French Onion Chicken Thigh Bake (Printable version)

Savory chicken thighs caramelized with onions, topped with melted cheese and crisped sourdough cubes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Caramelized Onions

05 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon sugar
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

→ Sauce

12 - ⅔ cup dry white wine
13 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
14 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
15 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

→ Sourdough Topping

16 - 3 cups sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
17 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
18 - 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
19 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
20 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs skin side down for 4-5 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are deeply golden and caramelized, approximately 20-25 minutes.
04 - Add minced garlic and thyme to the onions. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Return chicken thighs to pan, nestling them skin side up into the onions and sauce.
06 - Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
07 - While chicken bakes, toss sourdough cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a mixing bowl.
08 - Remove pan from oven after 25 minutes. Sprinkle Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses evenly over chicken and onions. Distribute sourdough cubes evenly across the top.
09 - Return skillet to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until bread is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
10 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Chicken thighs stay juicy while the skin crisps up, and the caramelized onions create this silky, savory sauce that's basically liquid gold.
  • The sourdough topping turns crispy and golden, soaking up all those pan juices while the cheese gets bubbly and irresistible.
  • It's the kind of dish that feels fancy enough for guests but comes together in one pan without fussing.
02 -
  • Don't skip the caramelizing step for the onions; rushing it will give you soft, sweet onions instead of that deep, complex, almost savory flavor that makes this dish sing.
  • Stale sourdough is your friend here because fresh, soft bread will turn to mush in all the sauce, but stale bread holds its texture and gets crispy on the outside while staying tender inside.
03 -
  • Brown the chicken skin-side down first and don't move it; that initial sizzle creates a golden crust that keeps the meat juicy in the oven.
  • Use a skillet or Dutch oven that goes from stovetop to oven, because the caramelization happens on the stove and you don't want to transfer and lose those flavor bits.
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