Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (~4 lbs)
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (~5 cups)
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
- 3 cups beef stock
- 12 oz Gruyère or Comté cheese, grated
- Mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)
Season and Brown the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 2 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken skin side down and cook undisturbed until browned, ~5-7 minutes.
Flip the chicken and brown the other side for ~5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
The chicken won’t be cooked through yet – you’re just building flavor with the browning.
Caramelize the Onions
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil to the same pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep golden brown, ~40 minutes.
Don’t rush this step – the onions need time to break down and develop that sweet, caramelized flavor.
Stir in the butter, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once the butter melts, add the wine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine reduces by half, ~3-4 minutes.
Build the Braising Liquid and Finish in Oven
Preheat your oven to 375F with a rack in the center.
Add the beef stock to the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook until the onions are very tender, ~10 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Nestle the chicken back into the skillet skin side up. The onion mixture should come about halfway up the sides of the thighs.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the chicken starts to brown on top.
Add Cheese and Broil
Remove the skillet from the oven and turn on the broiler.
Sprinkle the grated Gruyère evenly over the chicken and onions. Broil until the chicken reaches 165F internal temperature, the skin is crispy, and the cheese is melted and bubbly, ~3-5 minutes.
Watch closely during broiling – the cheese can go from perfect to burnt quickly.
Serve over mashed potatoes if you want the full comfort food experience.
French Onion Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 8 bone-in ~4 lbs, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium yellow onions ~5 cups, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
- 3 cups beef stock
- 12 oz Gruyère or Comté cheese grated
- Mashed potatoes optional, for serving
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Brown chicken skin-side down in olive oil for 5-7 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
- Add onions to same pan and caramelize on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.
- Stir in butter, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add wine, simmer until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour in beef stock, simmer 10 minutes.
- Return chicken to pan skin-side up.
- Bake uncovered at 375F for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle grated Gruyère over chicken.
- Broil 3-5 minutes until cheese melts and chicken reaches 165F.
