French Onion Chicken Bake (Printable Version)

Tender chicken breasts layered with caramelized onions and bubbling Gruyere cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Onions

05 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
13 - 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

→ Topping

14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.
03 - In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove chicken and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften and turn golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
05 - Sprinkle sugar over onions and continue to cook, stirring, until deeply caramelized, about 10 minutes more.
06 - Add minced garlic and thyme; cook for 1 minute.
07 - Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up browned bits, then simmer until liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
08 - Stir in broth and simmer for 2 minutes more.
09 - Nestle seared chicken breasts into the onion mixture in the skillet. Spoon some onions over the chicken.
10 - Sprinkle shredded Gruyere evenly over the chicken and onions.
11 - Transfer skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F and cheese is melted and golden.
12 - Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Caramelized onions do almost all the flavor work, turning simple ingredients into something restaurant-quality without fussy techniques.
  • The whole dish comes together in one skillet from stovetop to oven, meaning minimal cleanup and maximum coziness.
  • It's naturally gluten-free if you choose the right broth, and honestly tastes even better than the soup that inspired it.
02 -
  • Don't rush the onions—caramelization takes 25 to 30 minutes total, and that's the non-negotiable ingredient that makes this dish special, not something to speed up with high heat.
  • Your skillet absolutely must be ovenproof; I learned this the hard way with a handle that isn't rated for oven heat, and let's just say that was a kitchen mishap I won't repeat.
  • Check your chicken's temperature with a meat thermometer rather than guessing; overcooked chicken betrays all the work you put into those perfect onions.
03 -
  • Slice your onions on the thicker side of thin—roughly a quarter-inch—so they soften evenly without turning to paste.
  • Don't wash your skillet between searing the chicken and cooking the onions; those browned bits stuck to the bottom are exactly what makes the final dish taste incredible.
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