French Onion Chicken

5 from 48 votes

Inspired by French Onion Soup, my French Onion Chicken combines tender, juicy chicken thighs with caramelized onion and melted gruyere cheese

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 1060kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken thighs bone-in skin-on (at least 6 thighs)
1 teaspoon table salt more or less to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups onions sliced (3-4 medium onions)
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
¾ cup dry white wine
2 cups beef broth low sodium or regular
3 oz Gruyère cheese shredded - (or Swiss cheese)

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs dry on both sides with paper towels.
Season the chicken thighs with table salt and black pepper.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned thighs skin side down. Let them cook for 4-7 minutes without disturbing them so the skin can brown and get crispy.
Turn the chicken to the other side and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from pan and set aside until needed.
Using the same pan add in butter and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the sliced onions to the pan. Let them cook for one minutes, stirring to get them all coated in oil. Cover the skillet and let the onions cook for 15 minutes.
Open once or twice to stir the onions during the process.
Remove the lid and continue to cook the onions for 7-10 minutes (stirring often), until the onions are a nice golden brown.
Caramelization takes time. Don't rush the process.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Once the onions have a nice caramel color, add the thyme, bay leaf and chopped fresh garlic. Let the mixture continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Increase the heat to high, then and add the white wine to deglaze the pan.
Scrape all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef broth and bring the onion mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes until the liquids have reduced by about 50%.
Remove the bay leaf from the pan. Taste the onion mixture and reseason as needed. Then place the chicken on top of the onion soup mixture.
*You shouldn't need to add anymore salt. As the broth reduces it will become stronger and sometimes saltier.
Place the skillet in the oven, uncovered for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
*If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, you can finish the dish using a baking pan or casserole dish.
Top the thighs with grated cheese and a sprinkle of chopped Italian parsley. Place the pan back in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles and your favorite green vegetable.

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