French Onion Chicken Skillet

French Onion Chicken is not your ordinary chicken dish! Juicy chicken thighs smothered in a rich gravy full of caramelized onions and topped with gooey cheese.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large white onions sliced into 1/4th inch rings
2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs trimmed
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon blanc
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Fresh chopped Parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a large, oven safe, saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to medium low and allow to slowly caramelize. If it starts browning too quickly, turn the temperature down a little more. The caramelization may take 20 - 25 minutes.
Add the thyme oregano and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Then remove the onions from the pan and keep warm.
Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium heat.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and place in the hot oil.
Cook each side till browned about 5 minutes per side, then remove from the pan.
Place the onions back in the pan and pour the white wine and beef broth in the pan. Stir around and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. This is where the great flavor comes from!
Place the chicken back in the pan and cook for 20 minutes till cooked through and the sauce has reduced by half. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 170°F.
10 minutes before the chicken is done, heat the oven to 375°F.
Top the chicken with the cheese and place in the heated oven for 5 to 10 minutes till melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve immediately with your choice of vegetables and French bread.
Enjoy!

Notes

For richer sauce flavor or darker color, add some gravy master or kitchen bouquet.

Chicken thighs are more flavorful but feel free to use chicken breasts.

If using bone-in chicken, you will need to cook it for a longer period of time. Bone-in chicken will need approximately 10-15 minutes longer to cook all the way through.

You can skip the white wine and use more beef broth or chicken broth.

Great served over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or white rice.

Do not salt the onions. If salted, the onions will release their liquid too early and will not caramelize properly.

Caramelizing onions take time. Cook onions over medium low heat so they caramelize versus burning.

Shred your own cheese. Store bought pre-shredded cheese is packaged with anti-caking agents which impact how well they melt. For best results, buy the cheeses in blocks and shred with a box grater the amount you need.

Feel free to swap out the chicken for pork or beef!

Nutrition