Sugar - granulated sugar
• Salt - coarse sea salt
• Thyme - fresh thyme removed from stems
• Bay leaf
• Garlic - fresh garlic cloves, minced
• Chicken - boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Pepper - black pepper
• Flour - all-purpose flour
• Wine - dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc, optional
• Beef stock
• Cheese - grated provolone cheese 
• Cheese - grated swiss cheese

Patience is key when you are caramelizing the onions. Keep them over medium or medium-low heat and stir more frequently as time goes on. If onions start browning unevenly, add a little bit of wine or broth to keep them moist and cooking evenly. 

This French onion chicken recipe uses sauvignon blanc, but any dry white wine such as Marsala will work just as well. For an alcohol-free recipe, you could replace the wine with beef broth.

If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, any oven-safe large skillet will work. You can also transfer everything to a casserole dish or baking pan for the baking portion of the recipe.

How to Make French Onion Chicken

FIRST STEP: In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil, butter, and sliced onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft (approximately 10 minutes).

SECOND STEP: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt over the onions. Add fresh thyme and a bay leaf to the pan. Continue sautéing over medium heat to medium-low heat until the onions become deep golden brown. Stir every few minutes to prevent onions from burning. If the color becomes too dark on some of the onions while still cooking, add a splash of white wine or beef broth to the pan and stir. This process of caramelizing the onions should take about 15 to 20 minutes longer after adding the sugar, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. In the final minute or two of cooking, add minced garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes; do not burn the garlic.

THIRD STEP: While the onions are cooking, prepare the chicken. Remove from packaging and pat with a paper towel to make sure they are completely dry. Use a meat mallet to pound out chicken to an even ½ to ¾-inch thick. Sprinkle with pepper on both sides.

FOURTH STEP: Remove caramelized onions from the skillet using a slotted spoon, keeping as much butter/oil in the pan as possible.

FIFTH STEP: Without wiping out the skillet, turn the heat to medium to medium-high and add the chicken. Sear on each side until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

SIXTH STEP: Preheat oven to 350°F.

SEVENTH STEP: Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and set them aside momentarily.

EIGHTH STEP: Place the onions back into the skillet and return to medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes to cook the flour.

NINTH STEP: Add the wine to the onion mixture and simmer/stir for 2 to 3 minutes while the alcohol evaporates and the browned bits on the bottom of the pan loosen. If you are not using wine, proceed with step 10.

TENTH STEP: Add the beef broth to the onions and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and a deep brown gravy forms.

ELEVENTH STEP: Nestle the browned chicken breasts down into the onion gravy and spoon some of the sauce up over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with a ¼ of each of the cheeses.

TWELFTH STEP: Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the meat registers an internal temperature of 165°F.

THIRTEENTH STEP: Remove from oven. Spoon onions and sauce over the chicken and serve. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Can I use a different kind of cheese? 

If you don’t have provolone or swiss cheese, you can also use Gruyère cheese in this tasty dish.

What are caramelized onions? 

Caramelized onions are cooked slowly over medium heat to break down the sugars producing a delicious and subtler flavor. This process transforms the sharp and relatively strong flavor of an onion into something softer with an almost sweet taste. 

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? 

You could use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in this recipe. You may have to watch your cooking time for doneness and may need a couple of extra thighs to end up with the same quantity of chicken. 

How to Store French Onion Chicken 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover French onion soup chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  

IN THE FREEZER: You can store this French onion chicken bake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

French Onion Chicken

Turn your favorite soup into a hearty meal. Savory French onion chicken features chicken breasts topped with caramelized onions and covered with melted cheese.

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5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 558 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 sweet yellow or white onions (sliced into thin rounds)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme removed from stems (plus more for garnish)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic ( minced)
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc (optional)
• 1 cup beef stock
• ¼ pound provolone cheese grated (about 1 cup)
• ¼ pound swiss cheese grated (about 1 cup)

DIRECTIONS

 

• In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil, butter, and sliced onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft (approximately 10 minutes).
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt over the onions. Add fresh thyme and a bay leaf to the pan. Continue sautéing over medium heat to medium-low heat until the onions become deep golden brown. Stir every few minutes to prevent onions from burning. If the color becomes too dark on some of the onions while still cooking, add a splash of white wine or beef broth to the pan and stir. This process of caramelizing the onions should take about 15 to 20 minutes longer after adding the sugar, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. In the final minute or two of cooking, add minced garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes; do not burn the garlic.
• While the onions are cooking, prepare the chicken. Remove from packaging and pat with a paper towel to make sure they are completely dry. Use a meat mallet to pound out chicken to an even ½ to ¾-inch thick. Sprinkle with pepper on both sides.
• Remove caramelized onions from the skillet using a slotted spoon, keeping as much butter/oil in the pan as possible.
• Without wiping out the skillet, turn the heat to medium to medium-high and add the chicken. Sear on each side until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and set them aside momentarily.
• Place the onions back into the skillet and return to medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes to cook the flour.
• Add the wine to the onion mixture and simmer/stir for 2 to 3 minutes while the alcohol evaporates and the browned bits on the bottom of the pan loosen. If you are not using wine, proceed with step 10.
• Add the beef broth to the onions and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and a deep brown gravy forms.
• Nestle the browned chicken breasts down into the onion gravy and spoon some of the sauce up over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with a ¼ of each of the cheeses.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the meat registers an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Remove from oven. Spoon onions and sauce over the chicken and serve. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Notes

PRO TIP: If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, any oven-safe large skillet will work, or you can transfer everything to a casserole dish or baking pan for the baking portion of the recipe.

PRO TIP: Be very careful not to burn the garlic as it will result in a bitter taste.

PRO TIP: Patience is key when caramelizing the onions. Keep them over medium or medium-low heat and stir more frequently as time goes on. If onions start browning unevenly or suddenly, add a little bit of wine or broth to keep them moist and cooking evenly. The sugar helps with the caramelization process. The last 5 minutes or so of cooking is when they caramelize the fastest, keep the heat low at this point, and stir frequently.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 16021mg | Potassium: 1112mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

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