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A spoon scooping up French Onion Chicken topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions.
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French Onion Chicken

This French Onion Chicken Recipe is easy to prepare in a skillet and bake in the oven! The chicken is smothered in a rich French Onion sauce and topped with hot, melted cheese.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 604kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt/pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ Tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter salted or unsalted

Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 yellow onions equal to 1.5 lbs.
  • 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground sage
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine like chardonnay or pinot grigio
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 beef bouillon
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese provolone or gruyere are great too

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken

  • Cut the chicken into 2-3 thinner slices. Place in between saran wrap and pound it to 1/4 inch thick. (*PRO TIP: Using the textured side of the meat tenderizer makes this go a bit more quickly.)
  • Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle each side with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese and dredge the chicken in it.
  • Heat 3 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes/side, until a nice golden crust has developed. PRO TIP: Adjust heat as needed throughout the searing process, turning down slightly if it gets too hot, and back up again if needed. Add a little additional olive oil if/as needed.
  • Set the chicken aside and tent with foil. If it’s not cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the oven.

Caramelize the Onions

  • Slice the onions to even ¼ inch slices. (Not too thin as they reduce in size during cooking.)
  • Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to clean the chicken remnants (called “fond”) from the bottom of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce.
  • Add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Soften for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and sage.
  • Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Make the Sauce

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  • Add the garlic and white wine to the skillet. Cook uncovered until the wine is almost completely reduced, about 10 minutes.
  • Add flour and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until raw flour smell is gone.
  • Add chicken broth, beef broth, and beef bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Let it thicken and reduce for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bake

  • (Note: Transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish prior to baking if necessary. I always use a large, oven-safe skillet for this recipe to make it easy to transfer from the stovetop to the oven.)
  • Add the chicken back to the skillet and top with cheese. Bake at 475 for 15-20 minutes, until the top begins to brown and bubble.
  • Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • The soy sauce in this recipe can't be tasted but adds umami and enhances the other flavors in this dish.
  • Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss, or Gruyere make great cheese toppings.
  • Chicken broth can be used instead of white wine if needed. 
  • Low Sodium Broth, soy sauce, and butter can be used to control the salt in this recipe. The beef bouillon can be omitted as well, but it does add a bit of rich flavor that makes the sauce similar to a gravy.
  • Chicken plumps up more when cooked so be sure to pound it thin.
  • Gravy Master can be added to the sauce for a darker color, though it's totally optional.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 116!
  • Be sure to try my French Onion Pasta recipe next!

Nutrition

Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1122mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 756IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 422mg | Iron: 3mg