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French Onion Chicken Casserole is comfort food at its very best. Juicy boneless chicken breasts are stuffed with caramelized onions and layers of melty cheese, then baked in a rich, savory sauce that brings all the flavors of a classic French onion soup into one hearty dish. It’s cozy, satisfying, and still fits beautifully into a low carb or keto lifestyle.
You’ll love how this French Onion Chicken recipe turns out. Every bite is tender, cheesy, and full of flavor. Whether you’re planning a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting weekend meal, this Chicken French Onion casserole is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser at the table.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
This French Onion Chicken Casserole takes all the cozy, savory flavors of French onion soup and transforms them into a hearty main dish. The chicken stays tender and juicy while soaking up the sweet richness of caramelized onions and the gooey melt of cheese. It’s a comforting twist that feels indulgent but is simple enough for weeknight cooking.
Another reason this French Onion Chicken recipe is so good is its versatility. You can serve it as a classic Chicken French Onion casserole for a family dinner or dress it up with sides for a special occasion. No matter how you enjoy it, this dish guarantees a flavorful bite in every forkful.
What Goes Into French Onion Chicken Casserole
This French Onion Chicken Casserole is made with simple ingredients that come together to create a rich, savory, and comforting dish.
- Onions: The star of the dish, slowly caramelized until golden and sweet, giving the casserole its signature French onion flavor.
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: Juicy and tender, they soak up all the flavors of the sauce and become the perfect base for the melty cheese topping.
- Gruyere Cheese: Classic for French onion dishes, this cheese melts beautifully into a gooey, nutty layer. Mozzarella works too if you prefer a milder option.
- Fresh Thyme: Adds an earthy, fragrant touch that balances the richness of the onions and cheese.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make French Onion Chicken Casserole
- Preheat the Oven: Set the oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 9×12-inch baking dish. Place it aside until ready to use.
- Cook Onions: Melt butter over medium-high. Add onions, season with salt, pepper, and half the thyme, then cook until softened.
- Caramelize Slowly: Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and jammy, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of broth if the pan dries out.
- Deglaze and Flavor: Pour in white wine, sherry, or balsamic vinegar if using, and let it cook for a minute. Stir in garlic until fragrant, then remove from the heat to cool slightly.
- Prepare the Chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally to form a pocket. Season both inside and outside with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground thyme.
- Stuff with Onions and Cheese: Fill with 1–2 tablespoons of caramelized onions and a mix of Gruyere and Parmesan, then secure with toothpicks.
- Sear the Chicken: Transfer remaining onions to the prepared baking dish with the rest of the broth. Heat oil in the skillet and sear chicken for 4 minutes per side until browned.
- Bake: Place chicken on top of the onions in the baking dish, spoon sauce over each breast, and sprinkle with remaining thyme. Bake for 15–20 minutes, discard toothpicks, and serve.
Finish the meal with Maple Glazed Apple Fritter Donut Holes, a bite-sized treat that adds warm apple sweetness and a touch of maple to balance the savory casserole.
If you’d like something creamy and spiced, Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Bars bring cozy autumn flavors with a tangy cheesecake layer that complements the richness of the chicken. For a fun twist, Nutella Stuffed Deep Dish Churro Skillet Cookie delivers a gooey, shareable dessert that feels indulgent and satisfying after a hearty meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
Gruyere is the classic choice because it melts beautifully and has a nutty flavor, but mozzarella or provolone also work well.
No, that step is optional. If you prefer, you can use balsamic vinegar, sherry, or just skip it and rely on the broth for flavor.
Be sure not to overbake. The chicken should reach 165°F internally, and baking it in the onion sauce helps keep it moist.
FRENCH ONION CHICKEN ON VIDEO
French Onion Stuffed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 onions large, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped, divided
- 2 tablespoons white wine optional, or sherry or balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup beef broth or stock, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded, or mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9×12-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt, pepper and half of the fresh chopped thyme. Cook for 5-8 minutes until soft.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook, while stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and jammy (about 15 minutes). Pour in 1/4 cup of broth if pan gets too dry, and keep stirring until onions are browned.
- OPTIONAL: Pour in white wine, sherry or balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan and get some additional flavours into the onions. Let cook for a minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
- Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to create pockets. Season chicken all over and inside pockets with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground thyme.
- Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of caramelized onions into each pocket. Stuff each breast with the cheeses and seal chicken with toothpicks.
- Transfer the remaining caramelized onions from the skillet to the prepared baking dish. Mix in remaining 1/4 cup of broth. Set aside.
- Heat oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Sear the stuffed chicken breasts for 4 minutes each side until browned. (They will not be fully cooked. You will finish them off in the oven.)
- Arrange chicken on the caramelized onions in the baking dish. Spoon some of the sauce in the dish over each chicken breast. Top with remaining chopped thyme and bake for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Discard toothpicks. Serve with pan juices and onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this twice before reviewing the recipe.
First time I added white wine and stuffed the chicken breast. It was great but I find stuffing chicken breasts to be a lot of work and a pain to brown.
Second time I added balsamic vinegar (which I liked better than the wine), pounded the chicken and followed the instructions, but just put the carmelized onions on top, covered with the cheese and baked. I liked it much better this way and seemed like less work for a weekday dinner.
I intend to make this tomorrow for company but I have a problem. I have NO idea what to make this evening for our dinner. There is no way this could go wrong with carmelized onions, chicken, and loads of cheese!
Delicious!! Wouldn’t change a thing! Served it with side of egg noodles and green beans…
Perfect!
I made this in a deconstructed method with the cheese and onions on top of the chicken breast. All I can say is watch out, cause ya tongue gonna beat ya teeth to death trying to get to it. Absolutely delicious. I served mine with broccoli.
So delicious. I have made this exactly as the recipe states and I have also gotten a little lazy and just placed the chicken on top of the onions and smothered in cheese to bake. Both options turned out amazing.
This was really good except next time I won’t use the balsamic vinegar it overpowered the onions
Made this last night and it was a hit! I was looking for a different chicken recipe and I have picky eaters, this was incredibly delicious! Can’t wait to do a repeat soon!
I have everything I need to make this except for the toothpicks. Is that really going to make a difference?
It’s does. I thought the same thing. It won’t cook properly if you don’t because it holds it together
I do not like Thyme as I feel like Thyme gives my dishes a dirt “soil” like taste. Is there a substitute I can use or should I just leave it out?
Parsley is a great mild substitute. Or you can leave it out.
Same I left out thyme because of the dirt taste it was still good
I’m a huge fan of all your recipes, I hope you will help me, I would like to make this chicken, but would like to serve it with noodles, which recipe on your site would you use??, Thank You