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French Onion Chicken on white plate

French Onion Chicken Skillet

An easy and super flavorful chicken thighs recipefeaturing caramelized onion and a creamy sauce.
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cast iron, chicken thighs recipe, easy chicken recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Caramelizing onions: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 529kcal
Author: Sandy

Equipment

  • Large Cast Iron Skillet
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 lg Onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 Bone-in Chicken Thighs (with skin on)
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste (see note)
  • ¼ cup Vegetable or Chicken Broth
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • ½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

  • Add butter and oil to a skillet (cast iron is best) and heat to Medium. Add the thinly sliced onions to the pan once butter has melted.
  • Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and let them carmelize for 25-30 mins over medium heat (stirring every 10 mins). See note.
  • Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika and set aside.
  • Once onions have caramelized, add in garlic paste and stir. Be sure to cook for an additional 2-3 mins to distribute the flavor.
  • Remove onions from pan and set aside.
  • Add in 1-2 tsp olive oil and sear chicken thighs for about 5 minutes on both sides, remove from pan and let rest.
  • Deglaze the pan with broth and heavy cream (Deglaze means to add the liquid and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. I like using a wooden spoon for this. Those browned bits have lots of flavor and you want them in the sauce).
  • Let the sauce cook and thicken for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Add chicken thighs to the pan, top with onions and a little mozzarella cheese.
  • Place in a 450-degree oven for 15-20 min or until chicken is fully cooked through. Add more cheese at the 10 minute mark and let cook the remaining 10 min.
  • Spoon sauce on top and enjoy.

Notes

  1. If you don't have Garlic Paste, you can make some: use 2 or 3 cloves garlic minced and mashed with a little oil and salt to make a paste.
  2. If you don't have a cast iron you could use a large skillet up until the cream sauce is thickened. Pour sauce into a baking dish, add chicken, onions and cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins.
  3. As the onions are cooking we want this to be low and slow so the temperature should not go above medium-high. My fire was on a 3.5 on a gas stove.
  4. As you stir the onions check and see if any areas are cooking faster than other. More than likely the pan is not set evenly on the burner. Be sure to move the onions around to ensure nothing burns.

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcal