One Pot French Onion Chicken Thighs
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.
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.