French Onion Chicken (Easy 30 Minute Meal!)

Name: French Onion Chicken (Easy 30-Minute Meal!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 8-oz Boneless skinless chicken breasts; 2 tsp Sea salt; 1/4 tsp Black pepper; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 2 tbsp Unsalted butter; 3 small White onions ((or 1 1/2 large ones; peeled and sliced)); 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves; 1/2 cup White wine; 1/2 cup Chicken broth, reduced sodium; 4 slices Swiss cheese; 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese ((shredded))

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Savory, cheesy, and oh-so-tender… this cheesy French onion chicken recipe combines all the rich flavor of French onion soup and turns it into a comfort food chicken meal for all to love! Learn how to make French onion baked chicken (with the best caramelized onions and no canned or boxed mixes needed), in just 30 minutes.

What Is French Onion Chicken?

Baked French onion chicken re-creates all the rich, caramelized flavors of French onion soup in a complete main dish. Caramelized onions create a golden brown sauce that coats tender chicken, and it all gets topped with gooey cheese.

Why You’ll Love This French Onion Chicken Recipe

Rich French onion flavor
Juicy, tender chicken breasts with melty cheese
5 minutes prep, 30 minutes total
Naturally gluten-free and low carb (no all purpose flour, condensed soups, or French fried onions!)
Easy chicken dish for weeknights or get-togethers!

French onion chicken bake in a pan with spoon drizzling sauce.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for French onion soup chicken, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – You can also make oven baked French onion chicken thighs if you prefer, but cook times will vary.
Olive Oil – For searing. I used extra virgin olive oil here, but use whatever neutral cooking oil you like.
Butter – For caramelizing onions and creating a mouthwatering onion gravy. Choose an unsalted variety.
Onion – While I selected a white onion for this easy French onion chicken skillet, a yellow onion or sweet onion would work nicely as well. You can use 3 small onions, 2 medium ones, or 1 1/2 large ones.
Fresh Thyme – Adds aroma and flavor to the sauce. Poultry seasoning would also make an excellent substitute.
White Wine – Use your favorite white variety, or substitute with added chicken broth if you prefer.
Chicken Broth – I used a reduced sodium broth, as the cheese is a bit salty, but use your favorite brand (or make homemade chicken bone broth). Beef broth is also delicious here!
Cheeses – A blend of Swiss cheese and parmesan. You can swap with a slice of provolone for each chicken breast, or use other varieties like gruyere cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For easy seasoning.

VARIATION: Add garlic!

You can add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic toward the end of the caramelized onion cooking time.

French onion chicken recipe ingredients on plates.

How To Make French Onion Chicken

This section shows how to make French onion chicken baked, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Season. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Sear. Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet on medium high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides, until golden. Remove and cover to keep warm.

Caramelize. Reduce heat and add sliced onions and butter. Lower heat and cook, stirring occasionally. Add thyme and continue cooking until caramelized. Reduce heat to low if onions start to brown too quickly.
Simmer. Add wine and stock, stir, and bring to a simmer.

Fully caramelized onions in a pan with broth and white wine.

Add chicken. Return the chicken to the skillet, flip to coat in the caramelized onion mixture, and turn off the heat.
Add cheese. Place the cheeses on top of the chicken. (This works best if you place the Swiss slices first, then sprinkle the Parmesan on top.

Bake. Cook French onion chicken in the oven, until the cheeses are melted and browned.

Fully cooked French onion chicken bake in a pan.

Cooking Method Variations

Crock Pot French Onion Chicken – Omit butter and oil. Add onions to the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by wine, broth, and thyme. Season chicken breasts and place on top of onions. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for up to 6 hours. Add cheeses to the top of the chicken and cover until cheese melted.
Instant Pot French Onion Chicken – Heat pot in Saute mode. Add oil and sear chicken using the inner pot, working in batches if needed, and set aside. Caramelize onions, adding a splash of the wine as needed to deglaze the pan. Nestle chicken into the onions, getting as much of them over the top of the meat as possible. Add broth and close the lid. Set to High pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Do a quick release. Place pot in saute mode to reduce moisture and thicken sauce, if desired. Top with cheese and close the lid to melt.

Storage Instructions

Store: Cover the French onion skillet chicken tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Meal prep: Slice onions and store in the refrigerator until ready to cook. You can also cook the entire dish ahead of time, or just caramelize the onions ahead.
Reheat: Warm chicken in a 325 degree oven or microwave at low power until heated through.
Freeze: Cover tightly and freeze in an airtight container for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.

What To Serve With A French Onion Chicken Bake

It’s easy to turn this chicken into a complete dinner! Try serving it with these sides:

Simple Salads – A grated carrot salad, strawberry spinach salad, or cold roast vegetable salad would pair nicely with this dish.
Potatoes – Plate this meal with traditional mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. For lighter options, try it with mashed cauliflower (shown in the photo above!), roasted rutabaga, or pan fried radishes.
Roasted Vegetables – Oven roasted green beans, roasted zucchini, or roasted brussels sprouts would taste great with this chicken!

More Healthy Baked Chicken Recipes

These easy, elegant chicken dishes come together quick with a little help from your oven.

Asparagus stuffed chicken recipe close up

Recommended Tools

Large Skillet – Safely travels from the stovetop to the oven.
Casserole Dish – If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can use this pretty pan in the oven instead.

French Onion Chicken Recipe

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12 Comments

Carol
0 January 25, 2023Reply

Made this last night! Forgot to take a pic because we couldn’t wait to dig in! Easy to make ! Served with cauliflower rice and roasted cauliflower and broccoli.
Truly felt like eating French Onion yumminess 😋
Barbara Kaszuk
0 January 20, 2023Reply

Can use something other than wine?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 January 22, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Barbara, The alcohol cooks away so there is no alcohol content in the dish, but if you’re still concerned about it, you could use additional broth instead.
Deana
0 January 18, 2023Reply

Made this tonight. Took much longer than 30 minutes but the chicken breasts that I have are huge. It was very yummy, though!
Lea
0 January 17, 2023Reply

This recipe was fantastic…easy and DELICIOUS!!!! You are now my go to for recipes!
Jennifer
0 January 12, 2023Reply

This recipe is wonderful. If you like French Onion Soup – or anything closely related this is a go-to. I chose to add the garlic (optional). It might replace one of my family’s “gold standards” . Just YUM! It says 30 Mins, there’s some back and forth and shift in cooking ( from Stove to Oven ) that makes it a little clumsy for max-efficiency – next time I’ll just do a little more prep& I’m sure it’ll hit 30 mins or less. Either way – it’s very worth it.
Dottie Bacon
0 October 31, 2022Reply

This recipe is amazing! It was quick and easy. I used the ovenproof pan method. The flavor was impressive! So robust and rich, without tasting greasy. We love French onion soup, and this recipe will become one of our favorites! Truly a restaurant quality dish. Thanks, Maya!!
PennyC
0 October 29, 2022Reply

I really want to make this, but I don’t see how an 8 ounce chicken breast will be fully cooked between the brief browning and the finishing in the oven. Did I miss something?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 30, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Penny, The chicken was cooked through after searing for 2-3 minutes per side (5-6 minutes total) and finishing in the oven for 10 minutes. But if you need to, you can always bake it for longer.
Julia
0 October 24, 2022Reply

Yall, This chicken is so good! Just when you think you have run out of good and new chicken recipes, here comes another great one! Thanks for posting!
Teresa F
0 October 24, 2022Reply

My kids loved this!! The swiss cheese added such a yummy touch!
jess
0 October 24, 2022Reply

How amazing and simple is this recipe! thank you so much for sharing this dish!