French onion chicken bake is a comforting and delicious dish that combines the rich, savory flavors of French onion soup with tender, juicy chicken. Deeply caramelize sweet onions with white and smother chicken breasts with them and top with gooey cheese.
French onion soup is as cozy and nostalgic as it gets for me. This simple recipe features all the best flavors in the soup, with tender chicken breasts. Sear both sides of the chicken until golden, caramelize the onions, add the chicken breast and bake it all with melted cheese.
Serve it with crusty bread to gather up all of the extra caramelized onions and thank me later.
Are you serving up a dinner party? Try this whipped goat cheese as an appetizer and these crispy air fryer smashed potatoes as a side. And we love to finish off any meal with oreo dessert.
Then save this Boursin chicken and One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi for more cheesy chicken recipes (perfect for weeknights!).
Here's Why You'll Love This French Onion Chicken Bake
- It's really flavorful: thanks to the savory juicy chicken breasts, sweet onions, savory flavor, and this recipe combines that classic taste with tender, juicy chicken breasts.
- This dish can be made with just a few simple ingredients, and it's easy to put together, making it a great weeknight dinner option.
- Perfect for potlucks or family gatherings because the entire family will love it.
- Can be customized to your liking by adding vegetables to make it a complete meal.
- Can be made ahead of time and reheated later, making it perfect for busy weeknights
All the Ingredients You Need
Here are the main ingredients in this french onion chicken recipe. You'll find similarities here between this and your favorite soup, giving it the classic flavors of french onion soup! Skip down to the printable recipe card below for the full recipe and exact measurements.
- Chicken: You'll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.
- Onions: This is the best part of the dish, and French onion chicken wouldn't be complete without them. You'll need to caramelize the onions for a rich, sweet flavor.
- Garlic: Garlic adds depth of flavor and pairs well with the onions.
- Beef broth or chicken broth: this adds a savory, rich flavor and helps to deglaze the pan after caramelizing the onions.
- White wine: this helps cook and caramelize the onions faster and adds a subtle acidic note to cut through the richness. You can use chicken stock or balsamic vinegar if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
- Cornstarch: Use cornstarch to thicken the sauce (or tapicoa flour for a grain-free option).
- Cheese: Use Gruyere cheese for traditional french onion flavors, but you can use other cheeses like like mozzarella cheese or shredded provolone.
- Herbs: Add fresh thyme for more flavor.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to season the dish.
- Olive oil or butter: To caramelize the onions, or to cook the chicken in.
How to Caramelize Onions
Caramelizing onions is a cooking technique where onions are cooked slowly to bring out the natural sugars. in the onion and gives them a rich, deep flavor. Here's how you can do it:
Success tip: slice your onions as thin as possible. The thinner they are, the faster they will cook.
Peel and slice the onions: Peel the onions and slice them as thinly as possible. The thinner the slices, the faster they will caramelize. Add olive oil or butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl it around until the butter melts then add the sliced onions.
Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Pour in a few tablespoons of white wine or chicken broth, and continue to stir until the alcohol evaporates. Continue cooking the onion for another 10 minutes, adding the wine incrementally as needed, until all of the wine is gone and the onions start to turn a golden color.
Add the garlic, thyme, and red chili flakes and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply caramelized and have a jam-like consistency. This time may vary depending on how thin you slice the onions.
Important: patient when caramelizing onions as it takes some time to achieve the desired color and taste. Low heat will allow the onions to cook evenly and gently, and not burn.
How to Make French Onion Chicken Bake
This is an overview with step-by-step photos, to make this easy french onion chicken bake. Full printable instructions are in the recipe card below. You can also view the video tutorial below to watch instead of reading.
Pat both sides of the chicken breast dry with a paper towel and pound them down to an even thickness. If the chicken breast is really large, slice them in half lengthwise to get a 4-5 ounce portion. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil or butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat (check recipe card for using a baking dish). Add the chicken breasts to the hot pan and sear them on both sides for about 2-3 minutes, until the outside starts to crisp and brown. Remove them to a clean plate or cutting board for later.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil or butter, scraping any brown bits off the bottom from the chicken. Add the sliced onion and cook to caramelize. See steps above for detailed instructions on how to caramelize onions.
Quickly mix the cornstarch with the chicken broth in a separate bowl to dissolve it. Pour it over the onion and simmer slightly until the broth and onions thickened slightly.
Remove the pan with the onions from the heat and add the chicken back to the pan. Nestle the chicken breasts into the onions and use the spatula or tongs to place caramelized onions on top of the chicken.
Sprinkle each chicken breast generously with shredded cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of just below 165°F and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with a little bit more fresh thyme or chopped parsley and serve the chicken with extra sauce and onions.
French Onion Baked Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Like most things in cooking, the temperature to cook chicken breast is a personal preference. Cooking chicken at a higher heat requires fewer minutes of cooking, giving it a smaller chance of drying out. For that reason, cooking chicken at 400°F is our recommendation.
We talk a lot about keeping chicken moist in our guide to avoid rubbery chicken. Three ways to keep chicken breast moist are to use a marinade, cook the chicken with a method that adds moisture (like the slow cooker or braising), and the biggest one is to not over bake it. It will dry out the longer it cooks so use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.
What to Serve with Baked French Onion Chicken
Potatoes, a salad, or roasted veggies would be a great side dish. Try one of these to go alongside your french onion chicken casserole!
- Cauliflower rice or roasted cauliflower for a low-carb option.
- Roasted pesto potatoes, cheesy scalloped potatoes, dairy-free mashed potatoes, or our rosemary roasted sweet potatoes.
- A big salad is a good choice! We love our strawberry spinach salad or Brussels sprout salad would be delicious.
- Colorful veggies will add greens and nutrients! Our roasted mini peppers, Instant Pot asparagus, and crispy air fryer smashed potatoes are great options.
- Crusty sourdough bread broiled with more cheese is the perfect side to scoop up all the extra onions.
Storage and Reheating
Store french onion chicken bakes in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months (without the cheese). To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake the dish until it is heated through, or microwave individual portions.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
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French Onion Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil divided
- 4 (4-5 ounce) chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 medium sweet yellow onions thinly sliced (the thinner they're sliced, the faster they caramelize)
- 1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth plus more if needed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups shredded gruyere, mozzarella or white cheddar cheese
- Sliced sourdough or french baguette for serving optional
Recommended Equipment
- Oven-safe skillet or dutch oven
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat both sides of the chicken breast dry with a paper towel and pound them down to an even thickness. If the chicken breast is really large(7 ounces or more), slice them in half lengthwise to get a 4-5 ounce portion. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the bottom of a large, oven-safe skillet (like a cast iron skillet) or dutch oven over medium-high heat. See notes to make it in a casserole dish.
- When it’s hot, add the chicken breast and sear both sides for about 2 minutes, until the outside starts to crisp and brown. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked fully. Remove it to a clean plate or cutting board.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil or butter, scraping any brown bits off the bottom from the chicken. Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Pour in a few tablespoons of white wine or chicken broth, and continue to stir until the alcohol evaporates. Continue cooking the onion for another 10 minutes, adding the wine incrementally as needed, until all of the wine is gone and the onions start to turn a golden color. Add the garlic, thyme and red chili flakes and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply caramelized.
- Quickly mix the cornstarch with the chicken broth in a separate bowl to dissolve it. Pour it over the onion and simmer slightly until the broth and onions thickened slightly and the onions have a jam-like consistency.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken breast back to the pan. Nestle the chicken into the onions and use the spatula or tongs to place caramelized onions on top of the chicken.
- Sprinkle each chicken breast generously with shredded cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of just below 165°F and the cheese is melted and bubbling. The time will vary depending on how large your chicken breast is. Switch the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese if desired.
- Garnish with more fresh thyme or chopped parsley and serve the chicken with extra sauce and onions.
Ashley says
A little time consuming but so worth it!! Absolutely delicious with sourdough bread
Molly Thompson says
Thanks, Ashley! We had them with sourdough too and it was delicious. A tip I figured out is to really slice the onions thin so they cook faster! The first time we tested this recipe it took close to 25 minutes to caramelize them, but the second time was about 15 minutes.