The Best Smothered Chicken Recipe
This chicken dish screams comfort and sometimes that’s what we need in life. It’s a Southern-style recipe made with chicken thighs dredged through seasoned flour, pan seared, then slowly cooked in a gravy made from scratch, until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. This chicken thigh recipe is great served over mashed potatoes or cooked rice because of all that delicious gravy, but you might also want to serve it up with some fresh crusty bread to dip into that gravy and soak up all that goodness. It’s smack-your-lips yummy and your whole family will love it.
Chicken Thighs – I used chicken this with skin on and bone-in, but you can also you boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can also use chicken drumsticks or breasts in this recipe. Spices and Herbs – I like to use a combination of some of my usual spices when I make a dry rub, like garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, some chili powder, red pepper flakes for a bit of heat and my herbs of choice here is Italian seasoning. You can, of course, change up the spices and herbs and use your favorite chicken seasoning. Onion and Garlic – Onion and garlic are essential as the start to a good gravy. White or yellow onion are ok to use. Flour – We need some all-purpose flour to dredge the chicken in and also to thicken up our gravy. Oil and Butter – We need some vegetable oil like canola to pan sear the chicken thighs and then some butter for our gravy to give it some great flavor and make it nice and velvety. Chicken Broth – I like to use low sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth will also work. Heavy Cream – We need heavy cream to make our gravy nice and creamy, but you could use half and half for a little less fat.
What Is Smothered Chicken?
Smothered Chicken is a Southern chicken and gravy dish, consisting of pan seared chicken pieces, then slowly cooked in a gravy.
Do I Have To Use Chicken Thighs?
No, you do not. You can use chicken breasts, or chicken drumsticks. This type of dish is also popular with pork chops or sometimes even fish.
Leftovers
Fridge
Store the leftover chicken and gravy in an airtight container. It will store nicely in your fridge for up to 3 days!
Freezer
Cool the smothered chicken completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing it in the freezer. It will last anywhere from 4 – 6 months.
More Delicious Chicken Thigh Recipes To Try
Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs Chicken Stroganoff Air Fryer Chicken Thighs One Pot Chicken and Orzo Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Chicken and Mushrooms in Creamy Dill Sauce Chicken in a Hurry One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice Chicken Adobo
title: “Smothered Chicken” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-02” author: “Laura Yates”
Serve these with my creamy mashed potatoes, biscuits, and roasted green beans.
Smothered Chicken
I don’t know about you, but I could eat chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes any day of the week. That’s the beauty of this Smothered Chicken Recipe. You can prepare the chicken and gravy in a single skillet while you boil up some creamy mashed potatoes next to it. This is definitely a comfort food recipe that your family will love. BONUS: You can use chicken thighs or pork chops in this recipe instead of chicken breasts. Check out the process shots below to see how this comes together, along with my PRO tips for success!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Fry bacon until crispy and set aside. Reserve 2-4 Tablespoons of clear bacon drippings. Wipe any black residue from the pan if needed. Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise and pound to about 3/4 inch thick. Dredge in flour mixture and tap off excess.
Add the reserved bacon drippings to the clean pan and enough vegetable oil to cover the chicken by half. Heat over medium-high heat. Once heated and glistening, add the chicken. Fry 2 at a time for 4-5 minutes per side, until they have a nice golden sear. Set aside on a plate.
Remove the oil from the pot and use a paper towel to remove any black spots from the pan, but leave any brown remnants. This is called ‘fond’ and will give the gravy a nice flavor. Make the Roux: Melt the butter over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the flour gradually, whisking continuously, until a paste forms.
Add the Broth and Half and Half: Add the liquid in small increments, whisking constantly. It will thicken up in between each splash of liquid. If you add it all at once, you’ll “break” the roux and it won’t be thick.
Add beef bouillon, soy sauce, and seasonings. (Add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet if a darker color is preferred.) Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juice from the plate. Chop up the bacon and add it to the top of the chicken. Cover partially and cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.
Pro Tips
To Control the Consistency of the Gravy:
Add the chicken broth/half and half to the roux slowly and in small increments. This is the key to keeping the consistency nice and thick. For thicker gravy: Let it continue to simmer, uncovered. For thinner gravy: Add a splash of half and half, milk, or broth.
Other Pro Tips:
Ensure the oil is hot enough prior to adding the chicken to ensure the breading stays on. Create texture on the surface of the chicken with a meat tenderizer to give the breading more to cling on to, this will give it more of a fried chicken look. Work the breading into every nook and cranny. Chicken thighs or pork chops can be used in this recipe instead of chicken breasts. To control the sodium: Use unsalted butter and/or reduced sodium broth. You can also omit the bacon, but it does add a nice flavor and crunch! This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 96!
What to Serve with Smothered Chicken
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk Biscuits Roasted Green Beans, asparagus, or Carrots more side dish recipes
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Tried This Recipe?
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This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great. Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce– Helps darken the color of homemade gravy if desired. Meat Thermometer– To check the doneness of the meat. It’s safe to serve when it’s reached 165°F. Kitchen Tongs– Perfect for frying bacon and flipping the chicken. Meat Tenderizer– To pound the chicken nice and flat. Measuring Spoons– I have these, they’re magnetic and keep your drawer organized. Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time.
