Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinner game with this foolproof recipe for baked chicken thighs recipe with onions.
Perfectly golden, crispy skin, fork-tender meat and a mountain of sweet, savory onions! The secret? We start cooking on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet to get that gorgeous sear, then finish baking in the oven for juicy, evenly cooked chicken.
This recipe is ready in 40 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights, but impressive enough for a celebration.
Check out all the other Family Favorite Chicken Recipes for more delicious ideas!
If you're looking for a delicious and comforting meal, you must try this French onion chicken recipe.
Caramelized onions and gooey melted mozzarella cheese top juicy chicken thighs, all nestled in a savory cream sauce.
This dish is a perfect combination of flavors that will make your taste buds dance as you enjoy a restaurant quality meal right at home!
Looking for more recipes to prepare for dinner? Try my Grilled Barbecue Chicken Legs and Thighs, Chicken Parmesan, and even my Dutch Oven Roast Chicken. Yum!
Table of Contents
- Chicken Thighs Baked in Cast Iron Skillet
- Love FAST Chicken Recipes for Dinner?
- How to stop chicken thighs from sticking to the pan?
- What internal temperature should you cook chicken thighs to?
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Quick Tip
- Baked Chicken Thighs at 425°F
- Before you Begin!
- What to Serve with Chicken
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Top Recipe Tip
- More Recipes You'll Love!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
Chicken Thighs Baked in Cast Iron Skillet
This recipe begins with a cast iron pan so it can easily go from stove to oven. If you don't have an oven safe pan, you could use a large skillet up until the cream sauce is thickened.
Pour the sauce into a baking dish, add chicken, onions, and cheese then bake to finish the cooking.
Caramelizing onions is low and slow process that will take about 25-30 minutes to develop the onion's natural sugars. The results are a rich, sweet flavor.
After the onions are caramelized and the chicken thighs are seared, there's some good flavor stuck to the pan. Don't let it go to waste - deglaze the pan with the broth and stir.
Now nothing is stuck to the pan and all that flavor can be mixed into the cream sauce.
This is the same method I use when preparing the onions for my French Onion Soup.
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How to stop chicken thighs from sticking to the pan?
To prevent sticking, add enough oil to the pan before adding food. For skin-on cuts, sear skin-side down until golden brown.
What internal temperature should you cook chicken thighs to?
Chicken thighs are safe to eat at 165°F, but for juicy and tender thighs, bake them to an internal temperature of 170–185°F. This range maximizes flavor without drying out or burning the meat.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Utopia Kitchen Saute Fry Pan - Chefs Pan, Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet - Frying Pan 12 Inch - Safe Grill Cookware for Indoor & Outdoor Use - Cast Iron Pan (Black)
316 Upgraded Chainmail Scrubber with Silicone Handle Cast Iron Cleaner for Cast Iron Grill Pan Skillet Wok Bakeware Ergonomic to Hold Easy to Use Dishwasher Safe, Scrubber + Scraper + Towel (Black)ESINAM Onion Slicer Holder, Premium Vegetable Slicer Cutter for Potato and Tomato, Sharp Stainless Steel Food Slicer Assistant Tool for Slicing Fruit Lemon and Meat
Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities, detailed instructions and special notes.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe can be adapted to use bone-in chicken breasts as well. While the bone-in, skin-on chicken adds lots of flavor, boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts can be substituted.
The olive oil can be substituted with vegetable or canola oil.
Mozzarella can be substituted with Gruyere or Swiss cheese.
Use half-and-half or milk for a lighter cream sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook onions in butter and olive oil in an oven safe pan on medium heat.
Step 2: Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally until caramelized then add in the garlic paste.
Quick Tip
Be sure to stir the onions around to ensure nothing burns and they are evenly caramelized.
Step 3: Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoke paprika. Sear in 2 teaspoons of oil for 5 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and stir in the heavy cream.
Baked Chicken Thighs at 425°F
Step 5: Add the chicken thighs on top of the sauce and top each with caramelized onions and cheese.
Step 6: Bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. With about 10 minutes left to bake, add a little more cheese and finish baking.
Before you Begin!
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What to Serve with Chicken
This chicken dinner is great paired with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice.
To round out the meal, serve with some veggies like roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus, or a fresh tomato salad.
Then add a side of air fryer garlic bread or some quick breadsticks.
Check out my other recipe for Cast Iron Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate: Store covered for up to a week. When ready to reheat, you can microwave or warm in the oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
Freezer: Freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer zip top bag with as much air removed as you can.
Thaw and Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator over night and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes or in the microwave until heated through.
Top Recipe Tip
When cooking the onions, keep the temperature around medium or lower to help caramelize the onions.
More Recipes You'll Love!
- Check out my other recipe for Chicken in Cast Iron Skillet that's ready in about 30 minutes.
- Or you might enjoy this recipe for Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs.
Stress-Free Dinners for a Whole Month!
📖 Recipe Card
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Baked Chicken Thighs with Onions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ¼ cup vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add thinly sliced onion to a pan of melted butter and oil.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and let them caramelize for 25-30 mins over medium heat (stirring every 10 mins)
- Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika on both sides and set aside.
- Once onions have caramelized, add in garlic paste and stir. Be sure to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to distribute the flavor.
- Remove onions from pan.
- Add in 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and sear chicken thighs for about 5 minutes on both sides. Remove from pan and let rest.
- Deglaze the pan with broth and heavy cream.
- Let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken thighs to the pan, top with onions and a little mozzarella cheese.
- Place in a 450°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through at an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- Add more cheese at the 10 minute mark and let cook the remaining 10 minutes.
- Spoon sauce on top and enjoy.
Notes
- If you don't have a cast iron you could use a large skillet up until the cream sauce is thickened. Pour into a baking dish, add chicken, onions and cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- As the onions are cooking we want this to be low and slow so the temperature should not go above medium high. My fire was on a 3.5 on a gas stove.
- As you stir the onions, check and see if any areas are cooking faster than other. More than likely the pan is not even on the burner. Be sure to move the onions around to ensure nothing burns.
Ann says
Did not see how much smoked paprika.
Lois says
I updated the recipe to show 1 teaspoon paprika!
Lois says
This recipe is delicious with bone-in chicken breasts as well! Yum!
eileen says
Any sub for the cream? It is not healthy for my husband. Could I just leave it out?
Thank You
Lois says
You could use fat free half/half or thicken the sauce with a mixture of cornstarch and water. You could also leave it out completely. You won't have a thick sauce, but it's still delicious! Hope you try the recipe!