French Onion Chicken Recipe (Healthy One Pan Meal)

Medically reviewed by Abbey Sharp, Registered Dietitian (RD), BASc.

This French onion chicken recipe is a simple one pot dinner that puts a fun twist on the classic soup! It is also a great recipe for those who are keto or gluten free.

I LOVE a good chicken recipe any day of the week. They’re super versatile, relatively affordable and family-friendly. But after a while, I can get pretty bored with my standard go-to marinades and need to switch things up. So if you’re like me, you’re probably always on the hunt for something new to do with chicken that doesn’t feel boring and bland.

Lucky for us, this French onion chicken recipe dinner exists! Not only does it put a tasty spin on the rich, cheesy, and caramelized flavours of the classic soup, but it can be made in one pot. So get ready because your chicken recipe repertoire is about to get a serious glow up!

Key Ingredients

Red wine – This will add some delicious depth and flavour to the french onion chicken and, just like the soup, is definitely necessary. I would recommend a dry full-bodied red wine like a merlot or pinot noir. If you only have dry white wine on hand, no worries, you can totally use that instead!

Onion – I mean, it goes without saying that this ingredient is pretty essential to the whole french onion chicken recipe. I like to use yellow onion as it adds lots of bright flavour and sweetness. You can also use red onion for a deeper flavour with less sweetness.

Cheese – Also very important. For this recipe I use a good quality parmesan and gruyere cheese. If you don’t have gruyere cheese available, you can also use Emmental or Jarlsberg. Point is – we want a really flavourful cheese here so not just any cheese will do.

Chicken Breast – I prefer to use chicken breast here, but you can absolutely use chicken thighs as well. I’ll be honest, I have never experimented with any other protein besides chicken for this recipe, but I am sure you can get experimental as eff with this and it will still taste amazing.

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Caramelize onions on medium low until they reach a dark amber colour, about 1 hour. Set aside.

Step 2: Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Pan fry on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3: Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, then pour in the red wine and scrape up the bottom of the pan.

Step 4: Add 3/4 cup of beef broth, herbs de province, thyme, cooked onions and the browned chicken breasts. Cover and cook on medium low until the chicken breasts are cooked through, about another 10 minutes.

Step 5: Mix together the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of broth.

Step 6: Add broth to the pan, and stir. Top the chicken with the gruyere and parmesan and broil until bubbly and golden brown.

Expert Tips

To make this french onion chicken recipe we want to caramelize the onions low and slow here to bring out that delicious sweetness and flavour. Yes, this can take an hour, but they actually require very little babysitting and I just keep them cooking on low while I play with my son in the kitchen. A quick little stir every 5-10 minutes or so is all you need to keep them going.

Next, I give the chicken breasts a nice sear to get a little colour on top. My hubby says I make the BEST chicken breasts (#GoodJewishWife) and it’s really just because I never skip this step.

Finally, I make a wicked sauce with red wine and beef broth, top it off with a healthy amount of cheese (aka. all of the cheese you’ve got in the fridge) and pop it into the oven to finish cooking and get all gooey and bubbly. These french onion chicken breasts taste just like the classic French soup but with a solid hit of protein.

They’re also so good for you and well balanced, you totally can sop up all that extra sauce and onions with some crusty bread for the authentic french onion soup experience.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes

If Here are some of my favourite one pot dinner recipes that you might like!

• Hawaiian Chicken Meatballs

• Enchilada Bowl with Rice & Beans (Vegan)

• Minestrone Skillet Pasta (Vegan)

• Mexican Street Corn Chilli Chicken

Now lovelies, I would love to know – are you a french onion soup fan? What are some of your go-to chicken breast recipes?

French Onion Chicken (Healthy One Pan Meal)

This French onion chicken is a simple one pot dinner that puts a fun twist on the classic soup version! It is also a great recipe for those who are keto or gluten free.

4.1 from 28 votes

Print Pin Rate

CourseDinner

CuisineFrench, American

DietGluten Free

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings4 people

Calories298kcal

AuthorAbbey Sharp

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• ▢ 2 large onions thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup red wine
• ▢ 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth divided
• ▢ 1 tsp cornstarch
• ▢ 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
• ▢ 4 sprigs thyme
• ▢ 3 oz shredded gruyere cheese
• ▢ 1 oz parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium low heat and add in the onions. Cook on medium low until they reach a dark amber colour, about 1 hour. Set aside.
• Return the pan to the heat along with another tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Pan fry on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, then pour in the red wine and scrape up the bottom of the pan. Add 3/4 cup of beef broth, herbs de province, thyme, cooked onions and the browned chicken breasts. Cover and cook on medium low until the chicken breasts are cooked through, about another 10 minutes.
• Mix together the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of broth. Add to the pot and stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Top the chicken with the gruyere and parmesan and broil until bubbly and golden brown. Enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Calories298kcalCarbohydrates7gProtein34gFat12gSaturated Fat5gCholesterol100mgSodium523mgPotassium665mgFiber1gSugar2gVitamin A360IUVitamin C7.8mgCalcium328mgIron1mg

Mention @AbbeysKitchen or tag #abbeyskitchen if you try and share this recipe!

Have you tried making these french onion chicken breasts? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!

Abbey Sharp

Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.