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French Onion Chicken

Jan 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment

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This 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.

Would you believe me that this French onion chicken comes together in only one skillet? Trust me; I don't kid around about my love for easy one-skillet dinners. This chicken dinner is so good. It has all of the rich umami flavors of classic French onion soup, but in an easy-to-make skillet dinner that's easy 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.

French onion chicken being served over creamy mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.

This is a winner, winner chicken dinner!

This is not your average chicken recipe with a sauce. It is pan-seared golden chicken smothered in the sweet goodness of caramelized onions, topped with cheeses that brings this chicken to a whole other level of deliciousness.

Shopping List

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Onions - I use yellow onions for this recipe.
  • Olive Oil
  • Butter
  • Garlic - Fresh minced, or garlic powder
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Gluten-free Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
  • Arrowroot Starch or Corn Starch
  • Provolone Cheese
  • Gruyere Cheese - If you can't find gruyere cheese you can sub in asiago.
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Thyme
  • Parsley
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt and Pepper
Ingredients for mak0ing the sauce for French onion chicken including the onions, stock, butter, olive oil, spices and cheeses.

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The onions are the star of the show.

Don't get me wrong, the chicken is delicious, but the sweet caramelized onions are the star of this chicken dinner. The best onions for this recipe are yellow onions. They have a nice balance of sharp and sweet flavors that make the best-carmelized onions.

How to make caramelized onions.

Caramelized onions are not hard to make; they just take a little bit of time.

  • Be sure to use both olive oil and butter that the recipe calls for.
  • Keep the heat on the lower side so the onions cook slow.
  • The longer the onions cook the more developed the sweetness 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.

Tips and Tricks

What is the best kind of chicken to use for french onion chicken?

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.

Use olive oil and butter.

This might sound like it's not necessary, but it really helps the onions get the rich caramelized onion flavor.

Do you need an oven-safe skillet?

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.

Don't overcook the chicken.

When you start the chicken, you are working on 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 for making french onion chicken.

  1. Sear the chicken.
  2. Caramelize the onions.
  3. Make the sauce.
  4. Add the cheese and bake to melt.
Steps for making french onion chicken starting with searing the chicken, caramelizing the onions, making the sauce and melting the cheeses on top.

Can you use another meat besides chicken?

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

How to serve.

My family loves this chicken served with simple creamy mashed potatoes. It really is the perfect pairing. If you like me and like to add vegetables for the family, I suggest something like my grilled asparagus, lemon broccoli, or even some roasted Brussels sprouts.

Can you make this ahead of time?

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 it 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 a week 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.

Close up on some french onion chicken showing off the caramelized onions and cheesy topping.

Need more chicken dinners to love?

Give one of these a try.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Sweet Teriyaki Chicken

Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken

French onion chicken nestled on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.

Gluten-free French Onion Chicken

French onion chicken is made of seared chicken breasts, smothered in a rich caramelized onion sauce and topped with the perfect blend of melty cheeses.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course dinner
Cuisine French
Servings 4

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

What is the best kind of chicken to use for french onion chicken?
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.
Use olive oil and butter.
This might sound like it's not necessary, but it really helps the onions get the rich caramelized onion flavor.
Do you need an oven-safe skillet?
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.
Don't overcook the chicken.
When you start the chicken, you are working on 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.
Keyword caramelized onions, french onion, french onion chicken

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!

« German Pancake - Gluten-free
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