French Onion Chicken

French onion soup isn’t exactly a weeknight-friendly dish, but French Onion Chicken is! The secret? Shortcut caramelized onions. 

Caramelized onions, which are a hallmark of the soup, are also a main character in this chicken dinner recipe. They typically take at least an hour to develop their deep golden hue and super sweet flavor. But who has the time for that on a weeknight? To mimic the texture and flavor of caramelized onions in only 15 minutes, I sauté them over with a little brown sugar and salt, then cover and let them steam. This helps develop their flavor and softens them into silky ribbons. The result is as close as you’ll get to true caramelized onions—without keeping your stove on for hours. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be a French onion soup-inspired dish without bread and cheese. Serve the cheesy seared chicken breasts and caramelized onions with crusty bread for sopping up every last bit of this skillet dinner. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe that delivers big flavor in a snap.

Key Ingredients

This French onion chicken recipe gets a ton of flavor from just a few ingredients. Be sure to use high-quality chicken and cheese; you’ll definitely taste the difference. Here’s everything you need to make it:

• Chicken breasts: For this recipe, I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts since they’re lean and easy to cook. Feel free to substitute boneless, skinless thighs if you prefer. 
• Yellow onions: Look for yellow onions that have tight, shiny skin, which is a sign that they’re fresher and less likely to make you cry!
• Flavor Builders: Light brown sugar helps to caramelize the onions. Low Sodium Beef broth works best so you can control the saltiness of this dish. You can substitute chicken stock, but the sauce will be lighter. Worcestershire sauce adds a savory, umami-rich flavor to the onion base that makes it taste like they’ve been cooking for hours. 
• Gruyère cheese: Sharp, nutty Gruyére cheese melts over the top of the chicken and onion mixture to make this recipe read the same way French onion soup does. If you can’t find Gruyère cheese, any type of nutty alpine cheese, such as Swiss, comté, or emmental will work well.

How to Make French Onion Chicken

• Season the chicken. Pat 3 to 4 chicken breasts (2 pounds) dry with a paper towel. Season both sides evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. 
• Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook undisturbed until they are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side the same way. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and set aside. They do not need to be cooked through at this point.
• Sauté the onions. If the skillet is looking dry, add another drizzle of olive oil. Add 2 pounds of sliced yellow onions, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. 
• Simmer the onions. Stir in 3/4 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme. Cook, uncovered, until the most of the broth has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. 
• Add the chicken. Nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet, overlapping them slightly as needed to help them fit. Spoon some of the onions over top of the chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through (registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer). Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to low.
• Broil and serve. Sprinkle 4 ounces grated Gruyere cheese evenly over the top of the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with a baguette. 

Perfect Pairings

With tons of sautéed onions and sharp cheese, you don’t need much to round out this meal. I like to serve it with a crunchy green salad like this Butter Lettuce Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette or this Beet and Goat Cheese Salad.

Just like traditional French onion soup, serve French onion chicken with slices of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. Try our Easy French Baguette recipe if you’re up for a baking project!