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Turn your favorite soup into a complete protein-rich meal with French Onion Chicken. Made with broth, onions, butter, chicken, and cheese, the classic soup is getting a total upgrade!
Your favorite soup is becoming a complete meal
Most of us have found ourselves cozied up before a bowl of piping how french onion soup. It is one of the best comfort soups with its thick bread and top layer of perfectly broiled cheese.
But did you know you can take those same flavors (and many of the ingredients) and turn them into a sauce for using on top of chicken? Today I’m showing you how to make french onion chicken for the ultimate protein-rich meal that’s just as cozy as its soup counterpart!
It’s made by topping the chicken with a thick french onion style sauce. You’ll need many of the same ingredients like onions, broth, and cheese, but we’ll add to the recipe with some chicken breasts and an array of seasonings.
Ingredients in french onion chicken
One of the many great things about this dish is that you likely have everything you need to get started. Chicken breasts are a staple in my kitchen along with onions, seasonings, and of course, cheese! Because gruyere isn’t as frequently used (and therefore not as much of a staple), feel free to use up the mozzarella you have sitting in your meat and cheese drawer!
- Butter: First, you will need 3 tbsp of butter. 2 tbsp will be used for the onions and 1 tbsp for the chicken.
- Onions: Use 2 large onions, sliced very thin. I recommend white or yellow onions.
- Broth: 1 cup of broth will help to make up the french onion portion of the chicken sauce.
- Chicken breasts: As for the chicken, use 4 medium chicken breasts. This will create 4 large portions.
- Seasonings: For flavor, you will need three seasonings. Use 1 tsp each of thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Arrowroot powder: 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder will thicken up the french onion sauce. You can also use cornstarch.
- Cheese: Finally, complete the dish with 1 cup of grated gruyere. If you have mozzarella, that will work too!
Tools needed to make this recipe
To make french onion chicken, you will need a cutting board and chopping knife to prep the onions. From there, grab a skillet, mallet or roller, small mixing bowl, plate, whisk, and spoon! A spatula may come in handy for stirring as well.
For measuring, you will need the following sized cups: 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/4 cup, and 1 cup.
How to make this french onion chicken recipe
French onion chicken is made on the stove by searing the chicken in a bed of butter. From there, it’s topped with a thick and creamy french onion sauce that gives the chicken a world of flavor!
To begin, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add all of the sliced onions and 1/4 cup of the beef broth. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the onions are browned and softened.
While the onions are cooking, pound the chicken breasts with a mallet or roller until they’re even and thin. They should be about 1 inch thick all around.
Next, season both sides of the chicken with the thyme, salt, and pepper.
Set the finished onions aside in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the skillet and then add the chicken.
Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Once fully seared, set the chicken aside on a plate and reduce the stove heat to medium-low.
Then, mix the remaining 3/4 cup of the broth and the arrowroot powder in a small bowl.
Add the onions back to the skillet, and then add the broth and arrowroot mixture. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes, or until thick. Turn off the heat.
Add the chicken back to the skillet and, using a spoon, cover the chicken with the onions and sauce.
Top each chicken breast with finely shredded gruyere cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
Best onions for french onion chicken
I recommend using either white or yellow onions in your recipe. White onions are famously used for french onion soup thanks to their sweet flavor, but yellow onions work too. They offer more of an “oniony” flavor while still contributing a bit of sweetness. For an extra potent flavor, you could use red, though I wouldn’t recommend it.
What to serve with this dish
To add some greens to your plate, I recommend serving up this chicken alongside broccoli, asparagus, or brussels sprouts. You can also go for a leafy salad complete with a light and zesty dressing, like a lemon vinaigrette!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Adding chicken to a meal is one of my favorite ways to sneak in extra protein. Making a salad? Add chicken! Pasta? Add chicken! It’s so easy to add to almost any type of dish. Here are some more classic recipes that use the protein-rich staple!
- Pesto Chicken Salad Recipe
- Healthy Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Caprese Chicken Quinoa Bake
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
French Onion Chicken
Turn your favorite soup into a complete protein-rich meal with French Onion Chicken. Made with broth, onions, butter, chicken, and cheese, the classic soup is getting a total upgrade!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 large onions, sliced very thin
- 1 cup broth
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 1 cup grated gruyere cheese (mozzarella works as well)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add in all of the sliced onions and 1/4 cup beef broth. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until browned and softened.
- While onions are cooking, pound chicken breasts with mallot or roller until even and thinner that before. Anywhere around 1 inch thick all around.
- Season both sides of chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Set finished onions aside in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter to skillet and then add chicken.
- Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Once it has been seared on each side, set chicken aside on a plate and turn down stovetop to medium-low heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup broth with 1 tbsp arrowroot powder.
- Add onions back to skillet, along with the broth arrowroot mixture. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Turn off heat.
- Add chicken back to skillet and using a spoon, cover the chicken with the onions and sauce.
- Top each chicken breast with finely shredded gruyere cheese.
- Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until internal temp reads 165F.
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Alex B says
Wow! Excellent. Husband is a big fan too. So simple but great flavor. Often have all the ingredients at home so a great quick meal anytime.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alex, so happy you both loved it!!
Kelsey says
I have been meaning to try this for a while but just got around to it and I am mad I didn’t make it earlier… so so good, and very simple to make!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kelsey, so glad you loved it!!
Rachel says
Our family loves this recipe! So yummy and easy to make, it never gets old!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Rachel, so glad you loved it!!
Paige says
One of our dinner staples! Such good flavor
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Paige, so happy you love it!
Jackie says
So easy to make and DELICIOUS! shared the recipe with so many people who wanted to make it too!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jackie, so glad you loved it!!
Brittany says
This recipe is SO GOOD. Perfect for a cold winter night.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Brittany, so happy you loved it!
Meredith says
Super easy and flavorful! My husband and I have been eating this once a week!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Meredith, so happy you both love it!!
Alysa Bodolus says
This chicken dish is SO good. It’s hard to get creative sometimes with chicken dishes but this one hits the mark.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alysa, so happy you loved it!
Megan says
DELICIOUS!! Paired well with green beans. Going to have to make for my mom who loves French onion soup.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Megan, so glad you loved it!
Nicole says
Delicious. So much flavor. So easy to make.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Nicole, so glad you loved it!
Kristina says
Don’t question it.. just make it now! The thyme and onions are really the star of the show. The flavors are SO good! I pound the chicken thin like she recommends. It’s one of my favorite ELW recipes and I’ve tried a bunch!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kristina, so happy you loved it!!
Sarah Jowers says
So good and so easy! The delicious taste of the soup but a little more punch with the protein from the chicken! It’s our family go to.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sarah, so happy your fam loved it! 🙂
Lauren H says
SO good!
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so glad you loved it!
Makayla says
Made this tonight and everyone loved it! So delish!
Erin says
Hi Makayla, so happy it was a hit!!
Camille says
Wowowowow. INSANE!!! Perfectly seasoned, flavorful, and simply delicious. This is a MUST make! Served with butternut squash and green beans- made for a cozy weeknight meal!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Camille, so happy you loved it! 🙂
Jessica says
This recipe was amazing! I used 6 breasts and kept the other measurements the same, came out perfectly. Erin Lives Whole recipes never disappoint!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jessica, so glad you loved it! 🙂
Jillian says
Very good! I doubled the recipe and then put on broil for an extra 5 min. Served with salad and rice
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jillian, so glad you loved it! 🙂
Danielle says
Insanely good!! Can’t wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Danielle, so glad you loved it!!
Karen says
This dish was amazing! Perfect comfort food and it was a hit with my whole family, even my 2 year old!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Karen, so glad you all enjoyed it!!
Jeanna says
Made this last weekend!! AMAZING!! Love Erin’s recipes so much!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jeanna, so happy you loved it! 🙂