Easy & Delicious One Pan French Onion Chicken Dinner

This easy one pan French onion chicken dinner is so delicious for any day of the week!

Juicy chicken breasts are enveloped by a flavourful caramelized onion sauce that is so satisfying.

Topped with grated gruyere cheese, it’s a divine skillet French onion chicken recipe you won’t want to miss out on!

I love the flavors of my French onion bean soup and one pot French onion pasta. But, this French onion chicken dinner is my new favourite French onion recipe! 

While I love the traditional flavours of a French onion soup, I’ve made a few swaps from the classic soup recipe flavours to suit our household’s tastes and dietary needs.

To create the flavorful sauce, I use Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Chicken Bone Broth instead of beef broth. It’s a go-to in my house since it’s gluten-free, contains no artificial flavors, ingredients or preservatives and it has no added sugar, making it an excellent base for cooking. It’s a clean-label broth base that packs a ton of seasoning and is perfect for this deeply flavourful recipe.

Why you’ll love this one pan French onion chicken dinner

• It’s made with a chicken bone broth base which boosts the flavor!
• If you love classic French onion soup you’ll love this spin on those flavours.
• This French onion chicken bake is something the whole family will love.
• It’s cheesy, comforting and delicious!

Ingredients needed to make this easy French onion chicken recipe

Chicken breasts: boneless skinless chicken breasts are the main protein ingredient in this French onion chicken

Onions: sweet yellow onions are key to creating the flavorful sauce in this French onion chicken dinner recipe

Chicken bone broth: Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Chicken Bone Broth is my favourite ingredient to use in this chicken dinner; the bone broth provides a rich depth of flavour and even on its own it’s deliciously sippable

Butter: butter is key to creating the jammy caramelized onions

Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper is used to flavour the chicken; dried thyme and dried rosemary goes best in the french onion sauce

Fresh herbs: fresh thyme goes perfectly with the flavours in this recipe

Balsamic Vinegar & tamari: traditionally wine is used to deglaze the pan but I’ve opted for the acidity of balsamic vinegar and tamari

All purpose flour: all purpose flour mixed with the seasonings coats the chicken and helps the chicken get nice and browned

Gruyere cheese: Gruyere cheese and French onion flavours go beautifully together; if you don’t have Gruyere cheese you can use Swiss cheese or an old white cheddar cheese

How to make this one pan French onion chicken

Step 1: In a small bowl mix together the all purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts to a bowl and sprinkle over the flour-spice mixture and toss to coat all of the sides of the chicken breasts well. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large oven-safe skillet, add the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions, pinch of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine and cover and cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Then remove the lid and turn to medium-low heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally (so they don’t burn), until golden brown and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.

Step 3: While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 4: When the onions are caramelized, stir in the dried thyme, tamari, minced garlic and ground pepper. Stir to combine and then transfer the onions to a bowl.

Step 5: Turn the large skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pan and cook undisturbed until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat on the other side, 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Step 6: Put the pan back on medium heat and add the caramelized onion mixture back to the pan. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the hot water with the Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Chicken Bone Broth and cornstarch and then pour that mixture into the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and mix everything in the pan together to combine. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to slightly thicken.

Step 7: Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce and spoon some of the sauce and onions over each chicken breast. Then, divide the grated cheese over top of all of the chicken breasts. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer and the cheese is melted.

Step 8: Garnish the tops of the chicken breasts with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately.

Expert tips

• Make sure to top with fresh thyme leaves! They really round out the flavours of this dish.
• You can make this French onion chicken dinner recipe a complete meal with these serving suggestions:
  • Add a side salad like my Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad or serve with green beans
  • Serve with a delicious loaf of crusty bread for dipping into all of that caramelized onion saucy goodness!
  • Pair with mashed potatoes or a pasta of choice for a heartier meal.
• If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, use a large skillet up until the part of the recipe where you place the French onion chicken in the oven. Before placing in the oven, carefully transfer everything from the skillet to an oven-safe baking dish and then bake per the recipe instructions.

Common questions

Can I use another type of onion in this French onion chicken dinner?
I do not recommend using white onions or red onions; they will not caramelize like yellow onions.

What if I don’t like fresh thyme?
You can garnish with fresh parsley instead of fresh thyme leaves.

Where can I find Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Chicken Bone Broth?
The Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Chicken Bone Broth is created by the team behind Zoup! Eatery (now Z!Eats), which has been serving soup to customers for over two decades. The lineup includes beef, chicken and savory vegan bases, and Zoup! also offers traditional broths and bone broths, plus super-premium, shelf-stable soups. You can purchase these products at select retailers across the country, through Instacart, and online at ZoupBroth.com and Amazon.com. 

Use code 20ZOUPGENES for 20% off your first Zoup! purchase on Amazon (good through 4/8/25). 

How to store this french onion chicken dinner

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. 

Disclaimer: Thank you to Zoup! for sponsoring this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.  For more information, follow @ZoupGoodReallyGood on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and @ZoupGoodReallyGoodBroth on Pinterest.