Smothered Chicken Recipe

Whenever I make Southern Smothered Chicken, it reminds me of my childhood- when I lived in the ‘hood. Every Sunday my mom would make a bigger than usual dinner, and it was always very southern. The table always had sweet cornbread, collard greens with ham hocks, potato salad, and whatever meat that was on sale when my mom went grocery shopping. Sometimes it would be ribs, or catfish, but most of the the time it would be chicken. My favorite chicken was Southern Smothered Chicken. My mom made the best smothered chicken when I was younger ( I have her beat now :-p ) . My mom would smothered the chicken with lots of gravy and onions, and she would cook the chicken until it fell of the bone, then she would serve the chicken over rice. I could never get enough. Sometimes, I eat my dinner outside ( Depending on the weather), and the other kids on the block would always beg me to share- which I never did, LOL! Those were they days!!! Now that I’m older, and know how to cook – I don’t have to depend on my mother to make Southern Smothered Chicken. I perfected my very own recipe for it!

In this post I’m going to show you how to make the best Southern Smothered Chicken. We are going to brown the chicken, and then cook the chicken in a homemade creamy gravy that will also go great over mashed potatoes or rice! The chicken pieces that I used was legs and thighs. If you decide to use another piece of chicken that is up to you, however the cooking time may change.

Smothered Chicken

This smothered chicken recipe is made with juicy fried chicken breasts tossed in a flavorful gravy with crispy bacon. It’s truly a restaurant worthy meal right at home!

Prep: 15min

Total: 65min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 666 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 54 g, Saturated Fat 35 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 92 mg, Sodium 1687 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, unSaturated Fat 15 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 5 strips thick cut bacon
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Vegetable oil (for frying.)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (plain or Italian)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 2.5 cups chicken broth (consider low sodium)
• 1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 tsp beef better than bouillon)
• 1/3 cup half and half ((half milk, half cream))
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce (can sub Worcestershire sauce)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage
• 2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

Instruction:

1. Prework: Add chicken dredge ingredients to a large plate and toss to combine. Set aside. Measure out gravy ingredients prior to beginning.
2. Cook the Bacon: Fry bacon over medium-low heat until crispy on both sides. Remove from pan and pour grease into a heat-safe bowl. Reserve 2-4 Tablespoons of clear bacon drippings. Wipe any black residue from the pan if needed.
3. Slice & Pound the Chicken: While the bacon cooks, slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Place saran wrap over them and use a meat tenderizer to pound them to about 3/4 inches thick. This gives them a little more texture for the flour dredge to hold on to. They’ll plump up more when cooked.
4. Coat the Chicken: Wipe the chicken dry and coat generously in the flour mixture, get in every nook and cranny.
5. Cook the Chicken: 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 about 5 minutes per side, until they have a nice golden sear. Set aside on a plate. Adjust heat down slightly and back up throughout cooking as needed.
6. Drain the oil: 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Add remaining gravy ingredients: Slowly add the beef bouillon, soy sauce, and seasonings.
10. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add a few drops of kitchen bouquet if a darker color is desired.
11. Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juice from the plate.
12. Chop up the bacon and add it to the top of the chicken.
13. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees prior to serving.
14. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.

Southern Smothered Chicken Recipe

This Southern Smothered Chicken is made with perfectly browned chicken with an onion and garlic gravy that’s perfect over your starch of choice. This is true southern comfort.

Prep: 15min

Total: 60min

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs chicken (I used legs, and thighs)
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 medium sized onion (chopped)

Instruction:

1. Start off by making sure that all of the chicken is nice and clean.
2. Pour 1 1/2 cup flour into a large bowl, and add in seasonings : garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, celery seed, poultry seasoning, and smoked paprika. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Coat the chicken with the seasoned flour, and make sure you coat all surfaces.
4. Reserve the seasoned flour
5. Pour 1/4 cup of vegetable oil into a large pan, then place the plan over medium heat.
6. Start adding in the chicken, but be sure to not over crowd the pan ( use a pan big enough to hold all of the chicken).
7. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown(DO NOT worry about cooking the chicken until done, because we will cook it some more).
8. Once the chicken is nice and browned, remove it from the pan. Leave the oil in the pan.
9. Toss in the onions, and cook them for about 2 minutes, then add in the garlic. Once the garlic is in the pan let it cook for an additional minute, then remove the onions and garlic from the pan.
10. Add three tbsp of the seasoned flour (the same flour that you coat the chicken with) to the pan. Stir in with the oil.
11. Next pour in 2 cups of chicken broth. Whisk in while pouring in the broth. Make sure there aren’t any lumps.
12. Let the gravy cook for about 2 minutes ( still on medium heat), then pour in 1 cup of milk into the pan.
13. Let the creamy gravy cook for about 3 minutes, then start adding the chicken back into the pan, as well as the onions and garlic.
14. Make sure all of the chicken is coated with the creamy gravy.
15. Place a lid on the pan, then let the chicken cook for 30-35 minutes. Be sure to occasionally turn the chicken.
16. Once done serve the chicken with rice or mashed potatoes.
17. Enjoy!

Smothered Chicken

This smothered chicken recipe has juicy pan-fried chicken in the ultimate gravy! It’s rich, perfectly seasoned, and made from scratch with pantry staples.

Prep: 10min

Total: 45min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 341 kcal, Carbohydrate 10 g, Protein 26 g, Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Trans Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 105 mg, Sodium 421 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, unSaturated Fat 11 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium-to-large onion (sliced)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream

Instruction:

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season each piece with salt & pepper on both sides.
2. Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to a bowl and give it a good stir. Measure out 2 tablespoons of this seasoned flour and put it in a small bowl – you will use it later to thicken the gravy.
3. Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
4. While the pan heats up, add the flour from the larger bowl to a plate and then coat each piece of chicken it (you will have some leftover flour to discard).
5. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes/side (golden but not quite fully cooked through). Transfer chicken to a plate.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, add in the onions and cook until softened and golden (about 15-20 minutes. It’ll depend how thin the onions are sliced and vary from skillet to skillet – I use cast iron). Stir every couple of minutes, and if the onions appear to be burning vs. slowly browning, turn the heat down.
7. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour into the pan. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
8. Add in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until the flour has dissolved and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then stir in the cream.
9. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through (165F) and the gravy has thickened a bit. You may need to increase the heat a bit to get it going again.
10. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Smothered Chicken and Gravy Recipe | Comfort Food

FAQ

What is smothered chicken made of?

What do you eat with smothered chicken?

How do you make chicken soft and juicy?

1. Flatten the chicken breasts. …
2. Season the chicken breasts. …
3. Heat the pan. …
4. Cook the chicken breasts over medium heat for 1 minute without moving. …
5. Flip the chicken breasts. …
6. Turn the heat down to low. …
7. Cover the pan and cook on low for 10 minutes. …
8. Turn off the heat and let sit for an additional 10 minutes.

What’s the best way to cook chicken without drying it out?