19 December 2019

One-Pan French Onion Chicken

One-Pan French Onion Chicken / www.delightfulrepast.com

One-Pan French Onion Chicken is a great dinner party dish. And for a speedy weeknight dinner, you can make the caramelized onions in advance to hurry things along. Caramelized onions can't be rushed, but the cooking time is pretty much hands-off. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for future convenience.

You can easily double the recipe, but you'll need to cook the chicken in two batches. The chicken will not brown properly if the pan is crowded. It's okay to crowd the pan a bit for the broiling.

One-Pan French Onion Chicken / www.delightfulrepast.com


If your eyes are as sensitive to onions as mine are, you'll want to don a pair of these fabulous onion goggles before slicing the onions. Getting those goggles several years ago was life-changing! They come in several trim colors; mine have the lime green trim and really look quite cute!

The perfect "starch" to go with this for a dinner party is Pomme Rosti, but for family dinner I like Mashed Potatoes. Seasonal vegetables or salad round out the meal. We paired it with a decent French rosé, but lots of wines would work.

One-Pan French Onion Chicken / www.delightfulrepast.com

One-Pan French Onion Chicken 

Though I usually post strictly original recipes, this is one is adapted from one I saw on thekitchn website. I've made changes, added flavor and added a lot of my own info to the directions that I think will be helpful to you. 

(Makes 4 servings)

1 1/2 pounds (2 medium/24 ounces/680 grams) yellow onions, quartered and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces/44 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
5/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (total weight 1.25 to 2 pounds/567 to 907 grams), halved horizontally starting at the thick end 
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) dry sherry or brandy 
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) low-sodium chicken broth 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 packed cup (2 ounces/57 grams) shredded Gruyere (or mozzarella)
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley 

1 In heavy-bottomed large skillet that is broiler-safe (I use the All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan), cook the onions in butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over low heat, covered, for 15 minutes. No need to watch them, just set the timer and walk away. 

2 Stir in the sugar (helps with browning) and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat (onions should be sizzling), stirring occasionally,* for about 35 to 45 minutes or more, or until onions are well caramelized, evenly brown. Transfer onions to one side of a large plate. 

* Check the onions every 5 minutes, but do not stir until they're sticking to the pan a bit. You need to let the onions stick a little to brown, then stir and scrape the pan. Just do not let it burn, or it's all over! 

3 Pat the chicken dry and season with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste). 

4 In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil (and whatever oil is left in the pan from the onions) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it's not ready to turn; keep cooking. It should register 165F/74C on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer chicken to plate with the onions. 

5 Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and turn oven to Broil. Add sherry or brandy to skillet to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in broth and Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil. Boil gently for 5 minutes or so until sauce is reduced by half. 

6 Return the four chicken pieces to the skillet. Top each with caramelized onions and shredded cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned, about 2 minutes. Garnish with minced parsley.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean 

44 comments:

Vee said...

Sounds and looks delicious. Love the idea of the onion goggles! (I always try to remember to wear my eyeglasses for sure. Merry on...

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

“Onion goggles”…cracks me up. Makes perfect sense, but I want to Chef Ramsey wearing them. Carmelized onions…so that’s how they’re done. I’ve been putting them in caramel sauce. Eh.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Vee! My eyeglasses never did a great job. But I just this minute had an idea: Wrap a "headband" of plastic wrap around your head and glasses to seal around them!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, Chef Ramsey is too tough to wear onion goggles. Thanks for the tip on caramelizing onions--onions in caramel sauce, yum. Nooooooo!

Tamago said...

Your dish looks soooo yummy! I love caramelized onions and they go really well with chicken. Never seen onion goggles before - what a great idea :-)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Tamago. And I could not live without my onion goggles!

Angie's Recipes said...

This looks truly flavourful and delicious. That sauce is for sure the keeper.

Unknown said...

This looks amazing, Jean - pinning for a future evening!! Tonight is an Asian style chicken stir fry with pineapple....have to use up what's in the fridge, right? :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Angie. I do love a nice little sauce!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Debbie, thank you. Your stir-fry sounds good, too, something I know my husband would gobble up!

Jeanie said...

When I get a new oven and stove, I'm making this one. Oh, caramelized onions. I always make twice as many as a recipe calls for because I snitch them during the cooking! Yum!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

Great old-style French cooking and all the better for that. This is perfect for a casual, cosy supper with friends. It's the sort of dish you'll still find quite widely in the north of France and that's a place I'm very fond of. I used to cook large batches of onions and freeze portions and I've no idea why I got out of the habit. Maybe I should cook some over the Christmas period.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jeanie, I tend to do that, too! Because you have to keep "testing" them, right?! I'll look forward to hearing about your new oven and stove.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Phil, thank you. Glad to hear it's something you'd find in northern France. The great thing about caramelized onions is that it smells like you're making a great meal, even before you've done anything else!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

My mouth is watering, Jeanie. This is my kind of entree. Caramelized onions are one of my favorites which tells me this is a good recipe.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Martha, I'm so glad you like it! Hope you'll make it soon.

Quinn said...

I find onion fumes unbearable, and wear my old swim goggles :) They are soft and so airtight they can get steamed up...I wonder if your glasses model would be even more comfortable while still working well?

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

This chicken dish sounds superb, Jean! I’d love to try this soon. Caramelized onions would add such flavor. Merry Christmas!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Quinn, these are sooooo much better than swim goggles. Very effective at keeping the fumes out, but also very comfortable and with no steaming up. Order a pair today! I don't make single onion cut until I put on my onion goggles!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Kitty! Yes, the caramelized onions make this chicken amazing! Hope you'll try it soon. Wishing you a wonderful 2020!

Richard Sheppard said...

Oh yum! I've been saying I should make some French onion soup but this sounds great too! We always make a list for foods to make between Christmas and New Years and this one will defiantly make the list.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Richard. I hope you'll like it as much as we do! I think I could happily eat it every week.

Lorrie said...

This sounds delicious. I do love onions!

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Yum! This recipe sounds delicious! I could eat chicken every day of the week and this is another great way to serve it. The only caramelized onions I've ever had are with Brussel sprouts and those are delish too. So I will definitely have to try this. Thanks for the recipe and Merry Christmas, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Lorrie. I love cooked onions, but can't eat raw ones.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Sandi. Caramelized onions with Brussels sprouts sounds good, too--must try that!

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I love this recipe, Jean! So much comfort there... I can also imagine this with pork chops!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

David, thank you. And, yes, pork chops--what a great idea!

Louca por porcelana said...

Great recipe,Jean!Thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas and Happy 2020!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Maristella! Wishing you a fabulous 2020!

Meditations in Motion said...

Looks delicious, as always! Hubby and I eat chicken once a week. I'm going to put this in our rotation!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, MIM! I hope you both enjoy it as much as we do.

Lowcarb team member said...

Wow Jean, this looks absolutely delicious :)

All the best Jan

April J Harris said...

Your One Pan French Onion Chicken looks like a wonderful dish, Jean! I am so lucky that I seem to be immune to the effects of onions - so it will be easy for me to try this wonderful dish as well! Thank you so much for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jan, thanks. AND it's low-carb! :-)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, April. Wishing you a wonderful 2020. (It's going to seem very strange writing "2020!")

Richard Sheppard said...

Made this tonight and it was SO DELICIOUS Jean!!! We loved it. The only change I made was Sous Vide-ing the chicken for two hours & then just searing it in the pan instead of cooking it in the pan. Outstanding! Such rich flavor, we're glad we had some Mashers (and broccolini) to go with it. Mmmmmmmm

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Richard, thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it. I know some people would put garlic in it, but even if I weren't allergic to garlic I would not add it because it simply doesn't need it. The onions are the star of the show.

Unknown said...

I’m going to make this next week! Sounds delish. Maybe with a spinach salad.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Unknown. What a great combination that would be! Next time I make the chicken, I'm making spinach salad as well!

Miz Helen said...

Your awesome post was featured on Full Plate Thursday,464. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope you have a great New Year! Hope to see you in 2020!
Miz Helen

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Miz Helen, thank you so much! I so appreciate your sharing my post, featuring it on Full Plate Thursday. See you in 2020!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

Sounds yummy! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 8. Pinned.

Have you seen my short story link party? It is a creative writing exercise for fun and without a lot of editing. Just start typing and see what you come up with! Remember, no story is too short! See the party on my site for the current prompt, closes on the 9th.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dee! And I appreciate the Pin!