This Creamy French Onion Chicken is a simple yet crave-worthy dinner that’s made in one skillet! Tender chicken breasts are covered in a rich gravy with caramelized onions, then piled with Gruyere and baked to form a perfectly melty, cheesy layer on top. This is comfort food at it’s very best.
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This may be one of THE best chicken dinners that exists.
I don’t say that lightly. I’ve made some delicious skillet chicken dishes, like this Chicken with White Wine Sauce, Spinach & Artichoke Orzo with Chicken, or this Chicken Parmesan Skillet.
But French Onion Chicken takes the gold medal.
This recipe starts with the classic caramelized onions. These take a little time to get right, but the tender, sweet, golden brown onions you get at the end are soooo worth it!
If you want to enjoy these flavors with more hands-off work, you can also try this Instant Pot French Onion Soup.
Once the onions are caramelized, you make it into a rich, creamy gravy that will bathe the chicken. Then sear up the chicken for a crispy outside, pile it with cheese, and bake until it’s deliciously gooey.
Can you get more warm and comforting than that?
Reader
Love
I made this tonight and OMG it was amazing. I was drinking the sauce. Even my little kids loved it. Thanks for sharing 😊!
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Ingredient notes
- Chicken Breasts – You can also use chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Gruyere Cheese – You can also use provolone, swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, or a combination.
- Butter + Olive Oil
- Onions – It’s best to go with a sweet onion, like a Vidalia or Walla Walla onion.
- Dry White Wine – Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris are great dry-wine options. Here are 13+ of my favorite dry white wines for cooking. Or, for an alcohol-free version, add some additional beef broth.
- Cognac – Or, omit and use additional beef broth.
- Flour – This helps to thicken that yummy onion gravy.
- Beef Broth – If you don’t have store-bought beef broth, I highly recommend making homemade bone broth in the Instant Pot. I always have some on hand in the freezer.
- Salt, Pepper + Sugar
- Fresh Thyme + Parsley
What kind of onion is best for this recipe?
The best type of onion for this recipe is a sweet onion, like a Vidalia or Walla Walla onion. These get sweeter as they cook and caramelize beautifully! If you don’t have sweet onions, I suggest using yellow onions instead.
What wine is best for French Onion Chicken?
Similar to french onion soup, I prefer to use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris in this recipe. You could also try dry vermouth or sherry. If you prefer not to use wine, just substitute it with additional beef broth.
How to make it
Step 1
Caramelize the onions
- Melt butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize.
Step 2
Make the gravy
- Into the onions, stir in the cognac and white wine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Then stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Whisk in beef broth. Add salt, sugar, pepper and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened.
Step 3
Cook the chicken
- While the gravy is cooking, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in the skillet. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook, until golden. Return onions to skillet and sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Place the skillet in your preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
Step 4
Garnish and serve
- Spoon some of the onions and gravy over the top of the chicken, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve.
Recipe tips
- Chicken: Choose pieces of chicken that are close in size, then pound them to uniform thickness. This will help them all cook evenly.
- Caramelizing onions: Don’t cook the onions any higher than medium heat. This step takes quite a while, but don’t rush it. The onions turn out best when cooked longer over a lower heat.
- Reheating: To reheat this chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through.
What to serve with it
I tend to serve this chicken dinner up with some instant pot rice. It’s also great served alongside some buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or even mashed cauliflower for a low carb option.
This dish also goes really well with a simple salad, like this Easy Arugula Salad or this Brussels Sprout Salad with Mustard & Parmesan. You could also serve a side of Sous Vide Asparagus or Easy Instant Pot Artichokes. Or, try one of these:
- Click here for MORE side dishes to serve with chicken
- Click here for 35+ options for what to serve with French Onion Soup
Erin’s wine pairings
- For red wine, I suggest a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir.
- MORE → the 8 BEST Chicken Wine Pairings.
More chicken recipes
Did you make this French Onion Chicken recipe?
If you loved this creamy onion chicken, I would appreciate it so much if you would leave a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
Psst… Love this French Onion Soup? You’ve got to try my Instant Pot French Onion Soup and One Pot French Onion Pasta too!
Full Recipe
French Onion Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless & skinless, pounded to a uniform thickness)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 medium onions (cut into thin half rings (about 4 cups))
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (or additional beef broth)
- ¼ cup cognac (or omit and use ¾ white wine)
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese (shredded )
- Fresh chopped parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the 3 medium onions and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in the ¼ cup cognac and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol is cooked off and slightly reduced. Stir in 2 Tablespoons flour. Cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups beef broth. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 3 sprigs fresh thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Then remove from skillet and set aside. Remove thyme sprigs.
- Season 4 chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken breasts and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Return onions to skillet and sprinkle 6 ounces gruyere cheese over the chicken. Place the skillet in your preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
- Spoon some of the onions and gravy over the top of the chicken, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Reheat in the oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
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Chicken: Choose pieces of chicken that are close in size, then pound them to uniform thickness. This will help them all cook evenly.
-
Caramelizing onions: Don’t cook the onions any higher than medium heat. This step takes quite a while, but don’t rush it. The onions turn out best when cooked longer over a lower heat.
-
Reheating: To reheat this chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2022 to add new information. The cheesy french onion chicken recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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