Ah, chicken in French onion soup. This is something my wife and I order at least once a month. It sounds like an odd combination, but it’s absolutely delicious. A few years ago we were out to dinner with friends and we ordered this soup as an appetizer. Our friends decided to try it, and immediately after their first bite they were craving more. We ended up splitting the soup as a side dish between our three families.

French Onion Chicken Skillet

French Onion Chicken Skillet is French onion soup in a cheesy chicken skillet form! Tender chicken breasts are swimming in a thickened french onion sauce, covered with nutty grueyre cheese, and broiled until the cheese is gooey, golden brown, and crusty.

French Onion Chicken Skillet

French onion soup just got a whole lot more interesting, and, dare I say it? More delicious. 

French Onion Chicken Skillet is just that. French onion soup with chicken, in a skillet.

But here’s a prettier picture: Seared chicken breasts swimming in an intoxicating pool of thickened French onion soup, topped with obscene amounts of nutty gruyere cheese, and broiled until said cheese is gooey, crusty, and completely addictive. 

Can you think of anything better??

I’ve been so excited to post this recipe. For one, it’s such a great winter recipe. French Onion Chicken Skillet is one of those dishes that’s going to warm you from the inside out and keep you satisfied without weighing you down, which is always something I love this time of year.

However, the main reason I’ve been so excited to share French Onion Chicken Skillet with you guys is because it’s SO incredibly delicious. So delicious, if I were given the task of having to choose one thing to eat for the rest of eternity, it just may be this. And I am not ashamed to admit that I may have been seen briefly licking my plate clean after every last morsel was gone. 

Another great thing about French Onion Chicken? From start to finish, including caramelizing those stubborn onions, this dish comes together in about 35 minutes. Another win. 

Ingredients in French Onion Chicken Skillet

Butter and olive oil. French onion soup isn’t complete without a little bit of butter. Here, we use just a touch to cook the chicken along with a little bit of olive oil.  Butter also makes an appearance when we caramelize the onions. 

Chicken. I like to use chicken breasts on the smaller end, just because large portions aren’t my thing. If you want, you could also use chicken thighs.

Onions. French onion chicken skillet calls for onions, lots of them. If you’ve ever caramelized an onion before, then you know how much they cook down. Here, we need about five cups, which should equal about three medium-sized onions or two large onions. 

Garlic. Just a little bit will do. And honestly, if garlic isn’t your thing, it can easily be left out. 

Salt and sugar. Salt and sugar bring out the natural sugars in the onions when caramelizing them, plus it helps to speed up the process just a touch. 

Cognac. This is my secret ingredient in French Onion Chicken Skillet. I am obsessed with the taste of cognac here. It adds a nutty, sweet aroma that’s so incredibly delicious. Please please please don’t skip it! You can buy a small bottle at your local liquor store pretty inexpensively.

White wine. A lot of French onion soup recipes call for red wine, but I find white wine compliments the onions and cognac a little bit better and makes this dish a little bit lighter. 

Flour. Just a few tablespoons to thicken the sauce. 

Beef broth. Any beef broth will do! 

Fresh thyme. Fresh thyme adds a lovely fresh herbal note to this French onion chicken skillet. It’s a pretty pronounced flavor, so a little bit goes a long way, and it also makes a big difference in the end flavor of the dish, if you leave it out. 

What is gruyere cheese? 

Ok, so gruyere cheese is arguably the most important part of French onion soup. But what the heck is it? If you haven’t had gruyere cheese before, man you’re missing out! It’s kind of similar in flavor to American Swiss cheese, but has a sharper, more nutty flavor. It’s also a harder cheese than Swiss, and oftentimes aged much longer. 

Even though it’s considered a hard cheese, it actually melts quite beautifully, which makes it the perfect cheese to use in fondue, and, you guessed it. French onion soup. 

How to make French Onion Chicken Skillet

Brown the chicken.

The first thing you want to do is get a nice sear on your chicken breasts. I season both sides with plenty of salt and pepper and then sear them in a little bit of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Once they’re brown on both sides, take them out of the pan and transfer them to a plate. Cover with foil. 

Caramelize the onions.

Add a little bit more butter to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in along with all of the onions. Toss and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add a little bit of sugar and plenty of salt to help get the process starting,

Now, this part takes a little bit of patience, but if you get through it, you’re well on your way to devouring French onion chicken skillet.

The process of caramelizing onions takes time.

When you slowly cook the onions, the sugars in the onion slowly release, turning them that beautiful golden brown color we all love. Make sure to stir the onions every few minutes or so, so they don’t start to brown or burn. After about 15 minutes, the onions should be caramelized enough for our French onion chicken skillet. They should be golden brown, soft, and super sweet. 

Make the French onion sauce.

Add cognac and wine to the onions. Turn the heat back up to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes until the alcohol has cooked out. Stir in flour. Cook one minute. Whisk in beef broth and thyme leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken. 

Add the chicken back to the sauce and let it cook for another few minutes until the sauce is thick and the chicken is just shy of being done.

Cover with cheese.

Evenly divide the cheese between the four chicken breasts. Pop the chicken into the broiler. Broil until the cheese is bubbly, brown, and crisp. Serve with fresh thyme. 

Can I make this in advance? 

Yes! You can make the entire dish in advance up until you broil the cheese. Cool the French onion sauce and chicken completely and store in the skillet you cooked it in. Be VERY careful to not overcook the chicken, since you will be heating it again later. Cover with a lid and store until you’re ready to eat. 30 minutes before re-heating, pull the skillet out to set at room temperature.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the skillet with the lid on in the oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn it on broil. Cover the chicken with cheese and broil until bubbly and hot. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Be sure to cook the onions low and slow! Caramelizing the onions gives this French onion chicken skillet almost all of its flavor. 
• If you can’t find cognac, you can replace it with white wine. 
• If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use all beef broth. 

FRENCH ONION CHICKEN SOUP

French Onion Chicken Soup adds chicken to make a main dish meal out of classic French Onion Soup.

I had the most incredible French Onion Soup of my life for my birthday this year. One of my best friends who also happens to be my neighbor took me out for a fancy lunch to a restaurant owned by an actual French chef so I had to order the French Onion Soup. The broth was delicate and sweet, yet full of umami and rich flavor. I knew I couldn’t begin to recreate it at home, but I tried to created something unique and still delicious with this French Onion Chicken Soup.

I read a lot of basic French Onion Soup recipes. Marsala wine was my ultimate choice to flavor the broth and give it the sweetness reminiscent of my restaurant experience. Plus Chicken Marsala, duh. In addition I used chicken stock and beef consommé in my broth. Trust me, it works.

Basically I created a very passable version of French Onion Soup that can be created for a busy weeknight dinner. I added chicken to make it more filling and suitable for a main dish. Not only is this soup really delicious but it’s economical too. And filling! Lots of bread and cheese on top help with that.

TIPS FOR FRENCH ONION CHICKEN SOUP:

• The better your ingredients, the better your soup. I used this brand of butter for my soup.
• I used a soup pot similar to this one to cook my soup.
• Broiling your soup before serving in ramekins like these makes for an impressive appearance. It’s not necessary though. You can simply toast your bread cubes in the oven and serve the soup with shredded cheese to top.

French Onion Chicken Soup

French Onion Chicken Soup adds chicken to make a main dish meal out of classic French Onion Soup.

 CourseSoup

 CuisineFrench

 Prep Time20 minutes

 Cook Time40 minutes

 Total Time1 hour

 Servings6

 Calories440kcal

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 sweet or yellow onions
• 2 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1 whole rotisserie chicken bones and skin discarded, meat shredded
• 1 10 oz can beef consommé broth
• 4 cups chicken stock
• salt to taste
• 1 16 oz loaf sour dough bread
• 2 cups shredded cheese Gruyere or Swiss are classic choices – but I use Munster sometimes

Instructions

• Peel and halve the onions. Then slice them. 
• Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sprigs of thyme, stir well, set the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid, turn up the heat a bit and cook the onions until they are caramelized and the liquid is evaporated – about 10 or 15 minutes more.
• Stir in the Marsala wine and allow it simmer for a few minutes so the alcohol content evaporates. 
• Stir in the shredded chicken, beef consommé and chicken stock. Bring the soup to a simmer and allow to cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Taste the soup. Add salt if necessary.
• Ladle the soup into bowls or oven-safe ramekins. 
• Top the soup with toasted sourdough bread cubes. Top the soup with shredded cheese. Serve.
• Or, heat the broiler and place the bowls of soup under the broiler for a few minutes to make the cheese browned and bubbly. 

French Onion Chicken Skillet (One Pan Meal!)

French Onion Chicken is an easy go-to meal the entire family will love! This skillet chicken recipe tastes just like your favorite soup in main course form. French Onion Soup Chicken is chicken breast topped with Swiss cheese, french onion soup, croutons, and more cheese!

French Onion Chicken

French Onion Chicken is just the perfect blend of flavors. This skillet chicken recipe is just like the classic soup, but served as a tasty chicken recipe!

Chicken is always my go-to for easy dinners. Not only is it delicious, but you can do so much with it. I have about a million easy chicken recipes here on the site to choose from. While they’re all kind of my favorite, this French Onion Chicken is today’s favorite recipe.

This French Onion Soup Chicken is a simple skillet chicken recipe that can be made any night of the week. It’s just 5 ingredients, it’s made in one pan, and it only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. That’s my kind of recipe!

It tastes just like the classic soup, but as a delicious chicken recipe that’s perfect as a main course. Chicken cooked in French Onion Soup, covered in Swiss cheese, and with lots of crunchy croutons thrown in. Yum!

Make this simple recipe for dinner tonight, or any night. It tastes gourmet but is secretly the easiest dinner you’ll ever make!

French Onion Soup Chicken

French Onion Soup is such a classic, and it’s one of my favorite soups. I just love the rich, savory flavor of it, and onions are one of my favorite ingredients. But the BEST part about the soup is the bubbly, melted layer of cheese on top, and the crunchy croutons to go along with it. I’m never one to leave good enough alone though, and I knew this combination would make the most amazing chicken recipe ever.

So this French Onion Chicken Skillet was born! Chicken breast cooked in french onion soup, topped with a layer of melted Swiss cheese, and plenty of croutons to add in the hearty crunch. It’s like the soup but better, and it’s so easy to make. You only need one pan and you’re good to go!

How to Make French Onion Chicken

A recipe with just 5 ingredients, one skillet, and less than 30 minutes? This easy chicken recipe is like a miracle. Why can’t every recipe be like this?! I don’t want to stress out while trying to cook dinner, and this French Onion Chicken Skillet is STRESS-FREE. A delicious dinner ready in a pinch!

How to Make it

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet.
2. Add the chicken breasts and cook 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. Pour in the French Onion Soup and cook the chicken another 4-5 minutes on each side.
4. Add in the croutons when you flip the chicken.
5. Once the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat and top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese. Allow it to melt into the chicken.

The chicken is the star of the show, so keep the side dishes simple. Just serve it over a bed of rice or add in a vegetable mix. For an extra flavor kick, try adding in some caramelized onions.

One Pan Skillet Chicken Recipes

I’m a big fan of one pan recipes. Nothing is easier than cooking a nice meal in one pan! This skillet chicken recipe is so simple and so delicious. Cooking chicken in a skillet is such an easy method. This French Onion Chicken recipe is so full of flavor with the cheese and french onion soup…I’m kind of obsessed!

You have to try this French Onion Chicken Skillet recipe! It’s so cheesy, savory, and flavorful. I love the added crunch from the croutons and the soup cooks into the chicken so perfectly. Make this easy chicken recipe any night of the week, hassle free!