French onion chicken skillet
43 min · 50 g protein · 403 cals / serving
Everything you love about French onion soup, in a one-pan dinner: deep golden, caramelised onions with thyme, beef stock and a splash of balsamic, chicken cutlets simmered right in that onion gravy until juicy, and a blanket of gruyère and Swiss melted over the top. Gluten-free, and even better as tomorrow's lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 6 tbsp water, in splashes
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp leaves fresh thyme, plus sprigs to serve
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock, low-sodium, gluten-free
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 4 breasts (1 1/2 lb), halved into cutlets chicken breast
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere
- 1/2 cup grated reduced fat Swiss cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large (30 cm/12-inch) ovenproof skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the onions and half the salt, stir, cover and let them sweat for 5 minutes, until soft and collapsed.
- Uncover, turn the heat to medium-high and cook 15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown; each time the pan starts to catch, add a splash of the water and scrape up the brown bits.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme leaves for 30 seconds, then the balsamic, stock and cornstarch slurry. Bubble 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Season the raw chicken cutlets with the rest of the salt, the pepper and the dried thyme and nestle them into the onions, spooning some over the top. Cover and simmer gently 9–10 minutes, turning once, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Scatter both cheeses over the chicken, cover again for 2–3 minutes until melted (or slide the skillet under a hot grill for 2 minutes to brown). Finish with parsley and thyme sprigs. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge; reheat gently, covered.
Good to know
What do I serve with it?
Something to catch the onion gravy: mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash, green beans, or a hunk of crusty bread if gluten does not matter to you.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, boneless thighs stay juicy and simmer a few minutes longer, at about 64 instead of 74.
Per
- Calories
- 108
- Protein
- (52%)
- 13 g
- Fat
- (31%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (17%)
- 5 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 235 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1614 kcal goes into the pot and 1911 g of ingredients comes out as about 1490 g of food: 108 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.