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Okay let me tell you how to make people believe you are the best chef on the block with nearly zero effort.

You take the humble chicken breast and level UP with deliciously rich and melty brie and super caramelized, sweet and savory onions. Oh. My. Word. I’m not kidding guys. This is one of my absolute GO-TO recipes to cook for guests. It is easy, inexpensive and truly does taste like it was way more work than it actually was.

The key? The gosh darn onions. You start with four whole onions (yes, four) and as they reduce down they become sweet, chewy, caramelized and an almost chutney-like consistency that is truly muah! *chef’s kiss* Here’s the deal though: You. have. to. be. patient. The biggest mistake I see when people make caramelized onions is that they pull them too soon. This recipe is not complicated but it does take a bit of time for the onions to caramelize. (this is mostly hands off time though, with occasional stirring.) You can see in this visual the progression your onions will make. The temptation is to remove them at step 3, or even step 2, but waaaaaait my dear ones, until they look like step 4!

Keep the heat around medium the entire time, until the very end, reducing to low so they don’t burn. You’ll want to stir every 5-10 minutes or so for about 45-50 minutes.

And the rest of the recipe is a walk in the park! Season and bake your chicken breasts, plop on some thick slices of brie, hefty spoonfuls of caramelized onions and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes so the brie can melt. I love making this recipe for a crowd because I can prep the caramelized onions ahead of time, bake the chicken breasts and then when it’s dinnertime I can just pop the brie and onions on the chicken and place in the oven for a few minutes. The finishing touch is a drizzle of balsamic glaze which really takes it over the top.

So whether it’s your family’s meal plan, meal prep for lunches or a special occasion, I can’t recommend this enough. I like to serve with 1-2 green vegetables (like asparagus, green beans and salad) and a side dish like garlic pasta or crispy smashed potatoes. Hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

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Caramelized Onion and Brie Chicken

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Erica
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes (for onions) + 15 minutes (chicken)
  • Total Time: 1 hr 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Description

The combination of rich, melty brie, chewy, sweet caramelized onions and tangy balsamic glaze make this simple dish a true crowd pleaser. Simple dinner or special occasion you really can’t go wrong!

Ingredients

Scale

Onions

  • 4 whole sweet vidalia onions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken

  • 1lb chicken breast
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • 6–7oz brie, rind removed and sliced
  • balsamic glaze

Instructions

Onions

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet heat the butter and olive oil over slightly higher than medium heat. When butter and oil are hot, add the onions and toss to coat with the fat. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes. The onions will start by sweating out most of their liquid, this will take about 25 minutes. At this point add the sugar and salt, stirring to combine. Now the onions will really begin to caramelize. Cook for another 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are very deeply colored, fragrant and chewy.

Chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If your breasts are very large, slice them in half lengthwise so they are very thin. Pound the breasts out with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper on both sizes, place on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the breasts, top with 1-2 slices of brie and a large spoonful of caramelized onions and place back in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes until brie is melty.

Remove and drizzle liberally with balsamic glaze. 

Notes

Make ahead: prepare your caramelized onions and keep in the fridge for up to three days. You can also bake chicken ahead of time and add brie and onions to warm in the oven just before serving.

Serve with: green salad, asparagus, green beans, broccoli or brussels sprouts and a side dish like crispy smashed potatoes, rice pilaf or garlic noodles.

I have not tried caramelizing onions with honey or maple syrup but if you’re opposed to brown sugar you could certainly try the swap and let me know how it turns out!

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 313
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Sodium: 161mg
  • Fat: 17g
  • Carbohydrates: 13g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 28g

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