Smothered Chicken With Gravy – This perfectly tender and juicy fried chicken in a savory, creamy gravy right from your stovetop is the ideal weeknight dinner. This recipe is the epitome of comfort food.
Most soul food recipes don’t require much labor or hard-to-find ingredients. You and your family will be sitting around the dining room table enjoying this classic Southern meal in just around an hour. Honestly, smothered chicken with homemade chicken gravy makes a perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
The savory, herby flavor with a little kick in every spoonful will make everyone happy. And if you want more gravy, double that part of the recipe and shamelessly pour it all over your steaming rice or mashed potatoes. I won’t judge! 😉
Content…Easy Gravy to Smother Chicken |
Easy-to-Make Gravy for Smothered Chicken
I guarantee you it’s 100% easier than it looks. I’ve made this homemade gravy countless times, and it’s foolproof! Melt the butter and add flour for the roux. Then, whisk in chicken broth and milk before returning the chicken to the pan.
Ingredient List
- Chicken Thighs – The thighs are juicier and more forgiving than the breast, but feel free to use the cut of chicken you like best. Simply adjust your cooking times so you don’t end up with dry chicken.
- Seasonings – Bring the chicken to life with Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, white pepper, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme. You can turn the head down by using less cayenne and Cajun seasoning or omitting it altogether.
- Onion – Cooked onion compliments the chicken and gravy in this recipe so well.
- Gravy – Butter, chicken broth, and milk make a creamy, savory gravy that is out of this world.
How to Make Smothered Chicken
Pan-Fry the Chicken
- Prep – Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season them with salt and Cajun seasoning.
- Seasoning – Mix the flour, paprika, cayenne, white pepper, granulated onion, and garlic powder in a bowl. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour mixture on each side until coated. Shake off excess flour. (Photo 1)
- Fry the Chicken – Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; then fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown (4-5 minutes per side). Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate. (Photo 2)
- Sautee – Next, add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme and continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove onions and set them aside. (Photos 3-5)
Make the Gravy
- Roux – Melt the butter in the pan. Stir in the seasoned flour left over from dredging the chicken and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together and forms a paste. (Photo 6)
- Gravy – Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by milk, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet to get all those delicious pan drippings. Keep stirring until smooth and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). (Photos 7-9)
- Assemble – Return onions to the skillet and stir. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. Finally, add the browned chicken and its juice to the skillet. (Photos 10-11)
- Simmer – Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. (Photo 12)
- Serve – Do a taste test and adjust seasonings before serving hot off the stove. Enjoy!
Tips and Hacks
- If the gravy is too thick, add broth or water a tablespoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
- For hands-off cooking, finish the smothered chicken in the oven. Bake it at 350℉ (180℃) for about an hour, checking for doneness at around 45 minutes.
- Add the liquid in small increments to get a nice thick gravy, and whisk constantly.
- Make a double batch and freeze half for a quick weeknight meal later.
- If your gravy turned lumpy despite all precautions, blitz it in the blender. Done!😉
What Goes With Smothered Chicken
I love this meal with steaming white rice or garlic mashed potatoes. Biscuits are also an amazing side. Braised cabbage wedges is another favorite option.
More Incredible Soul Food Recipes to Try
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Southern Black-Eyed Peas
- Chitterlings
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”JaOcHsQm” upload-date=”2019-09-07T22:17:54.000Z” name=”Smothered Chicken” description=”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.”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, photos, and a video
Smothered Chicken
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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.
Richard Aldaiz says
Tonight I made this dish for dinner, and the main topic at the table what’s about the gravy. Thank you so much i’ve never received compliments like that about my gravy before. But I did give you the credit and told them it was yours.
Imma says
Fantastic! I am glad this was a hit with our family, Richard! Thanks for stopping by!
Amber says
I started out making the Chicken and Gravy recipe, but somehow I ended up making this one. Thank goodness! Everyone loved it. Made it with chicken breasts – I just made sure they were cooked through and added them back to the skillet when the gravy was done. Omg, it was incredible – thank you!
Imma says
I love accidents like these :)! Glad you loved it, Amber!
Sophie says
I tried this it came out so well. Thanks Imma
Imma says
Yay! I love success stories! Glad it worked out well for you, Sophie!
Nanna x3 says
I came across this recipe & decided to make it. I actually have my “Boneless Chicken Thighs” simmering for a hour for me while I type.
It was easy enough to follow. I also have made my own “Homemade Creole Seasoning”, “Poultry Seasoning”, “Beef & Pork Seasoning”, using your ingredients.
I love all your Seasoning, especially since I can no longer use salt & your salt free Seasoning are the best.
Thank u so much IMMA!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Nanna,
I’m absolutely delighted to hear that you’re enjoying the boneless chicken thighs recipe and that you’ve also ventured into making your own homemade seasonings! It’s so rewarding to know that my salt-free options have been helpful for you.
Creating seasonings at home not only allows you to control the ingredients but also lets you tailor the flavors to your own liking. It sounds like you’ve fully embraced this, and I couldn’t be happier for you!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. Your support and feedback are invaluable to me and the community here.
Much love,
Imma
Ingrid S says
Delicious recipe, but it takes much longer than 45 minutes of simmering for the chicken to be thoroughly cooked. Will try with boneless chicken next time to speed up the process.
Imma says
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. There are so many factors that affect the cooking time. Altitude, the stove’s temperature, humidity, etc. But boneless chicken will definitely cook faster.
Angela says
What is the cooking time with Boneless chicken thighs
Imma says
Boneless chicken thighs do cook faster. I would reduce the time by 10-15 minutes. The nice thing about thighs is that they’re much more forgiving than the breast. Please let me know how it went.❤️