French Onion Soup Chicken Bake

French onion soup is one of my favorite soups of all time so I thought why not create a dish around it? French onion soup with chicken baked until juicy and tender?! Sounds like a match made in heaven. With French Onion Soup Chicken, now there can be more than one meal centered around those oodles of sweet and gooey onions. This dish is basically French onion soup with less broth and more protein. It goes great with crusty bread or mashed potatoes. And takes about half the time that traditional French onion soup can take!

Now don’t get me wrong--there’s really no cutting corners when you’re caramelizing onions. You need time and patience to make sure that they brown and don’t burn, so their sweetness can really shine through. But because you’re using less of them and there’s only a little broth, this dish takes about an hour to make instead of two.

This recipe may take some time but it’s simple ingredients and rich flavor makes it totally worth it.

If you love this dish, I think you will equally love my french onion soup meatballs or Instant Pot French Onion Soup-- both are french onion inspired soup recipes.

Why make this chicken in the cast iron skillet?

I love making this in my cast-iron skillet because it’s so easy to go from stovetop to oven. And every time you use a cast-iron skillet you are seasoning it with more flavor. What better way to do that than with caramelized onions? The onions brown beautifully in the cast iron. It allows them to really brown and cook down in a way that nonstick never could. Plus there's the added bonus of being able to pop the whole things straight into the oven, making this a one pan french onion chicken bake.

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, a large, oven-safe saute pan will do the trick. Just make sure it is deep enough to hold the chicken with onions. Before the onions cook down, they take up a good deal of space.

Ingredients

• onions
• butter
• salt
• beef stock or beef broth
• chicken breasts
• Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese

Instructions for French Onion Chicken Recipe

• Heat an oven safe large skillet over medium heat to melt butter.
• Add in sliced onions and cook down until they are brown and soft, 15-20 minutes. Add salt.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove onions to a side bowl, and add in chicken. Cook until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Don't worry if the inside isn't fully cooked, they will finish in the oven.
• Take browned chicken breasts out, and put onions back in. Add beef stock, and allow some of the liquid to cook off and for the flavors to mingle. Cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken back in, nestling it among the onions. Top chicken and onions with cheese, and place in preheated oven.
• Cook for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Top Tip

It can be tempting to stand over the onions and try to keep stirring them-- don't. Allow them time in between stirs to really get some color on them. That is going to lead to the best caramelization, color, and flavor! I keep the heat on medium to medium-low and leave 5 minutes (at least) between stirs.

Looking to deepen the flavor of the onion soup even further?

Try one of two ways!

• Add in a few shakes of dried spices like garlic powder or onion powder.

• Add a tablespoon of onion soup mix like lipton soup mix or simply organic brand onion dip blend.

What to serve with onion chicken

This onion soup chicken is delicious (obviously) and it is also very versatile and you can serve it with pretty much anything. I love it especially with any of the following.

• jasmine or basmati rice (try this simple Instant Pot Rice Pilaf)

• a bed of creamy mashed potatoes

• wide butter noodles (like No-yolks brand)

Storage

This onion soup chicken can be stored one of two ways. You can simply put together the caramelized onions and keep in them in an airtight container in the fridge for a 3-4 days OR you can make the entire dish and keep it in the fridge from 1-2 days.

The onions are what take the longest here, so if you want to do something ahead, I suggest that step!

Looking for more delicious skillet dinner recipes?

I also also some great chicken and onion recipes like this chicken pasta dish or this sheet pan greek chicken bake.