This gluten-free French onion chicken is made of seared chicken breasts, smothered in a rich caramelized onion sauce that is topped with the perfect blend of melty cheeses. It is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser no matter who you make it for.
Calling all French onion soup lovers, I have your next favorite dinner waiting for you. Your favorite french onion soup is becoming a complete meal.
Would you believe that this gluten-free French onion chicken bake comes together really easily? I don't kid around about my love for easy gluten-free dinners. This chicken dinner is so good. It has all of the rich umami flavors of my gluten-free French onion soup but in an easy-to-make dinner that's delicious enough for the middle of the week and fancy enough to make the next time company comes over.
Dare I say; you might even want to whip up a fresh gluten-free french bread to go along with it tonight.
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This is not your average gluten-free chicken recipe with a sauce. It is pan-seared golden chicken breast, smothered in the sweet goodness of caramelized onions, and topped with cheeses that bring this chicken to a whole other level of deliciousness.
Ingredients.
- Chicken Breasts
- Onions
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Garlic
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Gluten-free Soy Sauce
- Arrowroot Starch
- Provolone Cheese
- Gruyere Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
Ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Alternate protein. - This rich caramelized onion sauce is so good on other meats like pork chops and even beef tenderloin. Feel free to add it to whatever meat you prefer
- The best onions for caramelized onions are yellow onions. - They have a nice balance of sharp and sweet flavors that make the best-carmelized onions for this gluten-free french onion chicken.
- Garlic - You can use fresh minced or garlic powder. If you are using fresh minced garlic, add it to the onions after they have caramelized, so you don't end up with burned garlic.
- Worcestershire sauce. - Make sure you are using a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. I use Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce which is gluten-free. If you can't find a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, you can double the amount of gluten-free soy sauce.
- Gluten-free soy sauce. - Make sure you are using a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce. You can also use equal parts coconut aminos.
- Arrowroot starch. - If you don't have arrowroot starch on hand, you can also use corn starch or potato starch instead.
- Cheese - I find this gluten-free french onion chicken bake has the best flavor with a combination of provolone, parmesan, and gruyere cheeses. If you can't find gruyere cheese, you can sub in asiago. If you really want to, you can also use mozzarella, but it won't have as much flavor.
Tips for making the best caramelized onions.
Caramelized onions are not hard to make; they just take a little bit of time. In this gluten-free french onion chicken, they are really the star of the show. Here are a few tips to get them delicious every time.
- Be sure to use both olive oil and butter that the recipe calls for. The balance of the two ingredients helps the onions caramelize without burning and adds more flavor.
- Keep the heat on the lower side so the onions cook slowly.
- The longer the onions cook, the more developed the sweetness that comes out of the onions as the sugars break down. This process could take twenty minutes or so, don't try and rush it. Trust me, you want the good flavors.
French onion chicken faq.
I prefer to use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you like dark meat, you can use boneless, skinless thighs. Just make sure whatever chicken you are using is fairly even. You don't want to use thin chicken, as it will tend to dry out while the cheese is melting.
Having an oven-safe skillet makes this recipe easier, but it's unnecessary. You can transfer the chicken and sauce into a baking dish before topping it with cheese and placing it in the oven to melt. If you prefer it even easier, you can simply put a lid over your skillet to help melt the cheese. Just note the cheese won't be as golden.
More tips and tricks.
- Don't overcook the chicken. - When you start the chicken, only worry about searing it. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through at this point; it will finish cooking once it's back in the sauce and placed in the oven to melt the cheeses.
Steps.
There are only a few simple steps that you need to do to make this gluten-free french onion chicken recipe.
- Sear the chicken.
- Caramelize the onions.
- Make the sauce.
- Add the cheese and bake to melt.
Serving suggestions.
My family loves this gluten-free french onion chicken bake served with simple creamy gluten-free mashed potatoes. It really is the perfect pairing. If you are like me and like to add vegetables to the family, I suggest something like my grilled asparagus, lemon broccoli, or even some roasted Brussels sprouts.
Making ahead.
While I wouldn't suggest making this recipe entirely ahead of time, there are some things you can do to make this recipe faster for the night you enjoy it.
- Chicken - You can prep the chicken by ensuring equal thickness.
- Onions - If you want to cut the cooking time down, you can caramelize the onions beforehand since this is the longest time needed for this recipe. Just store them in a container in the fridge until you are ready. Once you are making the rest of the recipe, warm the onions up in a skillet with olive oil and butter before making the sauce.
- Sauce - You can take it one step further and make the complete sauce ahead of time. Then when you are ready to make the chicken, it is prepared to top and get into the oven to melt the cheeses.
Storing and reheating leftovers.
If you have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- To reheat in the microwave, heat it in thirty-second intervals until the chicken is warmed through.
- If you prefer to reheat it in the oven, place it in an oven-safe baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes until the chicken is warm and the cheese is remelted.
More gluten-free chicken dinners.
If you want easy and delicious, these gluten-free chicken dinner recipes are sure to be your next favorite.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts. Cut to equal thickness.
- ½ C Arrowroot Starch
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- Olive oil for cooking.
Sauce
- 3 Large Yellow Onions Thinly sliced.
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch
- 2 ½ Cups Beef Stock
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Gluten-free Soy Sauce Or coconut aminos.
- ½ Teaspoon Thyme
- ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Teaspoons Parsley
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- 4 Slices Provolone Cheese
- 4 Slices Gruyere Cheese Or substitute asiago cheese.
- ½ Cup Parmesan cheese Fresh is best.
Instructions
Sear the chicken.
- Prep the chicken, cutting and pounding as needed to make it even.4 Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts.
- In a shallow dish combine the arrowroot starch and spices and mix till combined.½ C Arrowroot Starch, ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
- Warm a skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil.Olive oil for cooking.
- Add the chicken to the warm skillet and cook it on each side for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Do not worry about the chicken being fully cooked through at this point.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Caramelize the onions.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add half the butter and the olive oil to the skillet that had the chicken in it.4 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- To the onions and butter add the onions.3 Large Yellow Onions
- Let the onions go low and slow, stirring them occasionally until they are a deep caramelized color.
- If you are using fresh garlic, add it the last few minutes of the onions.2 Cloves Garlic
Make the sauce.
- Once the onions have caramelized to your liking add in the remaining butter, olive oil and arrowroot starch and stir until no dry flour is visible.4 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch
- Stir in the worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, beef stock and spices.1 Teaspoon Pepper, 2 ½ Cups Beef Stock, 1 ½ Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 ½ Teaspoons Gluten-free Soy Sauce, ½ Teaspoon Thyme, 2 Teaspoons Parsley, 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt, ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Bring the sauce to a simmer to let it start thickening.
Add the cheese.
- Once the sauce thickens, add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken. (If you are using a baking dish for this part do that now.)4 Slices Provolone Cheese, 4 Slices Gruyere Cheese, ½ Cup Parmesan cheese
- Layer the provolone, gruyere and parmesan cheese on top of the chicken and onion sauce.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken reads 165 degrees and the cheeses are melted.
Notes
- Be sure to use both olive oil and butter that the recipe calls for. The balance of the two ingredients helps the onions caramelize without burning and adds more flavor.
- Keep the heat on the lower side so the onions cook slowly.
- The longer the onions cook, the more developed the sweetness that comes out of the onions as the sugars break down. This process could take twenty minutes or so, don't try and rush it. Trust me, you want the good flavors.
- Don't overcook the chicken. - When you start the chicken, only worry about searing it. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through at this point; it will finish cooking once it's back in the sauce and placed in the oven to melt the cheeses.
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