This French onion chicken meatloaf is pure comfort food. Ground chicken is mixed with caramelized onions, parmesan, herbs and breadcrumbs, then baked as individual loaves and generously topped with melty Gruyère. Serve with mashed potatoes for a cozy, satisfying meal.
Just look at this semi-fancy, utterly cozy meal!
This French onion meatloaf is heavenly: tender mini loaves wrapped in melted Gruyère and piled with sweet, caramelized onions. They’re delicious over creamy mashed potatoes, but honestly you’ll want to dig in straight from the baking dish.
I mean — how could you not?
Before spring brings lighter meals, I’m sharing one more cozy recipe: these French onion meatloaves. They’re worth making now while we’re still craving warming, cheesy dinners.
I make these as mini meatloaves rather than a single large loaf for a few reasons: they’re more visually appealing on the plate, they cook faster and more evenly, and they stay moist without drying out. Best of all for this French onion version — each bite gets plenty of caramelized onions and oozy Gruyère.
Perfect, right?
I’ll admit meatloaf isn’t the prettiest subject to photograph, but it definitely is delicious.
Meatloaf may not be my favorite, but it’s a big hit in my house — Eddie loves it, especially when I add that French onion twist. I’ve added caramelized onions to so many recipes lately because they’re that good.
How I make it
Start with the caramelized onions. Good caramelization takes time — plan for about an hour on the stove for rich, sweet onions. For this recipe I usually stop around an hour because the onions will finish cooking in the oven with the meatloaves. If you like them darker, cook longer before proceeding.
While the onions cook, mix the meatloaf ingredients: ground chicken, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, herbs, grated Parmesan, some grated Gruyère and a portion of the caramelized onions. Combine gently until just mixed.
Shape the mixture into four (or six smaller) even mini loaves — I find four is a great size. Place them in a prepared 9×13 inch baking dish and bake briefly to set the shape.
Remove from the oven, top each loaf with the remaining caramelized onions and the rest of the Gruyère, then return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the loaves reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Let rest a few minutes before serving and garnish with fresh chives or thyme.
The result is tender, juicy meatloaf with layers of flavor — sweet caramelized onions, nutty Parmesan, and gooey Gruyère. The combination of sweet and savory makes each bite irresistible.
For mashed potatoes, I like leaving the skins on for texture; they’re a great companion to these rich meatloaves. Creamy potatoes and a forkful of meatloaf is the definition of comfort food.
This is truly cozy, stick-to-your-ribs food. How does something this delicious exist?
French Onion Chicken Meatloaf
French Onion Chicken Meatloaf
4
to 6
1 hr 15 mins
45 mins
2 hrs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken (around 94% lean)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Gruyère cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Mashed potatoes, for serving
- Fresh thyme and/or chives, for serving
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions with a big pinch of salt, pepper and the thyme. Cook 10–12 minutes until they begin to soften, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deep brown and caramelized, about 1 to 2 hours depending on desired color. For this recipe, one hour is sufficient since they’ll finish in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- To make the meatloaf mixture, combine ground chicken, minced garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 cup Gruyère, milk, fresh parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix gently until just combined. Stir in about one-quarter of the caramelized onions.
- Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape into mini loaves. Place them in the prepared baking dish and bake 20–25 minutes.
- Remove the dish, top each loaf with the remaining caramelized onions and the remaining Gruyère. Return to the oven and bake 15–20 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the meatloaves rest a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives or thyme and serve with mashed potatoes.
Did you make this recipe?
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Last bite of cozy.