1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper,divided, plus more to taste
2poundsyellow onions,thinly sliced
1tablespoonlight brown sugar
3/4cupbeef broth or stock
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
2teaspoonschopped fresh thyme,plus more to garnish
4ouncesgrated Gruyère cheese(about 1 cup)
Baguette,for serving (optional)
Instructions
Season the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Season on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Brown the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook undisturbed until they are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side the same way. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and set aside. They do not need to be cooked through at this point.
Sauté the onions. If the skillet is looking dry, add another drizzle of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir.
Simmer the onions. Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped thyme. Cook, uncovered, until the most of the broth has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Add the chicken. Nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet, overlapping them slightly as needed to help them fit. Spoon some of the onions over top of the chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through (registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer). Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to low.
Broil and serve. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere cheese evenly over the top of the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with baguette.
Notes
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