How Guy Fieri Gives His French Onion Chicken Ridiculous Texture
Ah, French onion soup. With its bubbly cheese, rich broth, and crunchy crouton topping, this comfort food is sure to warm your palate. The beloved soup, which has Roman roots, has been a staple for centuries. While many food lovers are familiar with its Parisian background, there's a unique origin theory that focuses on King Louis XV and his family, per The Culture Trip. One day, the king came back to his home and discovered that there was scarce food around. The only ingredients that he and his great-aunt found were butter, onions, and champagne. They tossed the items in a pot to generate a basic version of this masterpiece. While this story may be merely a myth, it wouldn't be surprising if the soup started off so simply.
Nowadays, there are so many takes on this traditional and nourishing meal. In fact, one renowned chef-restaurateur has raised the bar to integrate this dish with a popular protein. None other than Guy Fieri knows just the trick to prepare some delectable French onion chicken. So, get out your cast-iron skillet because this recipe is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
The incredible texture comes from pounded chicken and crispy baguette
Guy Fieri has shared a quintessential recipe that combines French onion soup and chicken. In 2020, he told Fox News, "It's everything that you love about French onion soup, a little bit more fortified, but a little bit heartier." Apparently, the texture is heavenly, as it melds crunchiness with tenderness. Fieri told People the dish gets "outta bounds flavor from the melted cheese and caramelized onions and killer texture from the lightly pounded chicken and crispy toasted baguette pieces on the top."
So, how do you make Fieri's signature French onion chicken? To give it some tenderness, pound it ever so slightly with a meat mallet. Sour cream, granulated onion, and granulated garlic are then combined to coat the chicken. While letting the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, let the onions sizzle with butter in a cast-iron skillet. After cooking the chicken for several minutes, form the flour into a roux. Then, add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook the chicken on the bed of the caramelized onions and cover it with the remainder of them. The last step seals the deal on this mouth-watering dish. Place baguette slices, as well as shredded gruyère and provolone cheeses on top. Bake the French onion chicken in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Lastly, garnish the final product with some chopped chives.
How to experiment with French onion chicken
Of course, there are multiple ways you can make delicious French onion chicken. Tasty shares a quick and easy recipe loaded with gruyère cheese. However, you won't find provolone cheese in this iteration. There are some other key differences between this version and Fieri's recipe. Primarily, there's no flour base here. Yet, if you prefer parsley over chives, this recipe is the one for you. Dried parsley, along with salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil are used in the preparation of the chicken. After tossing and cooking the chicken with these ingredients, heat the skillet with butter to caramelize the onions. Thyme and beef broth are then added to maximize the flavor. Just like Fieri's recipe, the chicken is cooked on top of the onions, with the shredded cheese sprinkled on the chicken. Broil it for just five minutes, or until it's bubbly. Scoop out the cheesy chicken and place it over a slice of baguette. Then, dig in!
There are more experimental variations on French onion chicken, like Southern Living's recipe which incorporates frozen peas, fried onions, sour cream, mayonnaise, and mozzarella cheese. This version also notes that you can use rotisserie chicken, leftover roast chicken, or grilled chicken breast for simple cooking. So, go ahead and create your ideal French onion feast.