French Onion Chicken
, Updated Oct 06, 2025
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Creamy French Onion Chicken! This easy one-pot recipe allows you to enjoy the rich flavors of French onion soup and tender chicken all in one dish. Serve over mashed potatoes for a cozy and delicious meal!
I have been low-key obsessed with French onion ANYTHING since I made the French Onion Beef Stew. Caramelized onions are sweet yet deeply savory and bursting with umami flavor – and they elevate so many dishes beyond French onion soup.
Take this French onion chicken recipe for instance… OMG it is so delicious! Tender chicken breasts smothered with a rich and creamy French onion sauce are a restaurant-worthy meal you don’t have to leave your house for!
Taking the time to properly caramelize the onions is the key to unlocking their magical sticky sweetness, so save this recipe for the weekend. Trust me, it is well worth the effort!
French Onion Chicken Ingredients
There’s only a handful of ingredients in this recipe – worth splashing on the best organic skin-on chicken breasts for best results.
- Chicken breasts – make sure they are of equal thickness so that they cook evenly. You can also make this recipe with skin-on chicken thighs if preferred.
- Olive oil and butter – this is a rich dish… no doubt about it!
- Onions – large sweet Vidalia onions or brown onions.
- Garlic – sliced or minced garlic
- Marsala, sherry or white wine (this can be replaced with extra chicken broth)
- Chicken broth
- Salt, pepper, sugar and fresh thyme
- A little Dijon mustard for extra flavor.
- Flour to thicken our French onion gravy.
- Cream to enrich the sauce even further!
- Gruyere cheese
How to make French Onion Chicken
- Pat the chicken breasts dry using paper towels and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil and butter in a large casserole dish. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin is deeply golden then turn over and cook the underside for a couple of minutes. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside.
- Add the sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring until they start to brown.
- Sprinkle with the sugar and thyme, add the wine, cover with a lid (a glass one if possible so you can check on the onion’s progress) and sweat the onions for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and golden.
- Add a little more butter, the Dijon mustard and flour and stir well, cooking for a minute or so. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat, return the chicken breasts and their juices to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 6-9 minutes, depending on their thickness, or until cooked through (165°F /75°C on a meat thermometer). Set chicken aside onto a plate.
- Stir in the cream and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve the chicken breasts over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with a generous grating of Gruyere cheese and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe Tips
- You use beef broth instead of chicken for a richer, darker gravy.
- Make sure the chicken breasts are of equal size and thickness so that they cook at the same time. You don’t want to overcook them so a meat thermometer is very useful here!
Lucy’s Pro Tip
Cheesy Croutes
Take things to a whole new level by making these cheesy croutes. Slice a baguette and brush with olive oil on both sides. Toast in the oven or air fryer for 10-15 minutes at 350°F /180°C. Brush with Dijon mustard and top with grated Gruyere. Place under the broiler (grill) to melt the cheese to serve alongside the chicken.
Try these recipes next!
- One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
- Chicken Piccata Meatballs with Orzo
- One Pan Chicken And Potatoes with Honey Mustard Marinade
- Creamy Chicken Skillet with Corn, Zucchini and Tomatoes
HAVE YOU MADE MY FRENCH ONION CHICKEN RECIPE? Please leave a rating, sounds off in the comments, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
French Onion Chicken
Video
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 large chicken breasts , skin-on
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil , or as needed
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large onions , cut into thin slices
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme , plus extra to serve
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic , sliced or minced
- ⅓ cup (80ml) Marsala , sherry or dry white wine
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream heavy / double
- Gruyere cheese , grated to serve
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry using paper towels and season well with sea salt and black pepper.4 large chicken breasts, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Heat oil and butter in a large casserole dish. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin is deeply golden then turn over and cook the underside for a couple of minutes. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring until they start to brown.3 large onions, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Sprinkle with the sugar and thyme, add the wine, cover with a lid (a glass one if possible so you can check on the onion's progress) and sweat the onions for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.1 tbsp fresh thyme, 2 tsp light brown sugar, ⅓ cup (80ml) Marsala
- Remove the lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and golden.
- Add the butter, garlic, Dijon mustard and flour and stir well, cooking for a minute or so. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.½ tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp flour, 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Reduce the heat, return the chicken breasts and their juices to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 6-9 minutes, depending on their thickness, or until cooked through (165°F /75°C on a meat thermometer). Set chicken aside onto a plate.
- Stir in the cream and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve the chicken breasts over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with a generous grating of Gruyere cheese and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.⅓ cup (80ml) cream, Gruyere cheese
Notes
- You use beef broth instead of chicken for a richer, darker gravy.
- Make sure the chicken breasts are of equal size and thickness so that they cook at the same time. You don’t want to overcook them so a meat thermometer is very useful here!
- Slice a baguette and brush with olive oil on both sides. Toast in the oven or air fryer for 10-15 minutes at 350°F /180°C. Brush with Dijon mustard and top with grated Gruyere. Place under the broiler (grill) to melt the cheese to serve alongside the chicken.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
