French Onion Chicken Thighs (Printable)

Juicy chicken thighs baked with golden onions and finished with a crispy sourdough bread and cheese topping.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 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 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

→ Sauce

12 - 2/3 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 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
20 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs skin side down for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pan, melt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are deeply golden and caramelized, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
04 - Add minced garlic and thyme to the caramelized onions. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Deglaze pan with dry white wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2 to 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 pan 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. Top with oiled sourdough cubes, distributing them evenly across the pan.
09 - Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until bread is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
10 - Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh parsley over the top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Crispy skin-on chicken thighs stay impossibly tender while soaking up every drop of that deep, savory sauce.
  • The caramelized onions do the heavy lifting, turning ordinary aromatics into pure umami gold.
  • One pan, one oven—everything happens in the same dish, so cleanup feels almost painless.
  • That sourdough topping gets golden and crispy while the cheese underneath melts into the onions like a warm hug.
02 -
  • Don't skip the caramelizing step or rush it by turning up the heat; I once tried to speed things along and ended up with bitter, burnt onions that no amount of wine could rescue.
  • Stale sourdough is non-negotiable—fresh bread will turn into sad mush in the oven, so plan a day ahead or ask your bakery for yesterday's loaves.
  • Make sure your skillet is truly ovenproof with a metal handle, because glass or plastic will betray you the moment it hits the oven.
03 -
  • Brown your chicken thighs in batches if your pan feels crowded—giving them space means better browning and crispier skin.
  • Keep your sourdough cubes from getting too dark by adding them late in the baking process; if they start browning too fast, cover the pan loosely with foil.
  • A glass of that same Sauvignon Blanc you used in the sauce makes an excellent drinking companion while the oven works its magic.
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