This easy French Onion Chicken Bake is a fun twist on the classic soup. Juicy chicken breasts are infused with the flavors of French onion soup, like caramelized onions, beef broth, and melted gruyere cheese. It’s a deeply savory, umami-filled meal that tastes like it was cooked all day, but only takes about an hour. Best of all, it only requires a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have on hand!
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Is there anything cozier than a big bowl of French onion soup? The sweet onions, rich broth, and layer of melty cheese is instantly warming. This French onion chicken recipe builds on that flavor by first caramelizing onions, then steeping them in beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to bring out lots of flavor. Then, everything is layered in the baking dish and baked until tender.
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Why this recipe works
- Delicious: This recipe relies on mostly pantry staples and condiments, yet they come together with a luxuriously rich flavor that tastes expensive.
- Customizable: To make this chicken bake into a full meal, serve it with a starch, like pasta, roasted potatoes, or some toasted bread. By serving the starch separately, it’s easy to offer an option that fits any dietary style.
- Easy dinner recipe: Instead of traditional caramelized onions that can take hours to cook down to a jam-like consistency, this simple recipe uses a few highly flavorful ingredients to increase the flavor faster than ever.
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil & butter: I like to use both of these cooking fats to get nice caramelization and flavor without accidentally burning the butter.
- Sliced onions: White or yellow onions are best for this recipe. It’s important to cut the onions into consistent slices to help them cook down evenly.
- Low sodium beef broth: Beef broth is classic in French onion soup, but I prefer to use the low-sodium broth and add the salt separately.
- Balsamic vinegar: This is an easy way to add a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: We always have Worcestershire sauce in the fridge because it adds so much flavor so quickly.
- Seasonings: You can season this recipe very nicely with a small selection of spices, like garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. I do recommend opting for fresh thyme, if possible, although dried thyme works great in a pinch.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: These will be cooked directly in the caramelized onion mixture to soak up all that flavor. Make sure the breasts are fully thawed to help them cook evenly.
- Grated Gruyere cheese: Gruyere is a Swiss melting cheese with a buttery, slightly earthy flavor. It melts beautifully and adds that bubbly, golden brown layer you love in classic French onion soup.
How to make it
- In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil and butter until melted and foamy.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 15 minutes.
- The onions will be very soft and will turn golden brown.
- Stir in the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Spread half of the caramelized onions on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Arrange the chicken breasts evenly over the onions in the baking pan and season them with salt and pepper.
- Top the chicken with the remaining caramelized onions.
- Top the chicken and onions with the shredded cheese.
- Bake until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° It will be golden brown with a delicious onion gravy.
Helpful Tips
- Use a different cut. Instead of chicken breast, try boneless skinless chicken thighs or tenders.
- Temp the chicken. The easiest way to know when the chicken breasts are done is to probe them with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°.
- Add some Parmesan. To add a little extra saltiness, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over the gruyere before baking.
- Boost the flavor. For an extra depth of flavor, deglaze the bottom of the pan with a little white or red wine to pull up all those flavorful browned bits and infuse them into the sauce.
- Make it one pan. To make clean up easy, I sometimes make this delicious French onion chicken bake in an oven-safe skillet that can go from stovetop to oven. (like a cast iron pan).
- Storage. Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To freeze. The leftovers can be frozen in freezer-safe containers, then thawed, and reheated.
Common questions
Beef broth is traditional in classic French onion soup as it has a rich, hearty flavor. If you prefer a milder flavor, you can absolutely use chicken broth instead.
This French onion chicken dish was not designed to have enough liquid to hydrate dried rice. Think of this as a savory, saucy chicken that can be served on pasta, bread, rice, and much more. Simply follow the recipe as described in the recipe card and serve with your favorite starches on the side.
This recipe is gluten-free because it’s made from scratch, and not with store-bought canned onion soup or packaged onion soup, which can contain gluten. The only item in this recipe that can possibly contain gluten is the Worcestershire sauce. Some brands do contain gluten, so be sure to check labels.
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Recipe
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French Onion Chicken Bake
This easy French Onion Chicken Bake is a fun twist on the classic soup. Juicy, tender chicken breasts are infused with the flavors of French onion soup, like caramelized onions, beef broth, and melted gruyere cheese. It’s a delicious meal that tastes like it was cooked all day, but only takes about an hour.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 379kcal
Instructions
Peel the onions, cut in half, and slice into thin half-moons
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil and melt butter until foamy.
Add sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn golden brown, around 15 minutes.
Stir in the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Preheat oven to 400°
Use butter or olive oil to grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
Spread half of the caramelized onions on the bottom of the baking dish.
Arrange the chicken breasts evenly over the onions in the baking pan and season them with salt and pepper.
Top the chicken with the remaining caramelized onions.
Top the chicken and onions with the shredded cheese.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°
Notes
- Use a different cut. Instead of chicken breast, try boneless skinless chicken thighs or tenders.
- Temp the chicken. The easiest way to know when the chicken breasts are done is to probe them with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°.
- Add some Parmesan. To add a little extra saltiness, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over the gruyere before baking.
- Boost the flavor. For an extra depth of flavor, deglaze the bottom of the pan with a little white or red wine to pull up all those flavorful browned bits and infuse them into the sauce.
- Make it one pan. To make clean up easy, I sometimes make this delicious French onion chicken bake in an oven-safe skillet that can go from stovetop to oven. (like a cast iron pan).
- Storage. Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To freeze. The leftovers can be frozen in freezer-safe containers, then thawed, and reheated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 477mg | Iron: 1mg