With just 10 minutes of prep, this Dump-and-Bake French Onion Chicken turns everything you love about French onion soup into a hands-off dinner! Sweet onions and chicken breasts bake together in a rich, savory broth, and a slice of cheesy toast on the side soaks up every last bit.
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Before You Get Started
There is not much that can go sideways with a dump-and-bake dinner, but these three make the difference between good and great:
- Pound thick breasts to an even thickness. Large breasts dry out at the edges long before the center hits 165°F. A quick pound to about an inch solves it.
- Expect a thin, brothy sauce. This tastes like French onion soup, not gravy. The cheesy toast on the side is your tool for soaking it up!
- Use fresh thyme and rosemary. Dried herbs get lost in all that broth. Fresh sprigs are what keep this from tasting like a packet.
How to Make French Onion Chicken
Everything goes into one dish and the oven takes it from there. No browning, no caramelizing, and no standing at the stove!
Step 1: Layer the Onions
Spread thinly sliced sweet onions across the bottom of a greased baking dish. They form the base that everything else cooks on top of, and they release their liquid into the sauce as they soften.
⇢ Slice the onions as thin as you can: Thick slices stay firm through the full bake. Thin ones collapse into something close to caramelized.
Step 2: Add the Chicken and Herbs
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set them right on top of the onions.
Tuck the thyme and rosemary sprigs around the pieces so the herbs sit in the liquid and perfume the whole dish as it bakes.
Step 3: Whisk the Sauce
Whisk the beef broth, olive oil, Dijon, honey, sherry, Worcestershire, dry onion soup mix, and salt together until smooth, then pour it over the chicken.
The honey and Dijon are what keep this from tasting like a soup packet, so do not be tempted to skip them.
⇢ Save the rest of the soup mix packet. You only need 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle the rest over roasted potatoes, stir it into ground beef, or use it for onion dip.
Step 4: Bake Uncovered
Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes. Leaving the dish uncovered lets the tops of the chicken brown while the onions collapse into the broth underneath.
⇢ Go by temperature, not the clock. The chicken is done at 165°F. You are looking for golden brown tops and onions that have gone soft and jammy at the edges.
Step 5: Baste and Serve
Pull out the herb stems, spoon the pan sauce over the chicken, and scatter a little fresh thyme on top.
Serve with cheese toast for dipping.
Cheese-Topped (optional): Lay a slice of provolone or a handful of shredded mozzarella over each breast and broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end.
Try it another way
For the fully loaded version with bread and cheese baked right in, make my French Onion Chicken Casserole.
What to Serve Alongside
Do not skip the bread! This dish leaves a good amount of savory broth in the bottom of the pan, and a thick slice of cheesy toast is what makes the meal feel complete (just like the cheesy bread on top of a bowl of French onion soup). Store-bought cheesy Texas toast works great on a busy night, or add cheese to my Homemade Garlic Bread when you have a few extra minutes.
From there, you want something that catches the sauce and something green:
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: Assemble the entire dish, cover it, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. Let it sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before it goes in the oven so it is not ice cold going in.
Store: Leftover chicken and onions keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Store the sauce with the chicken so it does not dry out.
Freeze: The cooked chicken, onions, and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Toast the bread fresh rather than freezing it.
Reheat: Cover with foil and warm in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes, spooning some of the sauce over the chicken first. Individual portions reheat in the microwave in 1 to 2 minutes.
Leftover chicken is excellent sliced onto sandwiches or diced into chicken salad the next day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the chicken from drying out?
Thickness is the culprit almost every time. Large breasts in the 10 to 12 ounce range cook unevenly, so the thin end overcooks while the thick end catches up. Pound them to a roughly even inch before they go in the dish, and start checking the temperature at 45 minutes. Once you hit 165°F, pull it out. Spooning the pan sauce over the chicken before serving also helps.
Can I thicken the sauce?
You can, though it is meant to stay brothy like French onion soup. If you want something closer to gravy, pour the pan liquid into a small saucepan after baking, bring it to a simmer, and whisk in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Simmer for a minute or two until it coats a spoon, then pour it back over the chicken.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes, and plenty of readers prefer them. Boneless, skinless thighs work with no changes to the method and are more forgiving if you lose track of time. Bone-in pieces will need a few extra minutes, so lean on the thermometer rather than the timer.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
It works, with one caveat. Layer the onions and chicken in the slow cooker, pour the sauce over top, and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken reaches 165°F. You will not get any browning on top, so the dish comes out paler than the oven version. If that bothers you, place it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.
Can I use homemade onion seasoning instead of the packet?
Sure. For the 2 tablespoons this recipe calls for, whisk together 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch each of celery salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. It is slightly less salty than the packet, so taste the sauce before you add the extra ¼ teaspoon of salt.
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Watch How to Make It
Baked French Onion Chicken
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet onions, very thinly sliced
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ – 3 lbs. total)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sherry or brandy
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix (from a 1-ounce packet)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- For serving: frozen Texas cheese toast, cooked according to package instructions (or other homemade cheese toast)
Instructions
- Prep the dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
- Layer the onions. Spread the sliced onion evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Add the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and place it on top of the onion. Tuck the fresh herb sprigs around the pieces.
- Whisk the sauce. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, dry soup mix, and salt until completely combined.
- Pour and bake. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cooking time varies with the size and thickness of the chicken.
- Finish and serve. Discard the herb stems, baste the chicken with the pan sauce, and garnish with additional fresh herbs. Serve with cheese toast.
Notes
- Chicken sizing and doneness: If your chicken is particularly thick, you might like to pound the meat to an even 1-inch thickness so they cook through evenly and faster. Start checking the temperature at 45 minutes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be substituted with no other changes; bone-in pieces will need a few extra minutes.
- Sauce Note: It stays thin and brothy, like French onion soup. To thicken it, simmer the pan liquid in a small saucepan and whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water.
- Fresh herbs matter. Fresh thyme and rosemary hold up in the broth in a way dried herbs do not. Pull the stems before serving.
- Optional cheese topping: For a melted-cheese finish, lay a slice of provolone or a handful of shredded mozzarella over each breast and broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end.
- Leftover soup mix: The recipe uses 2 tablespoons from a 1 ounce packet. Use the rest on roasted potatoes, in ground beef, or for onion dip.
- Cooking just for two: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake in an 8-inch square dish.
- Make ahead and storage: Assemble up to a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat covered in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published in April, 2018, this post was updated in September, 2026.
I dont know what went wrong where, but this was not a hit. The sauce was thin and not particularly flavourful. The chicken was not tender and I’ll not be making this again. The plan was to serve with pasta, as I thought the sauce would be good. It was just wet.
We’re sorry to hear this, Rod. This is a favorite recipe for many readers. The sauce does stay fairly thin like French onion soup. As for the chicken, depending on the size, the cooking time may need to be adjusted. Or, you could pound them out thinner. We’re happy to help troubleshoot if you do ever want to try it again!
Super Moist chicken breast. A rarity for my cooking. Thank you. Used water no broth for lower salt version. Thank you!!!! Sides were rice and green beans.
We’re so glad it turned out well for you! Thank you for trying it out, Kristi.
This looks great if I use bone in thighs how long do I cook it
Hi Marilyn! We haven’t tested this recipe with bone-in chicken and can’t say for sure, but it should cook around the same time, taking just a few minutes longer.
How far in advance can this dish be made up? Thinking I can prepare and let sit in refrigerator for an hour or two before popping in oven. The recipe will be for 10.
Hi! We probably wouldn’t let it sit for longer than a day. An hour or two will be just fine. We hope you enjoy!
Can’t rate it because I’m just about to make it but would love to know your salt measurement… a fourth of what!?
Good catch on that typo, Alisa! It’s 1/4 teaspoon. 🙂
Hi
I was so excited to try this recipe tonight! Unfortunately, I bought thin sliced chicken and once I opened the chicken it seemed too thin. Can this recipe be used with thin sliced chicken? If so, how long would you think I should cook it.
Thank you!
Hi, Linda! Yes, you can definitely use thin-sliced chicken breasts. Since they cook much faster, I would start checking them after about 20 minutes. Depending on their thickness, they will likely need about 20 to 30 minutes at 350°F. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Just keep in mind that the onions may still be slightly firm with the shorter baking time, so slice them especially thin or sauté them briefly before assembling the dish. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you so much! All worked well; everyone liked your recipe and even went back for seconds!! Next time I will get the regular Chicken Breasts not the thinly sliced and try the recipe as intended. We really enjoy your recipes!! Please keep them coming! Trying the Apple Cobbler today :)! Thank you again for your response to my question!
Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know, Linda!