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French Onion Chicken on a plate
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French Onion Chicken

Our French Onion Chicken skillet is cheesy, packed with flavor and it’s a cinch to make. Leftovers (if any) have a very short lifespan...
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, French
Keyword chicken breast recipes, french onion recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 442kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
  • Pat chicken breast (4) dry with paper towels to remove any moisture from packing. Generously season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon).
  • Heat oil (2 tablespoons) over medium heat in a high-sided, oven-safe skillet. When oil begins to shimmer, add chicken breast. Brown on each side, 4-6 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. 
  • Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet and melt. Add the onions (2) to the melted butter and cook, stirring until the onions begin to soften. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low (lower heat as needed so onions don't burn) and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft but not mushy. Sprinkle the onions with flour (3 tablespoons) and toss to coat.
  • Add the beef (1 cup) and chicken broth (1 cup), sherry (2 tablespoons), and thyme (1/4 teaspoon) to the onions. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thick.
  • Add chicken back to the pan and nestle into the onion mixture. Spoon some sauce over the chicken. Top with Gruyere (1 cup). 
  • Place skillet in preheated oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. It's better not to brown the cheese, just allow it to melt. Adjust seasoning if needed. Spoon a little onion mixture and sauce over the chicken, top with fresh thyme or chopped parsley(optional), and serve.

Notes

  1. Cheese: The cheese in this dish plays a starring role. Like authentic French Onion soup, our recipe calls for Gruyere cheese but you can substitute the Gruyere with Swiss and still have great flavor.
    1. Gruyere cheese: If you aren't familiar with this cheese, it's a fairly dense, semi-soft cheese that originated in Switzerland. It has a brownish rind that I remove. Because it's on the firmer side, I find it's easiest to shred it, rather than slice it. The flavor is really wonderful and adds fabulous complexity to the flavor of this recipe. This is the brand I use most often.
    2. Swiss Cheese: I love the flavor of Swiss, and I can buy it pre-sliced at the supermarket. Using sliced cheese rather than shredded produces a neater appearance to the finished dish.
  2. Oven: If you’d like to try a French onion chicken bake in the oven, this is a great recipe version to try it with.
    1. Preheat the oven to 350, and make the sauce in a skillet on the stovetop as directed.
    2. Pour it over the seasoned chicken breast and bake until cooked through.
    3. Top with cheese and put back in the oven until bubbly.
  3. Crunchy French Onion Chicken: You can make a crispy, crunchy version of this chicken that is super fun and really yummy. Before you put the chicken in the skillet to brown it, crunch up a bowl full of store-bought fried onions. Beat an egg. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the onions. Coat it well and place it in the pan. Follow the rest of the recipe as is. So good!
  4. French Onion Chicken Thighs: A wonderful option. Simply sub the chicken breasts for the thighs and PRESTO! The flavor is great, and the thighs add a different consistency to the meal. Boneless thighs are better, and the cooking time will not vary as much.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 734mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 370mg | Iron: 1.3mg