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Caramelised Onion Chicken

This caramelised onion chicken is delicious and decadent. With a mix of sweet and savoury, this dish brings an amazing depth of flavour. Onions sauteed until they are a rich caramel colour and melt in your mouth, paired juicy chicken thighs bathed in a beautiful sauce… Yum!

If you’re looking for your next simple and divine dinner, look no further. All done in one oven-safe pot, this caramelised onion chicken is bursting with flavour. A bonus is that it only has a few main ingredients, that are paired with delicious seasonings, and so it is very budget friendly!

Key Ingredients

Chicken thighs are my favourite choice when it comes to dishes like this. They are more succulent and juicy than chicken breast. Plus, they not only add flavour to the dish with the fat, they absorb the flavours of the sauce as well.
Onion is the star of the show! I slice these relatively thin, so it gives them the best chance to caramelise. You’re going to want to use brown onions, and you’re going to want a lot of them! I use 5 in this recipe, but if you have smaller onions then go for 6. They will saute and caramelise until they are a rich dark golden colour, and will be so tender they blend into the sauce beautifully.
Garlic helps build depth in the base flavour. It’s a beautiful aromatic you will find in almost every savoury recipe. Garlic and onion typically go hand-in-hand, so it’s no surprise that it’s in this dish! Fresh garlic is best, but if you have jarlic (jar garlic lol) then that is ok as well.
Chicken stock is the liquid added to the soup mix to make the thick sauce. You could opt for water, but I find using chicken stock brings the flavour to a whole nother level.
Onion soup mix makes this caramelised onion chicken pop with flavour. Rather than just adding some cornflour or regular flour to thicken the sauce, add onion soup mix instead. We’re not adding enough chicken stock that the sauce will be runny, so don’t worry about it turning into soup! Plus, of course, it compliments the actual onions well.
Butter is used when caramelising the onions. It helps the onions become rich in flavour, and gives them a smoothness that allows them to blend in so beautifully with the sauce.
Seasonings are made up of paprika, garlic powder, italian herbs, and chicken powder. These create a harmonious blend of flavours that also brings depth to this decadent dish. Paprika adds a nice light smokiness, garlic powder aids and enhances the fresh garlic, italian herbs create an earthy and aromatic level, then chicken powder brings it all together with a slightly salty and savoury punch. On top of that, of course add salt to your preference or as needed.

How to make this divine caramelised onion chicken

Preparation.

First you are going to preheat your oven to 150℃. We are keeping the temperature low, the caramelised onion chicken is going to be going into the oven at the end just as a final touch to ensure the chicken absorbs all the flavours. However, we do not want to over cook the chicken.

Sear the chicken thighs.

Place chicken thighs in a medium-high heat oven safe pot. Sear in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until they are nice and browned – the thighs do not need to be fully cooked. Remove the chicken thighs, keep them in a covered bowl on the side.

Caramelise the onions.

Thinly slice the onions. Then place them in the pot the chicken was in. Use a little bit of the chicken stock to deglaze the pot if needed. Season the onion with a little bit of salt, and add the butter. Let the butter melt, turn the heat down to low, then place a lid on the pot. Leave the onions to caramelise for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check every now and then that they are not burning.

Season the caramelised onions.

After the onions are a nice deep colour, grate/crush in the garlic. Then pour in the paprika, garlic powder, italian herbs, and chicken powder. Also add the onion soup mix. The onions should now be similar to a paste consistency.

Form the sauce.

Pour the remaining chicken stock into the pot. Stir to ensure there are no lumps and everything is combined. The sauce should form and the liquid should thicken.

Place the caramelised onion chicken in the oven.

Carefully place the chicken thighs back into the pot. Put the lid on the pot, and pop it into the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Serve this delicious meal!

Remove the caramelised onion chicken from the oven, stir the sauce if a layer has formed on top. Leave the lid on the pot, but leave it to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

What to serve the caramelised onion chicken with?

Great question! As you will see in the photo, I have layered mine over mashed potatoes (my favourite when it comes to saucy dishes). I like my mashed potatoes cheesy as well. Plus, I have also added a bit of colour with sauteed green beans. This could also be served over rice if you’re wanting a healthier side. Other veggies could also be carrots, spinach, broccolini, asparagus… the list goes on!

Storage

This dish is great for leftovers. In fact, the way I planned the week I made this was to have it freshly made one night, then have the leftovers 2 nights later – I’m not typically a fan of having the same meal 2 days in a row, so I like to alternate! Be sure to let the caramelised onion chicken cool to a lukewarm temperature, then place it in an airtight container. This should keep its freshness in the fridge for 3-4 days.

More chicken recipes:

Alrighty, are you ready for this divine and decadent caramelised onion chicken? You are not going to want to miss out on these juicy chicken thighs, bathed in a flavourful sauce… Come on, I know you want to, let’s get to cooking!