French Onion Chicken Thighs

Tender chicken, caramelized onions, in a rich broth. These french onion chicken thighs take the classic soup and turn it into a delicious one pan meal. It’s incredibly easy and is a recipe that everyone is bound to love.

Why You’ll Love It

• One Pan. All you need for this french onion chicken thigh skillet is one pan.
• Incredibly easy. It’s a recipe that anyone from a beginner in the kitchen to an expert to make.
• Weeknight meal. This comes together in under 45 minutes, making it a great weeknight dinner.
• Comforting. Tender pan seared chicken with caramelized onions and a rich sauce make for an super comforting dish.
• Fits most diets and lifestyles. It is dairy free, gluten free, paleo and keto.
• Delicious leftovers. Since the chicken is cooked in a delicious sauce, it stays tender and juicy when reheating.
• Nutrient dense. This one pan meal is not only delicious, it’s also packed with nutrients.
• Minimal clean up. The best part about a one pan meal is the fact that you only have one pan to clean.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butter. The butter is used to cook the chicken and the onions. It can be subbed for ghee or oil for dairy free.
• Chicken thighs. You will need 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this dish. You can sub with 1 lb chicken breasts.
• Yellow onion. Yellow onion is a key part of french onion chicken thighs. You can use sweet or vidalia onion as well.
• Beef broth. Beef broth gives the rich french onion flavor that is a must in this meal. You can sub for beef bone broth if you’d like. Chicken broth works but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
• Coconut aminos. Coconut aminos add a sweet, tangy flavor to the french onion sauce. You can use gluten free tamari as well.
• Garlic. You need 3 cloves of garlic minced.
• Almond flour. This is used to thicken the sauce.
• Spices. The spices in this dish are pretty simple. All you need is salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Fresh herbs. Fresh rosemary and thyme add some additional flavor and vibrancy to the dish. You can use dried rosemary and dried thyme as well.

How to Make French Onion Chicken Thighs

Make the chicken.

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp butter at a medium high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook until browned on each side. About 5-7 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate, leaving the juices in the skillet. Loosely cover the chicken with foil.

Caramelize the onions.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the chicken drippings over medium heat.

3. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and deep golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Turn down the heat and/or add additional butter/olive oil if the onions start to burn. The last 10ish minutes or so of cooking the onions, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add seasonings and make french onion sauce.

4. Once the onions have finished caramelizing, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and coconut aminos. Stir to combine. Next add the beef broth, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. 

5. Add in almond flour and stir until fully combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce has thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Return chicken to skillet.

6. Return chicken to skillet and cover with some of the sauce.

7. Place skillet in oven for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve. Remove skillet from oven. Serve french onion chicken thighs hot with either rice or roasted potatoes and veggie of choice.

Expert Tips

• Caramelizing onions takes time. Be patient here and allow the onions to cook at a medium heat for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. The longer you cook them at a lower heat, the better the flavor. If you try to speed things up by turning up the heat, the onions will burn, not caramelize.
• Chicken thighs are much juicier and more flavorful so I recommend using those, but you can use chicken breasts if you prefer.
• Try to cut the onions uniformly so that they cook at the same speed!
• Don’t overcook the chicken. You are simply searing the chicken on the skillet, not cooking it all the way through. The chicken continues to cook in the oven.
• Slowly simmer the french onion sauce. Once all of the ingredients are in the skillet for the sauce bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken. This meal is all about patience, I promise it’s worth it.
• Add cheese! Traditional french onion chicken has either gruyere or provolone. If you don’t have issues with dairy and want a more dynamic flavor add the cheese right after returning the chicken to the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I serve french onion chicken thighs? Serve with rice or potaoes and veggie of choice. I love serving with these dairy free cheesy roasted broccoli or roasted tri colored carrots.
• How do I store it? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
• Can I freeze it? Yes, Let the skillet cool completely then transfer the contents to a freezer safe bag and squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn or transfer to an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator completely before reheating.
• How do I reheat it? You can reheat in the oven, stovetop, or microwave. For the oven, place in an oven safe dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until warmed through. For stovetop, add to skillet and cover with a lid, cook at medium heat until warmed all the way through.
• Is it gluten free? Yes! You will be using almond flour to thicken the sauce so this dish is gluten free.

More one pan meals like this

• Chicken Larb Bowls
• Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Skillet
• Spicy Tomato Cod Skillet
• Thai Peanut Chicken