French Onion Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links which will not change your price but will share some commission. Please read my privacy policy.
Savory and nostalgic, this French Onion Chicken is a one-pan recipe that’s perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner. The comforting flavors of classic French onion soup pair with tender chicken breasts for a delicious meal with easy clean up.
You are going to love this french onion chicken recipe!
Lately, I’ve been leaning into those hearty comfort food recipes. This chicken dish is a brand new favorite in that category!
Served in a homemade sauce, this dish channels all the flavors of your favorite warm and savory French onion soup recipe and combines them with juicy chicken breasts and melted cheese for the ultimate dish the whole family will adore.
- Only one pan: Thanks to one-pan prep, this skillet french onion chicken is easy to clean up and takes very little effort to cook.
- Easy to make: In less than 40 minutes of cooking time, you can easily throw together this satisfying and impressive chicken dinner.
- Great for meal prep: Your leftovers will keep well for easy dinners or lunches throughout the week.
Ingredients you will need
- Chicken breasts: You could also use chicken thighs, but I prefer lean white meat for this recipe. It’s a nice balance with the cheese.
- Aromatics: Add lots of savory flavor thanks to fresh garlic and, of course, onion! Yellow onions and vidalia onions are some of my go-to choices here, but any kind of sweet onion works great.
- Olive oil: You could use another neutral oil to cook the chicken if you like, but I tend to have extra virgin olive oil on hand at all times so it’s super convenient.
- Chicken stock: If you don’t have chicken broth, you could also use vegetable broth and supplement with more seasonings.
- White wine: Helps deglaze the pan and gives the French onion sauce a hint of sophisticated flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Punches up the savory, umami goodness of this chicken.
- Seasonings and herbs: I used a mix of fresh thyme, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.
- Shredded cheese: The combination of provolone and gruyere cheese provides a nice gooey and melty consistency with an elegant cheesy flavor.
*For a detailed list of instructions, ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.
How to make french onion chicken
- Prepare the chicken breasts. Use a meat tenderizer or another heavy object to flatten the chicken breasts all to the same thickness. Season them with salt and pepper.
- Sautรฉ the onions. Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan, then add the sliced onions and saute until they’re well caramelized.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in the same pan over medium heat and add seasoned chicken breasts to the hot oil. Sear the chicken on each side, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked just yet because you’ll continue cooking it later on.
- Make the caramelized onion gravy. Remove the chicken and pour the chicken stock into the pan. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then mix in wine, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and onions. To the thickened sauce, add the seared chicken and caramelized onions. Simmer for another couple of minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Garnish and serve. Top with shredded cheese, reduce heat to low, then cover and cook until the cheese melts. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Make it a complete meal with a side of Easy Roasted Broccolini or a simple Little Gem Salad.
Recipe tips and variations
- To ensure this chicken dish is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- If you use chicken thighs to make this recipe, they may need longer to cook all the way through.
- If you don’t have a bottle of white wine on hand for the caramelized onion sauce you can use cooking wine instead. This is a pantry staple for me!
- Serve your French onion chicken over top of white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice for a healthier option. You could also pair it with some pasta too.
- For an even richer flavor, use beef broth, and mix in additional herbs and spices like oregano, bay leaf, or some onion powder and garlic powder to emphasize those flavors.
- You can use other kinds of cheese like Swiss cheese, or any kind of particularly melty cheese like mozzarella!
- For a golden brown top, instead of covering the pan to melt the cheese, place the entire dish under your broiler for a minute or two. Just make sure you’re using an oven safe pan, I love my Staub skillet for this.
- If you prefer an even thicker French onion gravy, sprinkle in a bit of all purpose flour.
Storing and reheating
Allow leftover French onion chicken to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze your chicken and the sauce for several months. Press some plastic wrap or cling wrap to the top of the chicken to prevent freezer burn.
To reheat, add a little bit of oil to a skillet over medium heat, then add your chicken back in. You can also microwave individual portions of French onion chicken for a quick option, but this may dry out the chicken slightly.
From frozen, be sure to allow the chicken to thaw for a couple of hours or even overnight before heating it up again.
More recipes to try
WANT TO TRY THIS FRENCH ONION SOUP CHICKEN RECIPE?
PIN IT to your chicken recipes, one pan chicken recipes, or easy dinner recipes board to save it for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes. I’m always pinning!
Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!
French onion chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded gruyere
To serve
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Flatten the chicken with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer so all the breasts are the same thickness. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan. Cook the onions on the lowest heat for 15-20 minutes until lightly caramelized. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to the pan and cook the chicken on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. (You are just searing the chicken at this stage and it will not be fully cooked yet). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- De-glaze the pan with stock and simmer on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the wine, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the chicken and onions back to pan and simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Place the onions on top of the chicken and add the cheese. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and parsley to serve.
I love a good French onion soup, so I’m thrilled to have this recipe in my rotation now. Can’t wait to make it again next week. yum!
I love french onion anything! Made this chicken for dinner last night and it will definitely be going on our regular rotation!
Love how creamy and delicious this recipe is. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for such a great chicken recipe. We loved the punchy flavours and even our kids cleared their plates! We’ll be making this again.
Easy and perfect recipe, will make this again soon! thanks for sharing! I love onions and chicken!