French Onion Chicken Bake
This French Onion Chicken Bake is a quick and easy baked chicken recipe for fellow french onion soup lovers, complete with caramelized onions and a blend of two cheeses.
French Onion Chicken Bake
Those that love classic french onion soup, such as my Easy French Onion Soup recipe, will fall head over heals in love with this easy baked chicken dish.
I love simple chicken dinners, especially when it’s in casserole form like my Chicken Stuffing Bake.
Not only are they a true comfort food, but chicken casseroles like these fit so well into chaotic daily life.
One might think this would be the ideal recipe for fall, and it is.
Yet I made this recently, on a cool rainy summer day.
It was just the recipe to combat the gloominess.
This french onion smothered chicken recipe produces juicy and tender chicken breasts topped with caramelized onions.
Then glorious melted cheese is a blanket, both mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
It’s a taste that is really distinct and flavourful, it’s a favorite recipe. We’ve also taken a similar taste into a beef dish, French Onion Meatballs.
Best of all, you can serve this with pretty much any side dish like salad, Honey Glazed Carrots, and Oven Roasted Red Potatoes.
Since this is a perfect keto or low carb chicken dish, you can also serve these juicy chicken breasts alongside Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash. It’s a good choice.
Baked French Onion Chicken Ingredients:
Here are the simple ingredients to make this french onion chicken recipe. The full detailed instruction are below in the printable recipe card.
- Large Sweet Onions, or just yellow onions
- Butter
- Garlic
- Black Pepper
- Low Sodium Beef Broth
- Balsamic Vinegar
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt
- Thyme
- Mozzarella Cheese, or light mozzarella (try some gruyere cheese if you wish)
- Parmesan Cheese
How to Make French Onion Chicken Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add butter to a large skillet on medium heat to medium-high heat.
- Add sliced onions to melt butter, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat on the pan to medium and add in the garlic, pepper and thyme. Cook for another minute.
- Stir in the beef broth and the balsamic vinegar and cook until the onions have a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
- When onions are caramelized, place about 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Place your large chicken breast on top of the onions and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. If you have a favourite seasoning, feel free to lightly season chicken breasts at this time.
- Place remaining onion slices on top of the whole chicken breasts along with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for a cook time of 30 minutes or until the chicken has a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees and the top is golden brown.
- Serve warm, the entire family will enjoy this chicken dinner with a french onion flavor!
More Recipes to Try:
Also, be sure to check out our other Side Dish Recipes.
How to Caramelize Onions:
This French Onion Baked Chicken recipe includes a topping of beautiful sweet caramelized onion.
The buttery caramelized onions really makes the recipe, and ordinary sliced onions will not be the same. Here’s how to make them great:
- Sauté Onions In Butter Until Transparent and Soft: This first step is essential. Once they are soft, transparent and start to brown a little, they are done.
- Add Beef Broth and Balsamic Vinegar: This not only adds flavour but also stops the onions from drying out while they cook. In a pinch you can use chicken broth yet I’d prefer using beef.
- Garlic and Spices: More flavour is infused while the onions take on a sweet, jam-like consistency. Make sure to scrape up any of those browned bits from the onions when you stir.
What to Serve with French Onion Chicken:
This easy dinner recipe has a taste that is really distinct and flavourful, the best french onion soup flavor.
Best of all, you can serve this with pretty much any side dish like a tossed green salad, Glazed Carrots, and Oven Roasted Potatoes.
To align with this keto chicken dish, try this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash or cauliflower rice.
These Roasted Parmesan Green Beans are so good with this chicken recipe.
Yet this is a great recipe to pair these Baking Powder Biscuits with.
Of course this chicken dish is wonderful with white wine to drink.
Storage
Place chicken leftovers into an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
I like to reheat in a microwave-safe container, yet you can also bake in the oven to reheat completely.
FAQs about French Onion Chicken Bake
I hope your entire family loves this recipe as much as we do.
It’s become a favorite meal for those busy weeknights. It’s so good you’d never know it was a low carb recipe.
A comforting meal that is so good yet not heavy with carbs are the best recipes!
The best part aside from the incredible and classic flavors of french onion soup, is how good it is for you.
The end result is sure to impress!
For More Chicken Recipes
French Onion Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 4 Onions (peeled and sliced)
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 2/3 cup Low Sodium Beef Broth
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 Chicken Breasts (boneless skinless)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup Parmesean Cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
- Add butter to a large skillet on med to high heat. Add in sliced onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat on the pan to medium and add in the garlic, pepper and thyme and cook for another minute
- Stir in the beef broth and the balsamic vinegar and cook until the onions have a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
- When onions are caramelized, place about 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Place chicken on top of the onions and sprinkle with the salt.
- Place remaining onions on top of the chicken along with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken has a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If your chicken breasts are thick, cut in half diagonally. Make sure all are about the same size.
- Add in more of the spices if desired
Nutrition
This was awesome. Made it as recipe said. Just made half of it bc it is just two of us.
This has such deep flavors. Made it this weekend for the 2nd time and used some smoked Gouda to amp it up. I love caramelized onions! Served with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes.
I made this last night and was thrilled with the flavors and tenderness of the breasts. Will be in my rotation. I think I’ll add mushrooms next time.
Made this for supper tonight and all I can say is OMG AMAZING! I halved the recipe as it was just my husband and myself but it’s a keeper! This would be a nice meal to serve when having guests for dinner ❤️
This is one of my new favorite recipes! Thank you so much. Everyone in our family likes it.
I use less onions but add mushrooms for one teenager. It comes out perfect every time.
Made this last night….we loved it! Followed recipe exactly, very easy and quick. Thanks for sharing.
This is a delicious recipe. We are vegetarian so I used plant based chicken and it was perfect!
Made this today, followed all directions it was DELICIOUS !! Best part is that its easy and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients… I used 6 small chicken breast instead of four large, served with texas toast. Husband said to put in top five of his favorites!
Going to try your onion soup next:-)
Excellent! My husband loved it. I was somewhat skeptical, but it’s a keeper! I added the cheeses midway through baking and was careful about the salt added. Thanks, Tammi!
Outstanding! Easy, and forgiving in that I used a bunch of leftover stuff (onion, shallot, chicken stock, diced yellow bell pepper…cleaned out the fridge) and it was still great. I made it a one-pot dinner by using an oven-proof skillet to cook the onions and then added the chicken and cheese to it and slid it into the oven. Next time I’ll add mushrooms. Brava!
May I use cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella and Parmesanin this dish?
Thanks
You can, yet cheddars have a much sharper taste. So you’ll taste cheese more when using it. It’ll be totally fine, just an FYI. 🙂
I had rather large chicken breasts so instead of cutting them smaller, I baked the chicken separately till almost done and then assembled the dish and baked it till finished. I always use a meat thermometer. Was absolutely amazing.
Any way to incorporate panko breadcrumbs which would be similar to croutons like the soup!
I’d simply add it to the top when baking. YUM!
Served with French onions, the recipe is brilliant and I loved this idea. Everyone praised me for this idea and loved making it. Such a wonderful one which I am planning to make it again this week. As I had some guests coming over, the recipe turned out to be great. Cannot thank enough for the dish.
Love this recipe and have made it several times. Has anyone tried it with pork chops? Was wondering if the chops should be browned first.
If you’d like to, you could. Yet I also have a French Onion Pork Chops recipe posted as well. 🙂
I was looking for something refreshing to make and luckily came across this recipe of fresh onion and chicken bake. Delectable and creamy, this is perfect for my kids and in fact, they loved it. I made it when I had some guests at my place and they appreciated it too.
The recipe of French onion chicken bake is definitely a must-have during a cheerful Sunday brunch. I recommended it to my friends as well. I am surely going to make it again because my kids are pestering me for it everyday. The sweet caramelized onions drizzled all over the cheesy parmesan baked chicken tasted so good!
This recipe was delicious. I added 1 packet of liption onion soup to the onion mixture. Next time I would cut the chicken breast so they were thinner and would double the recipe. The cheese on top is SO good. I will add more cheese when I make it again.
Good addition! 🙂
With the summer season getting out of hand and a couple of guests coming over during the weekend, I was looking for something easy and delicious when this recipe came to my rescue of gooey French onions and cheesy chicken bake. Everyone was happy and content at the table.
This turned out great! Made a few tweaks due to my hubby’s low sodium diet and it was still really good. This was so easy and def a keeper!
This recipe was delicious. I tried this, and my mom just loved it. Thanks for sharing.
How many pounds of chicken breasts do you use? This recipe is AWESOME! My girls didn’t like onions and now they love them. Thank you!!
I always go with the number of breasts and don’t actually notice the weight. Haha.
Is the balsamic vinegar a glaze?!
no it is a type of vinegar
This recipe has been a family favorite since we tried it. The cheese we use varies, but we prefer provolone. I must admit, I also cheat and use a can of french onion soup in place of the beef broth. Comes out fantastic!
Me too!!
My husband’s birthday is coming up & I always make him something he loves. Usually it’s a boring chicken parmigiana! Ugh! But I suggested the French onion chicken & he was thrilled that I’m making this dish again!
Thanks for this delicious recipe! It’s in my favorites on Pinterest!
I made it and used Gruyère cheese and parm. Everyone enjoyed it so it will be on my list more often.
Delicious recipe and easy! I only had thin sliced chicken breasts at my grocery store. If this is you also, can reduce cook time by about 5 minutes or so. I’m definitely going to try reg size chicken breast’s next time as I can’t wait to make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t understand why 15g of carbs
Oh it’s not. I think it’s a glitch in the card itself. Darn technology.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!
I used gouda instead of mozza and gave it an added depth of flavour, thank you, I will definitely be making this again.
Hi! Can you substitute butter if dairy free? Do you have a suggestion? Thanks!
Hello, I haven’t tried a substitute for this. Maybe someone has a suggestion and can comment.
Did anyone use Swiss cheese to top the chicken?
Wow! I made this last night. Fairly easy recipe with ingredients that I keep in my kitchen. I used boneless, skinless, chicken thighs. This was delicious. My husband was “wowed” too! Thanks for giving us a great way to prepare chicken.
I made this tonight and it was INCREDIBLE. I’m already thinking of the guests I want to make this for soon! My husband sounded like Bill Murray in “What about Bob” while eating it ?
haha, love that! 🙂
Never seen a site like this. Can’t see all the ingredients!! I don’t have time for this
EVERY blog has a recipe card, like this one. How can you not see it?
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe! My ma’s an *extremely* picky eater with some dietary restrictions and it makes finding recipes she’ll enjoy incredibly difficult. I made this and managed to persuade her to try a little before she headed out to work. Before she was even able to get out her rare positive review – I already knew from the look on her face it was a hit! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ❤
I carmelized the onions for an extra 20 minutes at the beginning to really get that rich French onion flavor and added extra cheese at the end (Can you ever have too much cheese?) but other than that I followed the recipe as written. It was out of this world! My whole family devoured it. Will definitely be making again
Amazing!
Will it taste similar if I substitute the mozzarella with Cheddar cheese? Thank you
I swap for this sometimes. I love mozza on this but in a pinch I’d do it.
YUM! This would be great for changing up plain old chicken dinners.
I have had this pinned for quite sometime. Wishing now I had made it sooner. This was a delicious meal. The only thing did different was I used chicken bouillon vs beef, per the recipe. This recipe will definitely be going on my rotation. When the hubby and daughter devour a meal, it is a definite must for the rotation. Thank you so much, Tammi, for the great recipe.
OMG! This is DELICIOUS!!! ?? Hubby called it a grand slam & wants it in regular rotation! I added a dash of red wine, dash of Worcestershire sauce and served it w/rice & fresh green beans. Yum! (I also had some wedges of Laughing Cow light Swiss/garlic cheese, and added those in place of some of the mozzarella.)
I made this tonight and it was delicious! The chicken was so tender and flavorful. I sprinkled some poultry seasoning on the chicken before topping with the onions and cheese and I didn’t salt as figured the broth was adding enough salt. I love French onion soup and this recipe is a keeper . Thank you for sharing!
Just tried this and it truly is an amazing recipe! Thanks so much!
Do you bake this covered or uncovered?
I bake uncovered personally
Hi I made it, no covering needed.
I made this last night. It really is good! The beef broth is necessary for the French Onion Soup flavor. I had a leftover leek and 3 shallots and just added them to the onions. The only thing we will change next time is cutting down the amount of thyme. It is definitely needed for the flavor but it seemed to overpower the subtle yumminess of the caramelized onions. Will definitely make it again!
YAY!
Can you use chicken broth instead of beef broth? I don’t eat beef.
Sure!
Has anyone tried adding mushrooms to this recipe?
I have, it’s great!
A fabulous recipe that was unbelievable tasty. Chicken was so moist!. We halved the recipe as there were only the 2 of us. AMAZING!
I halved the recipe as well – very yummy! My husband wants it again, and we just finished dinner 😁
My husband found this recipe and we decided to try. Like someone said, I thought “why beef broth and not chicken”. It’s like making French onion soup and adding to the chicken. Excellent. We used all shredded gruyere and it was delicious. We really didn’t want an Italian cheese spin on it. I think next time I will put a layer of sliced small potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Thanks for this new idea for chicken!
Nancy, do you cook the chicken before putting it in the casserole?
No you do not. 🙂
Good morning! Could this be assembled earlier in the day and then baked just before serving? I’d like to make this when we have friends over, but don’t want to be in the kitchen cooking while they’re here ?
Yes, that would work just fine! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! Totally delicious. My son and husband ate two servings and kept commenting how delicious it was. This is a winner. The chicken was so tender. Used a 7 combination of a package of white Italian cheeses and shaved Parmesan.
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
I was looking for a good broccoli rice side dish and stumbled upon this recipe. Made it exactly as stated but without the chicken. Used a 9×13 but should have used maybe a 9×9. Anyway it was fabulous! Will definitely make again.
Have you tried it with provolone cheese sprinkled with paprika? I think that would make it more like French onion soup
I had thought the same – either provolone or Swiss makes more sense to me.
Easy to make.
Wonderful flavor.
I did not have Balsamic Vinegar so I found a substitution online.
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar..
Worked well.
Definitely a keeper !.
Never thought of that. I had only apple cider vinegar and a bit soya sauce will let you know how it turned out
I made this and we really liked it.
OMG sooo delicious!!!! I was a little apprehensive about the recipe, but boy I was wrong. This will most definitely be added to the rotation. Thank you so much for a tasty and simple recipe. A+++
This recipe is absolutely delicious, made exactly recipe, served it with cauliflower mash and carrots, sooooo good, will definitely make it again, thanks
Off to market to get ingredients to make tonight. I know my guys will love this. Thanks so much. I needed a new recipe for Chicken breasts.
Sounds like great recipes. Just had both knees surgery so not doing a whole lot cooking yet.
Always read the reviews first, so I truly can’t wait to make this but first have a question. Why do yuh use Beef Broth in a Chicken recipe. Why wouldn’t you use Chicken STOCK. Just curious, I still want to try this, but wanted to know why you used what you did.
Thank, Jan
It’s a darker more robust taste. Just like the soup. 🙂
Rarely comment but this is awesome!!!
What can I use in place of thyme, I have a friend that avoids this spice?
You can just leave it out if you wish!
Wouldn’t rosemary work? Chicken and rosemary, yum!
I sometimes use half olive oil and half butter and it works just fine although I haven’t tried it for this recipe.
I made it before and lived it ,,, Can I make ahead and freeze.?
I would totally make it, cooking and all – and then freeze. Make sure to thaw completely before reheating. Let me know how it turns out!
Does this freeze good?
Hola, I just answered that to Kay!
This was DELICIOUS!! Thank you!
My husband and I absolutely love this meal. However, this recipe is like three meals for us. Can I freeze any of this recipe for a later date so we are not eating this 3 days in a row?
Hi Kathy. I’m sorry to not have gotten back to you sooner. How did you make out with the leftovers?
My husband and I just finished eating this recipe and we both LOVED it. He said that this chicken recipe is one of the best I’ve made. Deff making this again. Thank you for sharing.
My daughter and I made this tonight and the whole house smelled amazing. And it was delicious Thank You
I made this but substituted a few things based on my health restrictions. Used boneless chicken thighs, glazed balsamic vinegar, poultry seasoning and vegan cheese. It smells so good! We enjoyed it too.
Hi Tammi… Can you substitute olive oil to carmelize the onions? Trying to avoid butter where possible.
I haven’t tried it, yet I do know many that use oil instead of butter to carmelize! 🙂
? Please .At any time is the chicken covered while cooking?
I don’t yet if the top is getting too crispy you can place some foil over top. It all depends on where your rack placement is.
I have alpha gal and can’t have anything to do with beef products what would you recommend instead of beef broth?
I would use chicken stock in this case.
Amazeing way to prepare chicken.. i had this at The Olde Hide House in Acton Ontario
Tried to duplicate it but used orange juice and soya sauce for that little of tart. Never thought to use balsamic vinegar glad i found this recipe
I’m glad you did as well! 🙂
I made this exact with glaze balsamic and I used a tbsp of the better than bouillon onion base in my onions. Perfect. Second time making it tonight !!
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it. I made 4 thin sliced breasts, so we could have some leftovers. I added a small can of mushrooms also. It was done in about 25 minutes. I will be making this again, for us and or company, that’s how yummy it was. Thank you!!!
This was a BIG Hit tonight! My husband isn’t a onion fan so I was a little leery serving it. Turns out he Loved It & my 2yr old son did also! I only had 2 chicken breasts so I used 3 onions instead of 4 & I didn’t have shredded Parmesan so I used a little extra mozzarella & poured some Kraft Parmesan in. Thanks, this will be on rotation now!
Do you recommend chicken breasts, or can theey be replaced by thighs with this recipe?
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can totally use boneless skinless thighs too!
Is boneless chicken tenders just as good as breasts? Tenders are thinner
You can use those! 🙂
Second time in the making. I can get my chicken hateing family to eat this delicious recipe! Thank you.
It doesn’t matter. your preference. I use chicken thighs which was boneless and skinless
Delicious! I waited to add the cheese until ten minutes before the end of cooking time and it was perfect.
Just made this recipe as written. My family absolutely loved this meal!!!! It tasted amazing especially on this beautiful Fall day?. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. It’s a keeper!
This was really good! Instead of 2 T. off balsamic I used 1Tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp of Red wine vinegar and I waited to add the cheese about 10 minutes before cooking was done. Very tasty! Thank you!
I just made this and it is yummy. It smells like onion soup in the house! Feels like autumn is there already… I roasted vetetables on a sheet pan with this. Simple to make and yet, very healthy and comforting. Thank you very much for this great idea. The bf loved it as well. 🙂
I just made it for dinner tonight. My husband says I get an A plus. It was yum yum yummy!👍🏻
I made for dinner absolutely delicious. The only thing I need cut the salt back. Great recipe. My husband absolutely loved it
I made this and my hubby who is an incredibly fussy eater, loved it!
The balsamic adds so much flavour!! This dish has now become a favourite in our home.
Thank you very much 😊
Loves this. Absolutely loved it. I used boneless chicken thighs and it was amazing. Adding mushrooms one day may be fun
Feels like fall