Smothered Chicken – perfectly tender and juicy fried chicken that is shallow-braised in a savory creamy gravy on a stovetop. Easy, succulent and tender chicken recipe! It has comfort food written all over it.
If you’re tired of the same old fried chicken, spice things up using this EASY Southern Smothered Chicken recipe with a homemade chicken gravy made from scratch.
This recipe is one of those soul food recipes that doesn’t require too much labor in the kitchen and hard-to-find ingredients. In under an hour, you and your family will enjoy this chicken dish especially when served with warm rice and mashed potatoes.
How to make chicken gravy?
Oh, boy, I’ve got to tell you that the first time I had this smothered chicken dish at my sister’s house years ago, I was completely blown away with that creamy, smooth and savory chicken gravy. And yes, I did smother my warm rice with that gravy all over it.
Who wouldn’t? I could even bathe in that chicken gravy right there.
This chicken gravy here is easier than you think it is. It’s a foolproof homemade gravy and I’ve used it countless of times, even on this Smothered Pork Chops recipe. And did I say it always get a 100% approval from my kiddo and hubby?
You start off with melting the butter in a pan and adding the seasoned flour used in dredging the chicken. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth to add volume to that paste-like butter and flour mixture. Then add the milk to make sure there are no lumps to slightly thicken the mixture. And lastly, return the wilted onions and fried chicken back to the pan and slowly braise for 30 -45 minutes.
As easy as that! Just adjust the cooking time if you want a slightly browner and thicker gravy.
How many calories are in smothered chicken?
Not sure why are we even talking about this, ’cause when it comes to comfort food like this, I don’t count the calories, baby. 😉
But for the sake of our friends who like to keep tabs on those numbers, this bone-in skinless Smothered Chicken recipe yields 5 with 514 calories per serving.
This smothered chicken with homemade chicken gravy makes a perfect dinner for busy weeknights and even on a dinner date night at home. It has the savory, herby flavor with a little kick in every spoonful of this dish. If you want more gravy, just double it and shamelessly pour it all over on a warm rice. I won’t judge! 😉
Enjoy!
How to Make Smothered Chicken
Pat dry chicken thighs with a paper towel, then season with salt and Cajun seasoning. Mix together flour, paprika, cayenne, white pepper, granulated onion and garlic powder.
Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour mixture on each side until coated. Shake off excess flour. Heat oil in a cast iron or skillet over medium-high heat; then fry chicken on both sides until golden brown — about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until browned.
Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate. Add onions to the skillet, then saute for about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic, thyme and continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent any burns or until onions is wilted. Remove onions and set aside. Add butter to the pan , let it melt . Then throw in the seasoned flour left over from dredging the chicken to the skillet.
And stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together and forms a paste.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by milk making sure there are no lumps; stirring and scraping the pan well,until it is incorporated. Mixture is slightly thicken — about 5 minutes. Return wilted onions back to the skillet , Thoroughly mix , season with salt .
Add browned chicken back to skillet, together with its juice that form on the plate to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly cook for about 30- 45 minutes or more, stirring occasional to prevent any burns. Adjust seasonings.
Watch How To Make It
Smothered Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or more to taste)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or your preferred cooking oil)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
Chicken Gravy
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¾-1 cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and Cajun seasoning. Mix flour, paprika, cayenne, white pepper, granulated onion, and garlic powder in a bowl.
- Dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour mixture on each side until coated. Shake off excess flour.
- Heat oil in a cast-iron or skillet over medium-high heat. Then fry chicken on both sides until golden brown — 4 to 5 minutes per side or until browned.
- Remove chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate. Add onions to the skillet, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes until onions wilt, occasionally stirring to prevent it from burning. Remove onions and set them aside.
- Add butter to the pan, and let it melt. Then throw in the seasoned flour left over from dredging the chicken and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together and forms a paste.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the milk, ensuring there are no lumps. Stir and scrape the pan well until everything is incorporated. The mixture should thicken slightly in about 5 minutes. Return wilted onions to the skillet. Thoroughly mix and season with salt.
- Add browned chicken with its juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 30-45 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Tips & Notes:
- You can use other chicken cuts if you prefer. But make sure to adjust cooking times.
- For a darker gravy, you may cook the flour for a longer time over low heat. But if you want the lighter one, cook the flour for less time over high heat while whisking continuously.
- If the gravy seems too thick, add up to a tablespoon of water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition Information:
Alex says
This was so good! My toddler LOVED it, thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to try more.
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic!! If your toddler loved it (and I know how picky they can be), then my job here is done :)! Thank you for the feedback, Alex!
Erica says
Can you double this recipe
Imma says
Yeah sure, you can do this. Just double the quantity for all ingredients or adjust as per your taste 🙂
Triple Options says
My 15 years old daughter made this for me on Mother’s Day and it was delicious. You are absolutely a Great Cook. A teenager who does not usually cook, follow your directions and made a delicious meal to celebrate her mother and the entire family loved it!. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Aww…. This made me smile :). So proud of your daughter. That is how I started cooking too! I am glad you all loved the dish. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me.
Mikey says
Absolutely fucking awesome! There have been so many nights where I have desperately searched for the next good recipe to do, and I like to get into the skin of it all. This was one of many times that manna from heaven fell into my lap. I’ve already cooked it for my housemate, and it was a winner. Sure as the next dawn, I will be making it again.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Mikey :)!
Sibil says
Mikey, this was the best recipe review I have ever read! I am make tonight based just on your awesome review!
Stacey says
Great recipe thanks trying something new very easy to make.
ImmaculateBites says
Glad it worked out well for you.
Alexis says
Hello what do you recommend using instead of milk for the gravy as I am lactose intolerant?
ImmaculateBites says
Soy milk or lactose free milk would do just fine .
Laura S says
Great recipe! Thank you!
Amanda Forbus says
If we are making a reduced version of this recipe… how much of the flour mix should we add to the pan? I saw you used a cup measure, but I can’t tell if it’s 1/4 of a cup or 1/2 of a cup. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
It’s 3/4 cup. So use 1/3 cup flour and cut the liquid in half.
Chris Bradford says
Can you leave the skin on?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Chris,
I don’t see why not. Go for it if you love skin.
Assumpta Ozioma says
Hi, immaculate bite.. Ur recipe is amazing.. I tried and my family are confirming it… Tnx. Keep tossing us with ur incredible recipes
imma africanbites says
Thank you for the words of encouragement. I truly appreciate it! And thank you for stopping by. =)
Cooking Mom says
So I rarely leave comments on recipes but I have tried for YEARS to make smothered chicken and my gravy never comes out right but this was literally fool proof and tasted delicious! Thank you thank you thank you!
imma africanbites says
I’m so happy you like this. And thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Angel says
This recipe is so delicious. Packed with flavor. I love the fact you use thyme, which is healthy for the body. I also love your baked chicken but that’s a whole other recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
imma africanbites says
You’re welcome. So glad you like this one. This is such a handy chicken recipe to serve on regular nights or when entertaining.
mary harrison says
Wow! Great recipe. Has a little kick too! I halved the recipe and made it with 3 chicken breasts!
Super Easy too. I had this with extra wide noodles and broccoli!
Thanks!!
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Thanks for the suggestions, too.
Michelle Mora says
Wooo This chicken was delicious and easyyy , I am from Trinidad in the Caribbean . So I added chilli peppers with the seeds removed ,So good ,thanks Imma Great recipe!!
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Michelle. I sure do appreciate it. And what a great addition!
Kathleen says
I’m from Trinidad too. It’s – 40 here in Winnipeg and looking for some comfort food. Will be making this for the kids when they come for supper this weekend
JoyceB says
I must try this recipe. Never made Smothered Chicken, but have eaten it. Thank you. Love your recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Joyce, It’s a household favorite .
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
These are so good. It’s great with pork chops, too! I love all the spices.
ImmaculateBites says
Me too Mike.