This French Onion Chicken uses minimal ingredients yet tastes absolutely delicious!
This is perfect for a family dinner but ‘special’ enough for company too! Follow me…
Caramelised Onions
The key aspect of an awesome French onion soup is the caramelised onions. Whilst we’re not specifically making a French onion soup, we are making a French onion-style sauce and the caramelised onions are an important component.
For awesome caramelised onions, all you need is olive oil and/or butter and some salt and pepper. That’s it! I also love adding some balsamic vinegar to help balance out the sweetness of the onions and the richness of the beefy sauce.
Low and slow
The key to successfully caramelising onions is frying low and slow to tickle out their sweetness. Rushing this process will simply leave you with fried onions, and since there’s so much onion, the dish will end up way too oniony. Caramelising them really mellows out the harsh flavour and turns the onions jammy, sticky and sweet. Don’t rush this process!
Process shots: add onion to butter and oil (photo 1), fry until soft and golden (photo 2), lower heat and add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper (photo 3), gently fry until caramelised (photo 4).
French Onion Chicken
We’ll be using a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. I like to slice them through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. Not only will this help the chicken cook quicker and more evenly, but you also double the portion size!
Once you’ve removed the onions, you can then fry the chicken and remove that too. The sauce is so simple – it’s literally just the onions with some flour mixed in then some beef stock and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
From there just add the chicken back in, coat in the sauce, top with cheese (Gruyere is the classic option) then pop under the grill/broiler until the cheese melts!
Process shots: add chicken to pan (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2), add onions and stir in flour (photo 3), stir in stock then add chicken (photo 4), add cheese (photo 5), grill (photo 6).
French Onion Chicken FAQ
What if I don’t have an oven-safe pan?
I recommend using a pan with a lid. Just add the lid on at the end to trap the steam and melt the cheese.
How do I make sure the chicken is perfectly cooked?
When you fry it just make sure it’s only just cooked through the centre. It will carry on cooking very slightly as it rests then when added back to the sauce. Make sure you don’t leave it under the grill for too long – this is just to melt the cheese. Once it starts to melt, remove the pan immediately.
Can I use thigh instead of breast?
You could yes. Just keep in mind they’ll take a little longer to cook through than breast. You might also want to drain away some of the excess fat too before adding the onions back in.
Serving French Onion Chicken
Once the cheese has melted you’ll want to spoon over some of the sauce and then serve up right away. I love adding some finely diced fresh chives for a final pop of colour and flavour. Here I’ve served with asparagus and Roasted Baby Potatoes, but check out my Sides for more inspo!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this French onion chicken shall we?!
How to make French Onion Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
French Onion Chicken
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Oven-Safe Pan & Wooden Spoon (see notes)
- Tongs
- Jug (for stock)
- Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp / 30g Butter, divided in two
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil, divided in two
- 2 large White Onions, thinly sliced (approx 400g/14oz before peeled)
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2x 250g/9oz Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Dried Thyme, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Plain Flour
- 240ml / 1 cup Beef Stock
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 100g / 1 cup grated Gruyere
- finely diced Fresh Chives, to garish (see notes)
Instructions
- Add half of the butter and oil to a large oven-safe pan over medium heat then add the sliced onion. Fry for 15mins, stirring somewhat frequently, until the onions turn soft and golden. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and 1/8 tsp salt and pepper then turn the heat to medium-low. Continue gently frying the onions until very soft and sticky/sweet (approx 20 minutes). Don't rush this – low and slow is key to caramelising the onions. If any fond (flavour/char) builds up or the onions dry out at any point, just add a dash of water to loosen up.
- Meanwhile, horizontally slice each chicken breast right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder, thyme and black pepper.
- Remove the onions from the pan and wipe out the pan if needed. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the remaining oil and butter. Add the chicken and fry both sides for a few minutes until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove and place on a plate to one side then turn the heat to medium-low. At this point preheat the grill/broiler to high.
- Add the onions back to the pan and stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring as you go to avoid lumps, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the resting juices from the chicken. Check for seasoning then add the chicken back in the pan. Spoon some of the onions then top with gruyere.
- Place under the grill/broiler just until the cheese melts then remove immediately so you don't overcook the chicken. Spoon over some more of the onions, garnish with chives then serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Really delicious, will definitely do again. The combination of balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire and onions was really good.
Thanks for the review, Cindy! So pleased it went down well 🙂 C.
Oh.My.Goodness! What an amazing dish! Simple straight-forward chicken prep along with the glorious velvety French Onion sauce. I didn’t have beef stock on hand so I used chicken stock. I added onion powder to the seasoning mix as that’s the way my brain works. Served alongside your Crispy Oven-baked Potato Wedges and a side salad. I added extra gruyere before broiling and had gruyere to serve tableside too. Thank you Chris – amazing dinner!
Love the idea of extra gruyere and love the sides too! Thanks again for a lovely review 🙂 C.