Go Back

French Onion Stuffed Chicken

French onion stuffed chicken with a blue cheese–Gruyère filling and a quick pan-drippings onion gravy. Caramelized onions create deep flavor, while oven-baked chicken stays juicy and the cheeses melt into a rich, soup-like filling.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 445
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 4 4 large boneless chicken breasts
Onions
  • 2 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
Butter
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp butter
Beef broth
  • 0.5 cup 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup 1 cup beef broth For onion gravy: pan drippings + 1 cup beef broth + 1 tsp Worcestershire, simmered 5 min.
Thyme
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp fresh thyme
Cheese
  • 3 oz 3 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
  • 1 oz 1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp olive oil
Seasoning
  • 0.25 Salt, pepper, garlic powder Use to season chicken and the onion mixture as needed.
Worcestershire
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp Worcestershire For onion gravy: pan drippings + 1 cup beef broth + 1 tsp Worcestershire, simmered 5 min.
Pan drippings
  • 1 pan drippings Collected from the searing step; used to make onion gravy.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Heat 3 tbsp butter in a skillet, then cook 2 large onions, stirring occasionally, for 40 min until deep golden.
  2. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and 1 tsp fresh thyme, then simmer for 5 min.
  3. Cool the onion mixture until warm rather than hot so it can be stuffed into the chicken.
Prep and fill the chicken
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan for baking.
  2. Cut pockets into 4 large boneless chicken breasts, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Mix 3 oz Gruyère with 1 oz blue cheese, then stuff the pockets with the cooled onion mixture and the cheese blend.
  4. Secure each stuffed chicken breast with toothpicks and lightly drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Sear and bake
  1. Sear the stuffed chicken for 3 min per side in the skillet until browned.
  2. Bake for 20-25 min at 375°F until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
  3. Rest the chicken briefly before serving.
Make pan-drippings onion gravy
  1. Pour off the pan drippings and simmer them with 1 cup beef broth and 1 tsp Worcestershire for 5 min to thicken slightly.
  2. Drizzle the onion gravy over the chicken and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the caramelized onions before stuffing so the cheese doesn’t melt out early. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken with gravy for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light swap, replace the Gruyère/blue cheese with a meltable reduced-fat cheese blend while keeping the same quantities and stuffing method.