This French Onion Chicken Recipe is easy to prepare in a skillet and bake in the oven! The chicken is smothered in a rich French Onion sauce and topped with hot, melted cheese.
2cupsmozzarella cheeseprovolone or gruyere are great too
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
Cut the chicken into 2-3 thinner slices. Place in between saran wrap and pound it to 1/4 inch thick. (*PRO TIP: Using the textured side of the meat tenderizer makes this go a bit more quickly.)
Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle each side with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese and dredge the chicken in it.
Heat 3 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes/side, until a nice golden crust has developed. PRO TIP: Adjust heat as needed throughout the searing process, turning down slightly if it gets too hot, and back up again if needed. Add a little additional olive oil if/as needed.
Set the chicken aside and tent with foil. If it’s not cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the oven.
Caramelize the Onions
Slice the onions to even ¼ inch slices. (Not too thin as they reduce in size during cooking.)
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to clean the chicken remnants (called “fond”) from the bottom of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce.
Add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Soften for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Make the Sauce
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Add the garlic and white wine to the skillet. Cook uncovered until the wine is almost completely reduced, about 10 minutes.
Add flour and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until raw flour smell is gone.
Add chicken broth, beef broth, and beef bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Let it thicken and reduce for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Bake
(Note: Transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish prior to baking if necessary. I always use a large, oven-safe skillet for this recipe to make it easy to transfer from the stovetop to the oven.)
Add the chicken back to the skillet and top with cheese. Bake at 475 for 15-20 minutes, until the top begins to brown and bubble.
Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve!
Notes
Pro Tips:
The soy sauce in this recipe can't be tasted but adds umami and enhances the other flavors in this dish.
Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss, or Gruyere make great cheese toppings.
Chicken broth can be used instead of white wine if needed.
Low Sodium Broth, soy sauce, and butter can be used to control the salt in this recipe. The beef bouillon can be omitted as well, but it does add a bit of rich flavor that makes the sauce similar to a gravy.
Chicken plumps up more when cooked so be sure to pound it thin.
Gravy Master can be added to the sauce for a darker color, though it's totally optional.