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Simple, cheesy, baked French Onion Smothered Chicken with cheesy Gruyère toast. Make this when you’re craving a slow-cooked French onion soup but need something quick and all made in one skillet. The chicken is “smothered” in a creamy caramelized onion sauce and then topped with melted Gruyère toast and fresh thyme just before serving. Such a cozy one-skillet dinner with delicious, comforting flavors.

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

One of my family’s favorite dinners is chicken smothered in sauce. I’ve made a few variations over the years, the first being this yummy Balsamic Chicken Marsala and last year’s Smothered Chicken with Crispy Prosciutto. I make something similar to both of these at least once every couple of weeks because everyone in my family enjoys the meal so much.

They love a creamy wine sauce with chicken and herbs. They’re even happier if there is crispy prosciutto involved, which I honestly planned to use on this dish but forgot.

Whoops. Add some crispy prosciutto if you like!

I’ve always loved French onion soup. My mom says she hates onions, which she does, but she’ll happily eat a bowl of French onion soup. She’ll eat the toast and cheese, sip the broth, and leave all the onions at the bottom.

I knew something with chicken would make everyone happy. Plus, this dish can be on the table in less than an hour and is all made in one skillet. Great for this busy time of year!

This turned out to be a really big hit with everyone. Especially my brothers, who, unlike my mom, LOVE onions, especially when they’re caramelized!

These are the details

Ingredients

  • thin-cut chicken breasts
  • salt and black pepper
  • salted butter
  • yellow onions
  • apple cider (not apple cider vinegar)
  • garlic
  • fresh thyme and sage
  • dry white wine
  • broth
  • heavy cream
  • French bread
  • shredded Gruyère cheese

Special Tools

Nothing fancy, just an oven-safe skillet—I highly recommend cast iron. Holiday tip—and yes, this is random, but a cast iron skillet is a great gift for almost anyone! 

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 1: season the chicken

This is basic: simply salt and pepper the chicken. I like to use thinly sliced chicken breasts or cutlets. Unlike an overly thick chicken breast, they always cook quickly and evenly.

Step 2: start cooking the onions

I like to use yellow onions and very thinly slice them. Personally, I find the bite of an overly thick onion much too intense. Thin slices are the way to go.

Melt the butter and onions in a big skillet. Start cooking and breaking them down. Then, add the apple cider. I like to use apple cider to help the onions caramelize easily while also adding those sweet flavors. The pairing is so yummy with the onions.

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 3: add the mushroom and herbs

Now, you can mix in the slices of mushrooms, the garlic, the thyme, and the sage. Let the mix cook, then toss in the chicken.

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 4: the wine, the broth, and the cream

Mix in the wine and then broth. Simmer until the sauce thickens up a bit. Then mix in the cream.

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 5: toast the bread

While the sauce simmers, dry the French bread by toasting it in the oven for a few minutes. Drying the bread may sound odd, but using dry bread will prevent it from immediately soaking up all that delicious onion sauce.

Arrange the dry bread around the chicken and start piling on the Gruyère cheese. If Gruyère cheese is too expensive, use a melty cheddar, fontina, gouda, or mozzarella.

It’s so cozy and scrumptious on a cold night.

Pair it with a salad like my Harvest Salad or Sweet Potato Salad. Either is so great and will complete the meal. Together with this French Onion Smothered Chicken, you’ll have the perfect holiday dinner! Your guests will love this fun twist on French onion soup!

French Onion Smothered Chicken | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other simple dinners? Here are my favorites: 

Crockpot Thai Short Ribs with Coconut Rice

Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo

Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce

Lastly, if you make this French Onion Smothered Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

French Onion Smothered Chicken

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 665 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
    2. Melt together the butter and onions in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. At this point, you'll want to slowly add the apple cider, 1/4 cup at a time, until the cider cooks into the onions.
    3. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Cook another 3-4 minutes.
    4. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized. Add the the wine and broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Stir in the cream.
    5. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until very dry.
    6. Place the bread on/around the chicken. Top evenly with cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with thyme. Serve and enjoy! YUM!
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This post was originally published on November 18, 2024
4.88 from 33 votes

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Comments

  1. This is my first time making this recipe but I love lots of your recipes. Can I use full fat yogurt instead of the cream to lighten is up?

    Reply

  2. I have a wine allergy can I use apple cider vinegar (although the recipe say Not Apple Cider Vinegar)? Using ACV takes care of the apple cider part and the dry wine part, what do you think?

    Reply

    1. Hi Philippa,
      I would just use both in place of the wine. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy thanksgiving! xx

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This was SO delicious! I used my homemade apple cider that I made extra zingy. Next time (and there will be a next time!), I will use more bread to completely cover the dish, mine was a little scant this time and that part was so yummy!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    The cook time is WAY off. Look at her recipe it’s cook time is 40 minutes It’s 40-50 good minutes. If you want truly caramelized onions like the Soup, you need at least 45 minutes alone for the onions. It’s a very good dish, but not quick.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious! I omitted the bread to make it gluten free. Wonderful recipe, thank you so much Tieghan!

    Reply

    1. Hi Amy,
      Sure, you can use broth in place of the apple cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx

      Reply

  9. This is delicious, I made exactly as written and it was fast and tasty, My baguette was thin and I wished I had used more that the six slices of toasted bread and had instead covered the entire pan. The cheesy bread bites sitting in the oniony broth were the best part, The raw chicken cooked perfectly in the onions.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Tieghan!!! This was insanely good!! My husband went back for seconds. French onion soup is one of our favorites this time of year and adding the chicken for a skillet type cuisine was amazingggg! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

    Reply

    1. Hey Ali,
      Happy Monday! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish and appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful week! xxT

      Reply

      1. Hi Tiegan,

        I was supposed to attend the crate and barrel event this evening in Soho. I had tickets and was super excited. Ended up coming down with a miserable cold. I hope it was a wonderful evening and I’m so sorry I missed it.

        Reply

        1. Oh no! Amy! I’m so sorry! Were you able to get your book? Send me your address via email and we will take care of you! Happy thanksgiving! Xx

          Reply

          1. 5 stars
            Tiguan, we loved this recipe. I doubled the chicken; and thought chicken tenders would work as well. I omitted the wine and added more chicken broth. My sauce never thickened. Wonder if I need to cook it longer?
            Never the less, it was a delicious home cooked meal! Thanks!!!

          2. Thanks so much for making this recipe, Gina! The sauce isn’t super thick in this recipe:) Happy Thanksgiving! x

    1. Hi Joan,
      I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you. Please let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xx

      Reply

    1. Hi Ashley,
      Yes, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT

      Reply

    1. Hi Bill,
      Yes, you are going to add the chicken in step 4, it will cook during that step and throughout the baking process. I hope this makes sense! xT

      Reply

  15. Is the chicken cooked before adding to the onions? – not clear. Think would prefer to pan fry chicken partially before adding. Always have a problem adding raw chicken to dishes before some cooking. Otherwise can taste this dish as read – definitely will try it over the holidays.

    Reply

    1. Hi Joan,
      No, the chicken is going to be cooked in step 4 and then will continue to cook in the oven. If you want to pan fry the chicken before the onions, feel free:) I hope you love this recipe! xT

      Reply