These French Onion Baked Chicken Breasts will blow your mind with all the flavors of the incredible soup, but less hassle! Impress the whole family with super juicy, golden-brown chicken smothered in caramelized onion sauce!
Units:
Scale:
Ingredients
3–4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoonolive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1/4cupwhite wine
1cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
~1 cup shredded Gruyรจre and/or Swiss cheese (optional)
Instructions
Brown the chicken:ย Pat the chicken breastsย (3-4 boneless skinless, about 8 ounces each) dry with a paper towel and then season well on both sides with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Warm the olive oilย (1 tablespoon) in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides (about 4-5 minutes on each side), then remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate. They will not yet be fully cooked at this point.
Cook the onions: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butterย (3 tablespoons) to the same pan. Once it has melted and started to froth, add the onionsย (2 large, thinly sliced) and thyme sprigsย (3) along with a very generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly golden. Remove the sprigs of thyme from the pan when the onions are done. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
Make the sauce: Add the garlicย (3 cloves, minced) and stir, cooking for another minute or so until fragrant. Stir in the flourย (1 1/2 tablespoons) and cook for an additional minute to cook the raw flour taste out of the sauce. Stir in the white wineย (1/4 cup) and cook for 2-3 minutes until the smell of alcohol has dissipated. Stir in the brothย (1 cup) and Worcestershire sauceย (1/2 teaspoon) until you have a well mixed and slightly thickened onion sauce.ย
Bake the chicken: Nestle the chicken in the onion sauce and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breasts) until the chicken is cooked through and reached an internal temperature of 165F. Add the shredded cheeseย (~1 cup) during the last 5 minutes of baking (optional).ย
Serve & store:ย Let the chicken cool in the sauce for at least 5 minutes before digging in. Serve the chicken sliced and smothered in the onion sauce. Enjoy with cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta of choice, plus greens or roasted veggies. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days.
Chicken options:Skin-on chicken breasts – Be sure to crisp up the skin during step 1, and place the chicken skin side up when returning to the onion sauce for baking. Baking time will be more like 20-25 minutes. Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs – bake for 35-40 minutes instead of 15-20, and add an extra 1/4 cup of chicken broth to the pan to stop too much liquid evaporating from the onions.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal, not including cheese.