French Onion Chicken

Name: French Onion Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 6 medium chicken thighs (skin-on, bone in); Salt and pepper; 1 tsp onion powder; 2 tbsp butter; 1 large onion (thinly sliced); 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves; 8 ounces Gruyere cheese (shredded)

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Succulent pan-seared chicken thighs smothered in caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. This French Onion Chicken recipe take the classic soup and turns it into a satisfying keto meal!

A piece of French Onion Chicken being lifted out of the pan.

I have a lot of wonderful keto chicken recipes, but I am always on the hunt for more tasty ideas. And what could be tastier than French Onion Chicken?

This dish takes all the flavors of your favorite soup and turns it into a full dinner. It’s absolutely luscious! With a wonderful sauce that tastes fabulous on the chicken and spooned over mashed cauliflower too.

It really is the perfect comfort food, with juicy chicken smothered in caramelized onions and melty cheese. My whole family devoured it!

Top down image of French Onion Chicken in a stainless steel skillet on a wooden table.

Why you will love this recipe

Caramelized onions always bring something special to a meal. There is really nothing quite like them. I love them in recipes like smothered pork chops and keto quiche. I’ve even stuffed them inside burgers. But they go particularly well with chicken.

You can’t rush the caramelization process, so this French Onion Chicken isn’t necessarily a quick recipe. But it is easy to put together, and the results are absolutely worth it. And even with a full onion in the mix, it clocks in at only 3g of carbs per serving.

Have I mentioned that it reheats well too? I managed to squirrel one serving away from my hungry family and had it for lunch the next day. I simply warmed it up in the microwave and it was as delicious as ever.

Ingredients you need

Top down image of ingredients needed for French Onion Chicken.

Chicken thighs: I like whole thighs for this recipe, with the bone in and the skin on. But you could also do boneless, skinless thighs. They will cook through faster so pan-sear them for only about 3 minutes per side and bake them for 15 minutes or so.
Onion: Caramelized onions are the hallmark of French Onion soup, so this chicken skillet features them. Onions are higher in carbs than many vegetables, but one onion spread throughout 6 servings doesn’t add too many. And still gives you all the flavor you crave!
Butter: I used butter to sear the chicken because it helps brown and crisp the skin but you could do olive oil or avocado oil too.
Onion powder: A little onion powder helps bring out the flavor in this French Onion Chicken.
White wine: This helps deglaze the pan and create a luscious sauce for the chicken, but you can use chicken broth as well.
Thyme: A little fresh thyme goes beautiful with the caramelized onions. You can use dried if that’s all you have. Try half a teaspoon.
Gruyere cheese: French onion soup is usually topped with Gruyere so I used it on this keto chicken dish as well. But other white cheeses like sharp cheddar, gouda, or Swiss will also work.
Salt and pepper

Step by step directions

A collage of four images showing how to make French Onion Chicken.

1. Pan-sear the chicken: Pat the chicken very dry and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium heat and let melt. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden. Flip over and cook another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Caramelize the onions: Add the onions to the pan, and sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and caramelize the onions slowly until golden, stirring frequently.

3. Make the sauce: Add the thyme to the pan and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the wine and bring to simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 more minutes.

4. Bake the chicken: Nestle the chicken back into the pan and sprinkle the tops with the grated cheese. Bake 20 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Keto French Onion Chicken on a black plate over a bed of mashed cauliflower.

Expert tips

Take the time to brown the chicken properly on both sides, even if you’re using boneless, skinless chicken. It makes a difference to the overall flavor of the dish.

Caramelizing onions takes time and patience. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat as this will make the onions become brown and bitter. Stay nearby and stir them frequently to distribute the onions evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Chicken should always be cooked through to 165ºF. If you have an instant read thermometer, use it to check for doneness when you take the French Onion Chicken out of the oven. Because of the sauce and cheese, you can take it up to 175ºF and it will still be moist and delicious.

Spooning caramelized onion sauce over mashed cauliflower.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you have caramelized onions on keto?

Onions contain a surprising amount of carbohydrates, but they also add a lot of flavor to savory dishes, making them more satisfying. Caramelizing onions brings out their natural sweetness and adds even more flavor. You can certainly work onions into your keto recipes but just be mindful of not going overboard. One medium large onion for a recipe that serves 6 adds only 3g of carbs per serving.

How many carbs are in French Onion Chicken?

This French Onion Chicken recipe has 3.4g of carbs and 0.6g of fiber. That amounts to a net carb count of 2.8g per serving.

Is there sugar in caramelized onions?

Some caramelized onion recipes call for added sugar but there really is no need for it. Onions contain enough natural sugars to caramelize on their own. The key is to cook them very slowly in butter or oil until they become a deep amber.

Close up shot of French Onion Chicken on a blue plate with mashed cauliflower and green beans.

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