Rich, savory and deeply comforting, this French onion soup chicken recipe is must try- whether you're looking for a fancy weeknight dinner idea or a recipe for when you're hosting.
Pair it with some roasted broccoli and potatoes to round it out, or team it up with some crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
Chicken is almost always my go-to protein when I'm trying to whip up a meal. My spicy orange chicken and Korean Buldak chicken have both been huge hits in my household, but this time, I wanted to try something a bit different.
Something that had deeper flavor depth, but didn't take too much time and effort to make, and this combination of French onion soup and chicken seemed like the perfect idea.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 25 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 2 servings.
- 📋Main ingredients: Butter, flour, chicken, chicken stock, onion, garlic, cheese, seasonings.
- ♨️Cooking method: Coat chicken in flour 🡢 pan fry until golden brown 🡢 caramelize onions 🡢 deglaze the pan 🡢 add chicken 🡢 top with cheese.
- ⭐Difficulty: Medium.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Pair with some cheesy Aligot potatoes or crusty bread.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's an easy stovetop recipe. You just need one pan and a bowl to make it from scratch- no need to turn on the oven.
- It comes together in just 30 minutes, and is super easy to make. You'll just need some pantry staples.
- It's hearty, wholesome and incredibly comforting- just like my cottage cheese pizza bowl.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: Chicken breasts work perfectly for this recipe. You can use chicken thighs too, but you'll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Chicken stock: To deglaze the pan.
Flour: To coat the chicken and to make the dish nice and saucy.
Onion + garlic: The flavor builders. I like to use my air fried roasted garlic sometimes for a bit of a smoky depth.
Butter: Unsalted butter works best. I used this to cook down the onions and the chicken.
Cheese: For that rich, salty flavor. I used shredded cheddar here but you can use mozzarella too.
Seasoning: Just some salt, pepper and mixed herb seasoning.
Oil: Just a little, to ensure the butter doesn't end up burning.
Thyme: For that aroma.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you can't find white onions, use red onions instead, and add a bit of brown sugar to the pan to quicken up the caramelization and also lend a bit of sweetness to the dish.
- For deeper flavor, add bone broth or some beef bouillon into the mix. I like to use mushroom powder or my homemade vegetable bouillon cube sometimes.
How to Make French Onion Soup Chicken
Step 1: Combine flour and seasonings in a bowl.
Step 2: Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture.
Step 3: Pan fry in a little butter on high heat until both sides are light golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Step 4: In the same pan, melt butter and sauté the onions on medium-low heat until deep golden brown. Add garlic, thyme and seasonings.
Step 5: Deglaze the pan with chicken stock.
Step 6: Return the chicken breasts to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes on low.
Step 7: Top with cheese and thyme. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving.
💭Top Tip
To make the onions caramelize faster, add a pinch of baking soda to the pan.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Pound the chicken breasts to get them to flatten up a bit and have uniform thickness.
- Make sure the chicken is nice and dry before you coat it in the flour.
- Slice the onions thinly to get them to caramelize faster. Keep them even in thickness to ensure that consistent golden brown color.
- You can also add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the mix to get that deep color. Balsamic and onions work so well together- I realized this when I made my balsamic pickled onions.
- Sear the chicken breasts on high heat for just a few minutes. You don't want the chicken to cook completely.
- You can also prep the dish ahead of time if you want to. Simply caramelize the onion base first and store it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Garnish the the French onion chicken with some fresh or air fried dried parsley before serving.
How to Serve French Onion Soup Chicken
The best way to enjoy this French onion soup chicken is to pair it with a simple pasta dish, a side salad or some crusty bread. It also tastes fantastic with some garlicky Brabant potatoes, my favorite crispy Parmesan potatoes or some air fried Parmesan asparagus.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Allow the leftover chicken to cool down completely, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
The easiest way to check for the doneness of the chicken is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Once it is 165 degrees or more, it is done.
You can reheat the French onion soup chicken in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to get it nice and moist again.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this French onion soup chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
French Onion Soup Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cups white onions sliced
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
- 2-5 garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon mixed herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Combine flour and seasonings in a bowl.
- Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture.
- Pan fry in a little butter on high heat until both sides are light golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt butter and sauté the onions on medium-low heat until deep golden brown. Add garlic, thyme and seasonings.
- Deglaze the pan with chicken stock.
- Return the chicken breasts to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes on low.
- Top with cheese and thyme. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Slice the onions thinly to get them to caramelize faster. Keep them even in thickness to ensure that consistent golden brown color.
- Make sure the chicken is nice and dry before you coat it in the flour.
- Pound the chicken breasts to get them to flatten up a bit and have uniform thickness.
- Sear the chicken breasts on high heat for just a few minutes. You don't want the chicken to cook completely.
- You can also add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the mix to get that deep color.
