| |

One Pot French Onion Chicken Thighs

ByLindsey Jenkins
Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

French onion chicken thighs are inspired by classic French onion soup with jammy caramelized onions, juicy chicken thighs, and a creamy, flavorful sauce. This easy dinner recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

Looking for more chicken recipes? Try my spicy chicken burgers, dairy free chicken caesar pasta salad, or one pot creamy cajun chicken orzo.  

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Flavor-packed – Caramelized onions add a rich, savory flavor to the chicken.
  • Easy – This chicken dish is easy to make and is cooked in one pan for minimal cleanup.
  • Simple ingredients – You likely have a majority of the ingredients for this one-pan meal since it’s made of mostly pantry staples.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this french onion soup chicken:

  • Skinless & boneless chicken thighs
  • Herbs de Provence
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Dairy free or unsalted butter
  • Yellow onions
  • Garlic cloves
  • Fresh thyme
  • Chicken broth
  • Canned full fat coconut milk
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Fresh chives or fresh parsley – for garnish

How to Make French Onion Chicken Thighs: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

  1. Prep and sear chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season with herbs de Provence, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly golden brown. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Make caramelized onions. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the sliced onions to the skillet. Stir to combine then spread them out and let cook undisturbed for 5-7 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. When they’re starting to stick, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of broth while scraping the bottom of the pan to help break up the browned bits (fond). Continue with this process until you’ve deglazed the onions three times and the onions have turned a deep brown color.
  3. Add aromatics. Once the onions are finished cooking, stir in the fresh thyme and minced garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add cream sauce. Combine the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast in a bowl then pour it into the caramelized onions. Stir to combined then nestle the seared chicken thighs in the sauce.
  5. Finish cooking. Cover the skillet with a lid. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 7-9 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165ºF.
  6. Serve. Serve the chicken thighs with cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes, cooked pasta, white rice, crusty bread, etc. Spoon some of the creamy sauce from the skillet over the top and garnish with fresh herbs on top.

Helpful Tips

  • Yellow onions are my go-to. They’re so versatile and readily available. Plus, they caramelize nicely. However, you can also use white onions, vidalia onions, or red onion
  • Avoid high heat. You’ll end up with burnt onions instead of caramelized onions.
  • If your skillet doesn’t have a lid, you can also cover it with a sheet pan. Just be careful removing it because it gets extremely hot.

Quick Tip: A stainless steel or cast iron pans work best for caramelizing onions.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this french onion chicken recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

  • No boneless skinless chicken thighs? – you can use bone-in thighs but you’ll need to cook them longer. If using boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 pounds) cook them for less time so they don’t overcook.
  • No herbs de Provence? – any dried herbs are fine.
  • Add ins – sliced mushrooms or white wine for more depth of flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What side dishes do you serve with French onion chicken thighs?

I like to serve them over cauliflower mash or mashed sweet potatoes but you could also serve them with a side of green beans or quick sauteed broccoletti.

Can I add cheese to the top of the chicken?

It’s delicious without cheese, but you can if you’d like. For dairy free, I’d recommend Daiya’s smoked gouda cheese. If not dairy free, use Swiss or gruyere cheese.

More One Pot Recipes

I hope you love these French Onion Chicken Thighs! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!

One Pot French Onion Chicken Thighs

French onion chicken thighs on a bed of cauliflower mash with fresh parsley on top.
French onion chicken thighs are inspired by classic French onion soup with jammy caramelized onions, juicy chicken thighs, and a creamy, flavorful sauce. This easy dinner recipe is dairy free and gluten free.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dairy free butter or unsalted butter
  • 2 large yellow onions sliced into semi-thin half moons
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 cup chicken broth + 6 tablespoons divided
  • ⅓ cup full fat canned coconut milk
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast

Garnish

  • fresh chives and fresh parsley minced

Instructions

  • Prep and sear chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season with herbs de Provence, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly golden brown. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a bowl.
  • Make caramelized onions. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the sliced onions to the skillet. Stir to combine then spread them out and let cook undisturbed for 5-7 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. When they're starting to stick, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of broth while scraping the bottom of the pan to help break up the browned bits (fond). Continue with this process until you’ve deglazed the onions three times and the onions have turned a deep brown color and you've used 6 tablespoons of broth.
  • Add aromatics. Once the onions are finished cooking, stir in the fresh thyme and minced garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Add cream sauce. Combine the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast in a bowl then pour it into the caramelized onions. Stir to combined then nestle the seared chicken thighs in the sauce.
  • Finish cooking. Cover the skillet with a lid. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 7-9 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165ºF. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Serve. Serve the chicken thighs with cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes, cooked pasta, white rice, crusty bread, etc. Spoon some of the creamy sauce from the skillet over the top and garnish with fresh herbs on top.

Notes

See the blog post for step-by-step photos, helpful tips, storage, and recipe FAQs.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No boneless skinless chicken thighs? – you can use bone-in thighs but you’ll need to cook them longer. If using boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 pounds) cook them for less time so they don’t overcook.
No herbs de Provence? – any dried herbs are fine.
Add ins – sliced mushrooms or white wine for more depth of flavor.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating