French onion chicken turns the classic soup into a protein-rich weeknight dinner! My recipe comes together fast and finishes in the oven with a gooey, cheesy topping.
Weeknight French Onion Chicken
French onion chicken not only contains all the rich flavors of French onion soup, but it also finishes so much faster, making it a great anytime dinner. The rich, caramelized onion sauce is infused with white wine, thyme, and beef broth…there’s so much flavor happening here. And it all comes together in one pot with enough to feed the whole family!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes just like French onion soup, but with an extra punch of protein from the chicken. And it takes a fraction of the time to make!
- One pot dinner! A deep 12” skillet is best because you can fit everything nicely. And if you’re a fan of one-pan dinners, try my Greek chicken orzo!
- The onions caramelize quickly because we close them in with a lid (if you’re worried about your onions burning, stir briefly halfway through cooking). They’re not going to go to the same level of caramelization we do for the soup version, because we don’t want to wait 60 minutes for the onions to be fully ready to get dinner on the table. Taking them to this not completely caramelized but close level makes a satisfying, relatively quick, and delicious weeknight dinner.
- Can be enjoyed on its own, but because of its rich sauce I like to serve it over mashed potatoes. Add a side of veggies or salad and a slice of sourdough, and you have a satisfying meal.
What You Need
This flavorful dish uses just 12 ingredients. All of these will be familiar if you’ve made French onion soup!
- Chicken breast. If yours are thick, cut them in half so they cook a little faster (and so you get a good amount of flavor per bite).
- Onions. I prefer sweet Vidalia onions for this dish. Yellow onions can also work, or a blend of the two.
- White wine. Wine adds lovely depth of flavor to French onion chicken (just as it does with the soup). A dry white wine works best in this recipe; this could be pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or any other dry white wine you enjoy the taste of. I’ve included notes in the recipe if you opt to not use wine or just find yourself with none on hand (you’ll need a splash of vinegar).
- Beef broth. We build our French onion sauce/gravy on a beef broth base. You could substitute chicken stock but it won’t give you as rich or deep of a flavor.
- Gruyere cheese. This is the classic choice, but you could instead use mozzarella, provolone, or even Swiss cheese. Whatever you use, I recommend freshly grating it; the pre-shredded stuff won’t melt as nicely!
SAM’S TIP: While we are adding dried thyme, some fresh thyme makes a nice garnish too!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make French Onion Chicken
- Cut your onions into thin slices, then set them aside. You do want them thin, too! The thicker they are, the longer it will take them to properly caramelize.
- Sear the chicken in avocado or olive oil over medium-high heat, then remove to a plate.
- Cook the onions in melted butter for 10 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and keep cooking until the onions are softened and caramelized. Stir in the garlic.
- Add the wine and cook until reduced, then sprinkle in the flour and stir until absorbed. Toast the flour by letting it cook another 30 seconds or so, then add the beef broth and seasonings.
SAM’S TIPS FOR SEARING: When searing your chicken, make sure your pan is hot and, after placing the chicken let sit undisturbed for several minutes before flipping it. Give the chicken breasts space, as placing them too close together can slow the cooking and cause the meat to steam rather than sear, turning it gray rather than brown (a missed opportunity for flavor!). If your pan isn’t large enough to sear all the meat at once, sear it in batches; you’ll likely need to add a bit more oil between batches.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and let it warm, then sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Broil until the cheese is bubbly and toasted. I opt to do this step (like when making French onion soup), but you can always add the cheese then just cover the pan with a lid for a minute or two until the cheese melts before serving. It won’t be crisped or golden, but it’ll still be melty and good.
SAM’S TIP: The recipe indicates salting (and pepper-ing) to taste. This is because how much salt you will need could vary greatly depending on how liberally you season your chicken before cooking it and how salted your broth is. I’ve made it previously and not needed to add any more salt at all. Always taste-test. If the dish tastes bland at ALL, it means you need more salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Gruyere is the a classic choice, but provolone, mozzarella, or Swiss would work nicely too, as would any other cheese that melts well. Just note that I do recommend grating your own cheese so it melts nicely! While a pre-shredded cheese will work, they don’t always melt as they should as they contain additives that keep the shreds from caking.
Yes, the sugar is added to help encourage the caramelization to happen faster and subtly enhance the flavor, but you can leave it out. I also sometimes substitute coconut sugar.
We love eating this French onion chicken over mashed potatoes (the sauce makes a nice gravy!) with a green veggie on the side. Feel free to serve yours with rice, risotto, or roasted sweet potatoes. As far as veggies go, green beans, steamed broccoli, or roasted brussels sprouts pair well.
And don’t forget some extra bread. Crescent rolls, biscuits, or something classic and crusty like sourdough or artisan bread would be great here!
Enjoy!
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French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs (680 g) sweet onions see note
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs (690 g) chicken breast
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine see note
- 2 Tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (473 ml) beef broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz (113 g) gruyere cheese shredded
Recommended Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- 12” skillet with lid
Instructions
- Prepare onions by slicing from root to stem. Remove the outer layer and then slice with the grain into thin (⅛” thick) slices. Set aside.1 ½ lbs (680 g) sweet onions
- Generously salt and pepper the chicken on all sides.Salt and pepper to taste
- Sear the chicken. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat until shimmering. Add chicken (spacing the chicken so it’s not touching) and sear on each side until cooked through (when searing, leave the chicken undisturbed in the pan for several minutes before moving). Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.1 ½ lbs (690 g) chicken breast, 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- Cook the onions. Reduce stovetop heat to medium and add butter. Once melted, add onions and sugar. Stir until all onion is coated with butter, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, covered. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are completely soft and lightly caramelized.2 Tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant.1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- Pour wine into the pan and cook until the onions have absorbed the wine and the steam no longer smells pungent/acidic.¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
- Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir/cook until absorbed, then continue to cook another 30 seconds to lightly toast the flour.2 Tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
- While stirring, slowly pour in beef broth. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste.2 cups (473 ml) beef broth, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Return chicken to the pan and cook until gravy is slightly thickened (ensure chicken is cooked through – at least 165F/73C at center).
- Nestle about 1 ½ oz (42g) of shredded cheese over each chicken breast.4 oz (113 g) gruyere cheese
- Broil: Transfer pan to oven and broil until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown (or just cover the pan with a lid and let the cheese melt for several minutes).
- Remove from oven and serve. We love this dish served over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans or broccoli!
Notes
Onions
Sweet/Vidalia onions are best for this recipe but yellow or white onions (or a blend of sweet/white or yellow) onions would also work fine here.Wine
A dry white wine is best, I typically use Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. To make this dish alcohol free, you can substitute either chicken broth or additional beef broth mixed with a Tablespoon of white vinegar instead.Storing
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavor actually develops even more!Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Mary-Jo
Just made Sunday dinner and delicious! Refreshing to have that French Onion flavor but the salt level is dialed down from the soup packet one is used to. Nothing like making it from scratch. Yum!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Mary-Jo! 🙂
Louise (PolishGrrl)
I saw this recipe in my email, and I knew I had to try it. These are all ingredients that are normally found in a stocked pantry. , I used sharp slicing provolone cheese, and that topped it off perfectly. Thanks for another easy way to get a protein-filled dinner, Sam:)
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Louise! 🙂
Stewball
why beef broth and not chicken broth?
Sam
The beef broth will give you a more authentic and richer french onion flavor than if you were to use chicken broth. 🙂
Stewball
that’s very interesting. thank you for replying.
Sam
great