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. Who’s kidding? This deliciousness works even for a stay-at-home dinner date when you feel like spoiling your loved ones. 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! 😉 You’ll find more specific instructions below, but it basically just involves sautéing butter and flour and then whisking in chicken broth and milk before returning the chicken to the pan. Easy as pie!

Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Smothered Chicken

Pan-Fry the Chicken

Prep the Chicken – 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.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 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate.Saute the Herbs – Next, add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté for about 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.

Make the Gravy

Melt Butter – Add butter to the pan and let it melt.Add Flour – 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.Liquids – Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by milk making sure there are no lumps; stirring and scraping the pan well until the liquid is smooth. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly, for about 5 minutes.Add Herbs – Then return wilted onions to the skillet and stir. Taste it and adjust the seasoning.Add Chicken – Finally, add the browned chicken and its juice to the skillet.Simmer – Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Slowly cook for about 30-45 minutes or more, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom and burning.Finishing Touches – Do a final taste test and adjust seasonings before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Tips and Tricks

Make-Ahead Instructions

This meal is best served hot off the stove. That said, there are elements of this recipe you can make ahead of time. For example, you can season and bread the chicken the day before. Then store it in the fridge and take it out when you are ready to start.

Serving and Storage Instructions

After serving straight from the stove, you can garnish the chicken with bacon bits, chives, parsley, or any other garnish you love. Store your leftover smothered chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for five days, or freeze it for three months. But everybody knows fried chicken is best when consumed right away. 😉 The best way to reheat smothered chicken is in a covered, oven-safe dish in a preheated 375℉/190℃ oven for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and the chicken is heated through. You can also reheat this meal in the microwave.

What Goes With Smothered Chicken

I love this meal with steaming white rice or garlic mashed potatoes. Biscuits are also an amazing side. Basically, any side dish that will benefit from a splash of gravy is a winner. 🤤 I also usually serve this meal with a side of veggies. Bacon-wrapped green beans or even green bean casserole from scratch are two of my favorite options.

More Incredible Soul Food Recipes to Try

Southern Baked Mac and CheeseShrimp and GritsBiscuits and GravyChicken Pot PieSouthern Black-Eyed PeasFried Okra

Conclusion

This straightforward and creamilicious chicken recipe is waiting for you to try it.❤️ Are you hungry for more super simple recipes for a happy family? Then sign up for my newsletter and keep yourself up to date.👍

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.

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