This French onion chicken is a fun take on the restaurant classic French onion soup, mimicking the soup ingredients and combining them with seasoned, pan-fried chicken breast. Convenience ingredients like canned broth and condensed French onion soup make this chicken dinner as easy as it is delicious.
Having quick and easy dinner recipes makes it more likely you can get a homemade dinner on the table even on busy weeknights. Like this tasty onion soup chicken, this baked caprese chicken and a hearty chicken and gravy dinner are perfect for when you are short on time and energy.
With this recipe most of the flavor comes from a simple seasoning and canned condensed French onion soup. This is not only another great chicken breast recipe but a delicious way to put stale bread to good use.
This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Oil – Olive oil is used here, but we are browning the chicken on medium heat so any oil suitable for sautéing will do, use your favorite.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of any fat. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and adjust the cooking time.
- Seasoning – Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper make a simple seasoning mix for the chicken.
- Butter – Regular salted butter works, use unsalted if that is what you have on hand, or if you are sensitive to salt.
- Pantry – All-purpose flour (works as a thickener to give the sauce a little body), condensed onion soup (like Campbells condensed French onion soup), and chicken broth.
- Bread – Use bread that has a crusty exterior already and is stale. It needs to be hard, so it does not become too mushy as soon as it hits the onion soup sauce. Stale baguettes are perfect for this dish.
- Cheese – We use provolone cheese because that is what we use to make our French onion soup, but other suitable cheeses include: Gruyere, yellow Swiss cheese, mozzarella (not fresh), and Monterey Jack.
Recipe tips
Use low-sodium ingredients if you are sensitive to salt. Low-sodium chicken broth, reduced sodium cheese and butter should be easy to find. Also, cut the salt to season the chicken and adjust at the end if needed.
Toast the bread if you are starting out with fresh bread instead of stale. It is easy to do and only takes a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the baguette into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 5-10 minutes or until toasted. Remove from the oven and reserve for later.
The cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken. If working with thinner pieces take the internal temperature after 7 minutes or so to gauge the remaining cooking time. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through.
Instructions
Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Arrange the chicken in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes to brown.
Turn each piece and cook another 2-3 minutes to brown the other side.
Take the skillet off the heat and remove the chicken to a plate or pan. Keep warm by loosely covering it with a piece of aluminum foil, and/or place the plate in the microwave or oven to keep it away from drafts.
Do not wash or wipe the skillet. Place it back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour.
Cook the butter flour mixture for 1 – 1½ minutes to cook the raw flour a bit. Stir almost constantly.
Next, add the French onion soup and the chicken broth while stirring and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Move around the skillet making small circles with a spoon or spatula.
Add the chicken back to the skillet along with any juices collected on the plate.
Raise the heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a simmer (this will take about 1-2 minutes). Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until the largest piece of chicken reaches 165°F at its thickest part. Turn about halfway through the cooking time.
Lower the heat to low.
Arrange the bread around chicken using all the empty spaces.
Arrange the slices of provolone cheese on top of the chicken and the bread.
Cover the skillet and cook about 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serving and storing
Serve the French onion chicken with brown rice like we do here for a filling and satisfying dinner. It is also delicious on a bed of mashed potatoes, a side salad, vegetables, or your favorite side dish.
Store leftover French onion chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool the chicken and place in an airtight container; freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat the French onion chicken in the microwave or a skillet until it is heated through.
You may also like these easy chicken recipes:
Subscribe to the newsletter for the latest recipes.
Check out the Web Story for this easy onion chicken for a quick visual on making this delicious dish.
📖 Recipe
French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 Chicken Breast boneless, skinless, and trimmed of any fat (about 1½ pounds, 6 ounces each)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons All-purpose Flour
- 1 10.5 ounce can Condensed Onion Soup (like Campbells condensed French Onion Soup)
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 4 cups Cubed Baguette Bread – roughly 1-inch pieces stale or toasted (about ½ or ¾ of a baguette, depending on how large it is)
- 6-8 slices Provolone Cheese about 4-5 ounces
Instructions
- Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Arrange the chicken in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes to brown. Turn each piece and cook another 2-3 minutes to brown the other side.
- Take the skillet off the heat and remove the chicken to a plate or pan. Keep warm by loosely covering it with a piece of aluminum foil, and/or place the plate in the microwave or oven to keep it away from drafts.
- Do not wash or wipe the skillet. Place it back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour. Cook the butter flour mixture for 1 – 1½ minutes to cook the raw flour a bit. Stir almost constantly.
- Next, add the French onion soup and the chicken broth while stirring and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Move around the skillet making small circles with a wooden spoon.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet along with any juices collected on the plate.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a simmer (this will take about 1-2 minutes). Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until the largest piece of chicken reaches 165°F at its thickest part. Turn about halfway through the cooking time.
- Lower the heat to low.
- Arrange the bread around chicken using all the empty spaces. Arrange the slices provolone cheese on top of the chicken and the bread. Cover the skillet and cook about 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve the French onion chicken with brown rice, mashed potatoes, a side salad, vegetables or your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- If you are using fresh bread instead of stale it needs to be toasted. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the baguette into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 5-10 minutes or until toasted. Remove from the oven and reserve for later.
- The cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken. If working with thinner pieces take the internal temperature after 7 minutes or so to gauge the remaining cooking time.
- If you are sensitive to salt use low-sodium ingredients (like low-sodium chicken broth, reduced sodium cheese and butter) and cut the salt to season the chicken and adjust at the end if needed.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Leave a Reply