French Onion Chicken Skillet

French Onion Chicken Skillet is a delicious one-pan meal consisting of juicy chicken breasts nestled in rich and thick onion gravy, topped with melted cheese!

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French Onion Chicken in a skillet silver serving spoon black and white linen fresh thyme on marble countertop.

French Onion Chicken Skillet is a rich and flavorful one-pan meal, made with tender juicy chicken breast and an aromatic caramelized onion gravy. Once the chicken breasts are seared in the hot skillet and the gravy has been made, all elements of this dish are assembled in the same skillet, topped with fresh herbs and grated cheese, and baked until the cheese is gooey and the chicken is perfectly cooked!

They say that the secret’s in the sauce and that’s certainly true for this recipe! Adding dry white wine and beef stock to the caramelized onions creates a gravy not soon to be forgotten. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this onion gravy turns ordinary chicken breasts into a meal that could easily be served to impress dinner guests, and all with pantry-staple ingredients too!

Serve this French onion chicken with an air fryer baked potato or pull apart garlic bread. It can also be enjoyed with a strawberry feta spinach salad or air fryer roasted vegetables for a balanced meal.

Close up of French onion chicken sliced open with onion gravy on a white serving plate, skillet with French onion chicken, garlic clove with thyme on a white marble countertop.

Why You’ll Love French Onion Skillet

French onion chicken skillet is a sophisticated dish with rich flavors and textures – perfect to serve on a special occasion or celebration.
Cooking the entire meal in one skillet means less fuss and cleanup!
This dish pairs beautifully with a variety of side dishes such as mashed or smashed potato, rice, garlic bread, or a leafy green salad.

What Ingredients do I Need for French Onion Skillet?

Olive oil – I’ve used 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of butter to cook the onions in but you can use 3 tablespoons of each or even just use melted butter.
Butter – Salted butter is my preference as it adds delicious flavor and saltiness to the sweet onions. You could use unsalted butter but then I recommend increasing the coarse sea salt, tasting to test.
Onions – Yellow or white onions are perfect for this dish as they are juicy and sweet. Make sure to slice them into thin rounds for better caramelization.
Sugar – I’ve used white granulated sugar, added to the onions. Light brown sugar could also be used.
Salt – Coarse sea salt added to the onion mixture highlights the flavors. If you don’t have coarse sea salt then regular table salt can be used.
Thyme – Fresh thyme is best for this recipe but you could use dried thyme too if that’s all you have on hand. When using fresh thyme, remove 2-3 sprigs from the stems and remove extra for garnish.
Bay leaf – You’ll only need 1 bay leaf for adding to the onion mixture. Make sure to remove the bay leaf once the onions are cooked and removed from the skillet. You don’t want to be serving this dish with broken bits of bay leaf!
Garlic – I prefer the fresh flavor of freshly minced garlic cloves but you could also use pre-minced garlic.
Chicken – You’ll need 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz. each) for this French onion chicken dish, pound out to ½-¾” thickness. Chicken thighs could also be used.
Black pepper – Ground black pepper or freshly cracked black pepper can be used.
Flour – All-purpose flour is added to thicken the onion sauce. You can use gluten-free flour if required.
Wine – Dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc is best. Of course, the addition of wine is optional and can be replaced with beef stock.
Beef stock – This adds richness to the onion gravy. If wine is omitted then increase the stock by another ½ cup.
Cheese – Provolone cheese and Swiss cheese are a dynamite combination for this French onion chicken skillet. Freshly grated cheese will always melt better and taste better than pre-shredded cheese. You could also use Gruyere cheese.

Close up of French onion chicken in skillet, fork lifting a piece of chicken breast from the skillet.

Pro Tip: I’ve deliberately used a slotted spoon when removing the caramelized onions from the skillet so that as much of the butter and oil remains behind. This oil and butter, which is infused with seasoning and herbs, will add a depth of rich flavor to the chicken breasts. Don’t wipe the skillet clean between cooking the onions and the chicken!

How to Make French Onion Chicken Skillet

PREP: In a large skillet, heat oil and saute the onions until soft (about 10 minutes). Add sugar, salt, thyme, and a bay leaf to the onions and cook on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. The onions will begin to caramelize but if they turn too brown, mix in some white wine or broth to prevent the onions from burning. While the onions are still cooking, start to prepare the chicken by patting the chicken dry with a paper towel and using a meat mallet to pound the chicken. Then sprinkle pepper on both sides of the chicken.

Wooden kitchen board with sliced onions, striped linen, bottle of white wine, beef broth, grated cheese, fresh herbs, sea salt, granulated sugar, on a white marble countertop.

Onions cooking in a skillet, striped linen, grated cheese on a small wooden board, bottle of white wine, jug of beef broth, small bowl of flour, on a white marble countertop.

SEAR CHICKEN AND THICKEN GRAVY: Remove the caramelized onion from the large skillet. Without wiping the skillet, add the chicken and sear all pieces on both sides. Remove the seared chicken breasts and set aside. Add the onions back to the skillet and add the flour to thicken the mixture. Start to pour in white wine while cooking and stirring. Stir in the beef broth and simmer until the gravy is thick.

Chicken breasts seared and browned in a large skillet, bowl of caramelized onions, broth, small bowl of flour, striped linen, garlic glove, on a white marble countertop.

Skillet with caramelized onions and flour, plate of seared chicken breasts, beef broth, striped linen, garlic clove, on a white marble countertop.

BAKE AND SERVE: Once the onion gravy is thickened, add the chicken pieces back to the skillet, nestled into the onion gravy. Spoon gravy over the chicken, sprinkle grated cheeses over the chicken and transfer the skillet to the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the chicken registers at 165F. Serve the chicken pieces with the onion gravy and garnish with fresh thyme.

Seared chicken breasts nestled in onion gravy in a large skillet, wooden kitchen board with grated cheese, striped linen, plate with wooden stirring spoon, whole garlic cloves, on a white marble countertop.

Grated cheese added to the top of chicken and onion gravy in a large skillet, wooden kitchen board with remaining grated cheese, side plate with wooden stirring spoon, striped linen, whole garlic cloves, on a white marble countertop.

If you choose to keep the wine in this recipe, the best type would be a dry wine such as a Marsala or Sauvignon Blanc.
Caramelizing your onions does require some patience on your part since they need to be cooked over medium or medium-low heat and stirred more frequently as time goes on. Your onions will caramelize the fastest during the last 5 minutes of cooking which is when you’ll need to reduce the heat to the low setting, stirring frequently. If your onions start browning unevenly or suddenly, add a splash of wine or broth to keep them moist and cooking evenly. The sugar also helps with the caramelization process.
The Internal temperature of the chicken should register 165°F for you to know that the chicken is cooked. Allow the chicken breasts to rest for a few minutes after cooking to ensure that the meat retains the flavorful juices.
Did you know that the alcohol content in wine evaporates during the cooking process, leaving behind only the rich taste! This dish is 100% safe to serve to children but I always recommend that you check with friends and family before serving anyone home cooked food that includes alcohol.

Fun Fact

I’ve used classic French onion ingredients for the gravy in this dish (including beef stock and caramelized onions) which is why it’s called French Onion Chicken, although many people opt to use French onion soup as a gravy or sauce base in other “French onion” recipes.

While onion soups were popular even during Roman times, the “modern” version can be attributed to France during the 18th century, which included beef broth and caramelized onions.

Today, many home cooks opt for the convenience of simply adding French onion soup mixes to recipes, a clever marketing tactic used by companies to push their soup and gravy mix products.

Serving of French onion chicken on a small white plate with fork on the side, on a white marble countertop.

Variations

Make this dish completely alcohol-free by simply omitting the white wine and using more broth instead.
You can use other cuts of chicken when making French onion chicken skillet such as chicken thighs although I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs.
For a gluten-free meal, thicken the onion gravy with gluten-free flour, plant-based flour, or corn starch.

Which Side Dishes Go Well With French Onion Chicken?

Any side of vegetables (such as broccoli or green beans) or a light side salad would be a delicious addition to this chicken dish while also providing a nutritional balance to the meal.

Consider making a fresh batch of rice (or cauliflower rice as a low-carb alternative) and some homemade dinner rolls to help you soak up that rich French onion sauce – after all, it would be a real shame to let any of that go to waste!

How Should I Store French Onion Chicken?

Once your chicken has cooled completely, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

This French Onion Chicken will also store well in the freezer for 1 month. Thaw your frozen French Onion Chicken overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in a baking dish (along with the French Onion gravy) with aluminum foil covering the top so that the chicken does not dry out. Single portions can be reheated in the microwave.

Do I Have To Include Alcohol In This Recipe?

No, it’s completely optional and won’t negatively affect the outcome of your French Onion Chicken if you choose to leave it out.

I like to add white wine as it assists in deglazing the bottom of the skillet while also providing additional flavor to the dish. If you omit the wine, make sure to add in an extra ½ cup of beef broth to replace the liquid.

French Onion Chicken Skillet

Why You’ll Love French Onion Skillet

What Ingredients do I Need for French Onion Skillet?

How to Make French Onion Chicken Skillet

Fun Fact

Variations

Try These Other Chicken Meals

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

Hearty Chicken Cacciatore