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This French onion soup chicken is a ridiculously good recipe with juicy chicken breasts cooked in a beefy onion gravy, topped with gooey, melty Gruyère cheese. It’s everything you love about the classic soup recipe in an easy chicken dinner!
Lovers of French onion soup, I have no doubt you’ll have this chicken recipe on repeat! And if you can’t get enough of those beefy onion flavors, try my French onion pasta next.
Brrr! The frigid temps here in the Chicago and Indiana areas have us all bundled up and huddled inside. Schools were closed for a couple of days, so we’ve been cooped up as a family, doing our best to stay warm—and you know that means lots of warm, comforting dinners.
Who’s ready to get cozy? Because that’s exactly what’s expected when you make this French onion soup chicken. It’s getting me through the coldest months of the year until I’m sipping spritzes on the patio again. With juicy pan-seared chicken (breasts or thighs, it’s up to you) smothered with a rich onion gravy and a blanket of melted cheese, comfort food dinners don’t get much better!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This French Onion Chicken Recipe
- Extra saucy. This recipe combines juicy pan-seared chicken breasts with a rich and beefy onion soup-turned-gravy. It’s the type of dinner that’s just begging to be served with fluffy dinner rolls, or I’ll use it as an excuse to thaw out my freezer mashed potatoes.
- Easy method. With the help of my cast iron skillet, this chicken goes seamlessly from the stovetop to the oven. It’s ready in under an hour.
- Beefy French onion flavor. I always order a starter of French onion soup whenever I see it on the menu. This chicken recipe channels all the beefy, savory flavors I love (plus the broiled cheese, which is key) into an approachable weeknight dinner.
What You’ll Need
Since we’re packing all those French onion flavors into a skillet chicken recipe, many of the ingredients remain the same. Here are some notes and possible substitutions. Have a scroll to the printable recipe card after the post for the full ingredients list and recipe details.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted. You’ll need it for cooking the onions and chicken. Olive oil works, too, but it doesn’t have the same richness and flavor.
- Onions – Yellow onions are the onion of choice for French onion soup, so that’s what I use here. You could also use brown onions or shallots. I don’t recommend red onions as they’re too soft.
- Worcestershire Sauce – You can also use soy sauce or tamari for a nice hint of umami.
- Thyme – I love the way that thyme brings out the flavor in the onions. The thyme can be fresh or dried (you’ll need about 3 times the amount of fresh thyme than dried).
- Beef Broth – I don’t recommend replacing beef broth in this recipe. Chicken and vegetable broth just don’t have the same depth of flavor.
- Cornstarch – An easy ingredient to thicken the sauce. You could also make beurre manié, a fancy French term for mixing equal parts flour and softened butter to stir into the sauce instead.
- Chicken Breasts – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use thighs. Keep in mind that chicken thighs and bone-in chicken will take longer to cook.
- Gruyère Cheese – Gruyère is a kind of nutty Swiss cheese and the traditional topping for French onion soup. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, good substitutes are grated cheddar, Edam, or Comte cheese.
How to Make French Onion Soup Chicken
Since this recipe goes from the stovetop to the oven, make sure you’re using an oven-proof skillet. I love my cast iron pan for this exact purpose, and can’t recommend it enough! Gather your ingredients, and let’s get started on this French onion soup chicken:
First, Caramelize the Onions
The base of the sauce is a classic French onion soup recipe with caramelized onions. You can even repurpose this step to make traditional French onion soup (the kind you top with bread and cheese), just triple up on the beef broth and onions, and serve it in bowls. You’re welcome. 😉
- Caramelize the onions. To start, slice the onions up thinly and add them to an oven-proof skillet with melted butter. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are tender. Then, give them a quick season with salt and pepper, and let the onions cook for another 10 minutes to get them nice and caramelized. Remember to stir every so often.
- Add the broth and seasonings. Sprinkle in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, then thyme, followed by the beef broth. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
Next, Prepare the Chicken
Now, you’ll cook the chicken and put it all together beneath a layer of melted Gruyère cheese:
- Pound the chicken thin. Meanwhile, lay out your chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to an even thickness (the same as you would for chicken paillard or piccata).
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper while you melt more butter in a new skillet (this one doesn’t have to be oven-proof). Afterward, sear the chicken in the pan for 5 minutes per side, until it’s browned. Set that aside for now.
- Make the sauce. Now, you’ll whisk cornstarch with beef broth in a small bowl, and pour that into the skillet with the onions. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes while the soup thickens into more of a gravy.
- Put it all together. Tuck your seared chicken into the skillet with the onions and gravy. Spoon the onions over the chicken, then, sprinkle over some shredded cheese.
- Bake. Pop the whole skillet into the oven at 400ºF for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Tips and Variations
- The best way to pound the chicken breasts is between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin so that you don’t pierce the chicken while you flatten it.
- How to tell when the chicken is done: Use an instant-read thermometer to take the internal temperature of the chicken. If it reads 165ºF, the chicken is cooked!
- If you’d like a bit more color on your melted cheese, switch the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to lightly toast the top. Don’t leave the oven unattended, though, as the cheese burns quickly!
Serving Suggestions
All that’s missing from this French onion soup chicken is the toasted crouton on top! For this reason, I love serving my chicken with slices of skillet bread toasted with garlic butter, or breadsticks to fully recreate the French onion soup vibes. Not to mention, bread comes in handy for soaking up all that leftover sauce. Freshen things up with a green salad tossed in homemade Italian dressing, or serve this onion chicken over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes with green beans in the wintertime.
Storing and Reheating Chicken
- Refrigerate leftovers. Store this French onion chicken in an airtight container in the fridge, and enjoy leftovers within 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm leftovers in a skillet on the stove or use the microwave. If you’d like to refresh the melted cheese, sprinkle over some fresh cheese while reheating.
- Freeze. Freeze the cooled chicken airtight for up to 3 months, and thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
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French Onion Soup Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large onions
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup beef broth, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Thinly slice the onions into half-moons. Cook the onions in melted butter, stirring, for 5 minutes. Once the onions are tender, season them with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking the onions for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add broth and seasonings. Add Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and ¼ cup beef broth to the onions. Cook for another 15 minutes.
- Prep the oven. Preheat your oven to 400˚F.
- Pound the chicken. While the onions are cooking, prepare the chicken. Pound the chicken with a meat mallet until it is 1 inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the chicken. Melt the remaining butter in a separate skillet. Add the chicken and cook it for 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining beef broth with cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet with the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken into the skillet with the onions and spoon the onions over the chicken.
- Add cheese and bake. Top the chicken breasts with the grated Gruyère cheese and bake your chicken in a cast iron skillet for 10 minutes at 400ºF.
- Finish and serve. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken warm.
Equipment
Notes
- The best way to pound your chicken is between two sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet. Make sure you use a flat side of your meat mallet because you do not want to pierce your chicken.
- Do not substitute beef broth with other types of broth, as beef broth gives the sauce a more complex flavor.
- If you do not have Gruyere cheese, you can use cheddar, Edam, or Comte.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
