French Onion Chicken

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Two days ago I gave you the recipe for the EASIEST caramelized onions ever so of course now I have to give you a delicious way to use all those onions!

I mentioned in my last post how much I thought I hated onions until I got my first taste of a caramelized onion - and unfortunately that also included french onion soup! I don't think I even tasted the stuff until well into adulthood. Such a shame!

French onion soup is rich, savory, and decadent. Now imagine taking all the goodness of a french onion soup and adding braised chicken to it.

It's unbelievably good.

We LOVED this meal! Like, probably in our top 10 of the last year (and that's saying a lot!). Thanks to my new crockpot caramelized onion trick, this meal is super easy even for a weeknight but will taste like you ordered it at a high end restaurant. Definitely a good one for company, too, as it makes enough for a crowd! Just add salad and bread and you have the perfect dinner for guests.

I typically turn my nose up to chicken thighs but since this is braised and baked, thigh meat is the better choice. The breast would have a real tendency to dry out. And bonus, thighs are cheaper!

French Onion Chicken
4-5 onions, caramelized (you can do it on the stove but the crockpot is easier!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a heavy bottomed dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, saute the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high and drizzle a bit more oil to the pot. Pat the chicken dry and lightly salt and pepper on both sides. Add the thighs and brown for around 3 minute on each side or until they are golden brown (not cooked through). Remove and set aside.

Add 1 cup of the beef broth to the pot and stir, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and remaining 1 cup beef broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes, letting it reduce some.

Add the caramelized onions to the pot, making sure they are spread evenly along the bottom. On top of the onions, layer the browned chicken thighs. The chicken should be mostly submersed; it'll look like soup but I promise it works!

Put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and heat the broiler. Take off the lid and sprinkle the shredded cheese over top. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Best served in a shallow bowl with a big piece of bread to sop up the sauce!

Source: adapted from The Kitchn