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If you like french onion soup you will love this easy French Onion Chicken. Tender chicken breasts are paired with caramelized sweet onions, thyme, garlic, white wine that creates the most flavorful dish that is topped with Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese.
One of my favorite soups is a french onion soup recipe so I knew I had to take that inspiration and create a French Onion Chicken recipe. There is something so satisfying about caramelized onions. It can be a labor of love to slowly caramelize them but it is so worth it. The recipe overall is an easy recipe aside from the caramelizing of the onions.
When you slowly sizzle the onions it releases their natural sugars and transforms the onions into tender, sweet perfection. The result is the perfect base that infuses the entire dish with rich flavor. In the colder months there is something so comforting about the sweet caramelized onions paired with the tender chicken, fresh herbs and the gooey cheese. This French Onion Chicken would be great for a holiday menu. It also works nicely for a weeknight meal.
When I serve this skillet french onion chicken I like to serve a good bread, potato or risotto, a salad and a vegetable like these Za’atar Carrots. Easy chicken recipes make an appearance on our menu at least one a week and we like to rotate between this Easy Balsamic Chicken Recipe, Lemon Chicken Orzo, Mediterranean Skillet Chicken, Easy Cranberry Baked Chicken Thighs and this Greek Lemon Chicken.
Why You Will Love this French Onion Chicken Recipe
Forget boring chicken dishes this is packed with flavor. Here are some other reasons you will love this french onion chicken:
• Packed full of flavor: My recipe takes all the flavors of a classic French onion soup which is a favorite soup of many and transforms them into a delicious chicken dish. The mixture of sweet onions, tender chicken with fresh herbs and gooey gruyere cheese is just perfect.
• Easy to prepare: This is a quick and easy chicken dish, only 20 minutes to prepare and a further 20 minutes in a hot oven and it’s ready to enjoy.
• One pot dish: Everything is cooked in one pot which helps keep all the flavor in the dish, and also saves on the clean-up process.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Onions: I use sweet onions, thinly slicing them so they caramelize. White onions or yellow onion are great.
- Wine: Use a good quality dry white wine. Using a wine that you would drink yourself will make a difference to the finished dish and the flavor.
- Seasoning: This chicken dish is flavored with garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper and sea salt.
- Chicken: I use 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe but you could use bone-in chicken breasts. Just make sure to cook longer. Chicken tenderloins or boneless thighs also work great.
- Sauce: A splash of Worcestershire sauce adds great savory flavor to the chicken and balances out the sweetness of the onions with a bit of acidity.
- Cheese: I top the skillet with 1/2 cup of Gruyère cheese. I love the saltiness and earthy flavor it adds to the dish.
Ways to Modify this Recipe
- Chicken: I’ve made this recipe using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins or bone-in chicken breasts. If you perfect a different protein this recipe would be nice to use on pork chops.
- Cheese: I topped the chicken with Gruyere which has great flavor and is a great cheese for cooking with. You can substitute with mozzarella cheese if you prefer, but it won’t have the same depth of flavor. I also like Swiss cheese, fontina cheese or Parmesan cheese.
- Sauce: You can swap the Worcestershire sauce for balsamic vinegar, which will balance out the sweetness in the onions and add acidity to the dish. You can reduce balsamic vinegar with a bit of honey or brown sugar to make your own glaze.
- Caramelized Vegetables: You can add other caramelized vegetables alongside the onions like mushrooms, green beans, broccoli or bell peppers.
How to Make French Onion Chicken
Step 1. Cook the Onions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large dutch oven or large skillet that is oven safe over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt the butter. Turn down the heat to medium low and add the onion.
Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent them from sticking and coloring too much in any one place, until golden brown for about 15–20 minutes.
Step 2. Deglaze the Pot: Pour the wine in to the pot to deglaze and cook until the wine is reduced, around 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic powder and the thyme and mix well. Remove the onion mixture and set aside on a plate.
Step 3. Saute the Chicken: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a Dutch oven or skillet and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over each piece of chicken. Add the chicken into the skillet and sear on one side for 5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.
Step 4. Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the broth, Worcestershire sauce and the cornstarch. Add the broth mixture into the skillet with the chicken.
Step 5. Layer the Chicken: Top each piece of chicken with the carmelized onions and the Gruyère cheese evenly.
Step 6. Bake the Chicken: Put the Dutch oven or oven safe skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
Step 7. Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve warm.
Storage Tips
- Cool the dish completely before storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy place the chicken back into a preheated oven until the chicken is warmed through. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave. I think the leftovers are even better!
- French onion chicken freezes really well. Once cooked and cooled, place the chicken and sauce into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost in the refrigerator before warming up in a hot oven. You can also freeze the chicken breasts for up to three months. To reheat, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and reheat them in the microwave until warm.
Recipe FAQ
It’s really important that you take time to properly caramelize the onions, getting them soft and sweet. This will make a big difference to the overall flavor of the finished dish.
The quality of wine you use will make a difference to the flavor of the finished dish. You don’t need to use an expensive wine, just a good wine that you would be happy to drink a glass of yourself.
Ensure the chicken is completely cooked, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The easiest way to check the internal temperature of any meat dish is to use a probe thermometer.
More Chicken Recipes
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French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium yellow onions,, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine {use a dry white wine},, like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio}
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder {or 3 garlic cloves},
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme {or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme},
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless,, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese {or swiss or mozzarella cheese}
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large dutch oven or oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt the butter. Turn down the heat to medium low and add the onion.
Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent them from sticking and coloring too much in any one place, until blonde-colored, 15–20 minutes. - Pour the wine in to the pot to deglaze and cook until the wine is reduced, around 3 more minutes.
- Stir in the garlic powder and the thyme and mix well. Remove the caramelized onions and set aside on a plate. Add 2 tbsps. olive oil to a the dutch oven or skillet and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over each piece of chicken.
- Add the chicken into the skillet and sear on one side for 5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the broth, worcestershire sauce and the cornstarch. Add the broth mixture into the skillet with the chicken. Top each piece of chicken with the carmelized onions and the Gruyère cheese evenly.
- Put the dutch oven or oven safe skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. Remove from heat and garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
- Wine: Use a dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
- Cool the dish completely before storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy place the chicken back into a preheated oven until the chicken is warmed through. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave. I think the leftovers are even better!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
