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

french onion chicken recipe ingredients, labelled

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.

chicken breast cooking in a skillet (left) and shown with golden skin after searing (right)

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.

chicken breasts cooking in French onion gravy

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.

chicken breast served over mashed potatoes

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.

skillet with chicken breasts in french onion gravy

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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 #Nusde and make my day!