Smothered Chicken
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This delicious Southern-style Smothered Chicken is comfort food at its finest. Pan seared chicken thighs smothered in a gravy made from scratch, slowly cooked until the chicken falls off the bone. The ideal dinner, best served over a bed of mashed potatoes or cooked rice!
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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.
Smothered Chicken Highlights
- Total Comfort Food. Can’t get anymore comforting than these chicken thighs smothered in a gravy that’s so good, it will leave you feeling fully satisfied.
- Simple Pantry Staple Ingredients. I love it when you don’t need to make a trip to a special grocery store for fancy ingredients. You probably already have all the ingredients I used here in your pantry or fridge.
- Crowd Favorite. It’s chicken and gravy, how much more better can it get? Everyone 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.
- Prep the oven and baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Place a rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
- Make the spice rub. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and chili powder.
- Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Generously season the chicken thighs with about ¾ of the seasoning rub. Place the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
- Prep the dredge. Season the flour with remaining seasoning rub, salt and pepper. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour to a smaller bowl.
- Dredge the chicken thighs. Dredge the chicken thighs through the flour mixture making sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess flour. Place the thighs back on the rack and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
- Pan sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side until browned. The chicken won’t be fully cooked at this point. Transfer the chicken back to the rack.
- Cook the onion and garlic. In the same skillet add the butter, onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Stir in the red pepper flakes.
- Sprinkle flour. Sprinkle the reserved seasoned flour over the onions and continue cooking while stirring for another 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Make the gravy. Start pouring chicken broth while continuously whisking and cook for a couple more minutes until the gravy comes to a simmer. Whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Add chicken and braise in the oven. Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon some of the gravy over the chicken. Cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Cook in the oven for one hour.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or rice.
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.
Serve This Smothered Chicken With
35 minutes
Mashed Potatoes
10 minutes
Easy Tossed Salad
20 minutes
Skillet Green Beans
18 hours 50 minutes
No Knead Bread
Expert Tips
- Always pat your chicken dry before adding spices and pan searing. Doing this will remove any excess moisture from the chicken, giving us super crispy skin when we cook it.
- When making gravy, always allow the flour to cook for a couple minutes before adding liquid. This will remove the raw taste of flour and also add more depth of flavor to the gravy.
- Continue whisking the gravy as you’re adding chicken broth to smooth it out and remove any clumps.
- For a thicker gravy, add a bit more flour to the roux.
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
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Smothered Chicken
This delicious Southern-style Smothered Chicken is comfort food at its finest. Pan seared chicken thighs smothered in a gravy made from scratch. The ideal dinner, best served over a bed of mashed potatoes or cooked rice!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (mild)
- 6 large chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the oven and baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Place a rack over a baking sheet.
- Make the spice rub. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and chili powder.
- Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Generously season the chicken thighs with about ¾ of the seasoning rub. Place the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
- Prep the dredge. Season the flour with remaining seasoning rub, salt and pepper. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour to a smaller bowl.
- Dredge the chicken thighs. Dredge the chicken thighs through the flour mixture making sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess flour. Place the thighs back on the rack and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
- Pan sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side until browned. The chicken won't be fully cooked at this point. Transfer the chicken back to the rack.
- Cook the onion and garlic. In the same skillet add the butter, onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Stir in the red pepper flakes.
- Sprinkle flour. Sprinkle the reserved seasoned flour over the onions and continue cooking while stirring for another 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Make the gravy. Start pouring chicken broth while continuously whisking and cook for a couple more minutes until the gravy comes to a simmer. Whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Add chicken and braise in the oven. Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon some of the gravy over the chicken. Cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Cook in the oven for one hour.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or rice.
Equipment
Notes
- Always pat your chicken dry before adding spices and pan searing. Doing this will remove any excess moisture from the chicken, giving us super crispy skin when we cook it.
- When making gravy, always allow the flour to cook for a couple minutes before adding liquid. This will remove the raw taste of flour and also add more depth of flavor to the gravy.
- Continue whisking the gravy as you’re adding chicken broth to smooth it out and remove any clumps.
- For a thicker gravy, add a bit more flour to the roux.
- Store the leftover chicken and gravy in an airtight container. It will store nicely in your fridge for up to 3 days!
- 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.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1servingCalories: 414kcal (21%)Carbohydrates: 22g (7%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 24g (37%)Saturated Fat: 13g (81%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 162mg (54%)Sodium: 350mg (15%)Potassium: 508mg (15%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 1027IU (21%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 68mg (7%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I am smack dab in the middle of making this dish and the smells are delicious! One question I had was there are a lot of burned flour bits at the bottom of the pan. Too much flour? Didn’t shake off enough? Chicken was patted dry before the seasoning & dredging. I realize there will be some flour that burns and it just mixes into the gravy like a charm. I was just wondering if I missed a trick! Cheers! ~Ellie~
Firstly, it sounds like you’re doing a fabulous job with that smothered chicken. That aroma wafting from your kitchen must be divine!
Now, regarding the burned flour bits: it’s quite natural for some flour to get left behind and even brown a bit when you’re frying or sautéeing, and yes, it does add depth to the gravy later on. However, if there’s a lot of burned flour, it could be due to a couple of reasons:
Excess Flour: It’s always a good idea to give your chicken pieces a gentle shake or even a light pat with your hands to get rid of any excess flour before placing them in the pan.
Pan Heat: If the heat is too high, the flour can burn quickly. It’s essential to find that sweet spot where it’s hot enough to sear the chicken but not so hot that the flour chars.
Here’s a tip for next time: once you’re done searing the chicken and before you add your liquids for the gravy, you can quickly deglaze the pan with a tiny bit of broth or even water. This helps lift those flavorful bits off the bottom, ensuring they integrate into the gravy and don’t burn further.
Hope this helps, and happy cooking! Cheers! 🍗🥘🌟
Loved this recipe, but I read it that 2 Tablespoons of seasoned flour sprinkled over the onions would make the gravy after FOUR CUPS of liquid (broth and cream). Maybe because I used whole milk but 2 Tablespoons flour wasn’t near enough to thicken 4 cups of liquid.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor of the recipe! I’m sorry to hear the gravy didn’t thicken as expected. Using whole milk could be part of the reason, as it’s less rich than cream and might not thicken in the same way. Another potential factor could be the heat level or cooking time. If you find the sauce isn’t thickening to your liking, you can always prepare a quick slurry of additional flour and water (or milk) to help it along. Thank you for your feedback, and I hope your next attempt turns out just as you like it!
I was so tired before I started making this dish. I laid out all of the ingredients but still forgot to dredge the seasoned chicken breasts in flour before searing the chicken. It was still delicious. I will be making this dish again, correctly this time!
SOOOOO delish. I used 4 chicken legs and doubled the spice because they were large. The flavour of this dish is perfection. Served with mashed potatoes. Thanks Jo for another great recipe.
My pleasure, Liz. Glad you enjoyed it!
How can I cook this on the stove top? I don’t have a cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan.
You can definitely make this on the stove top. Just simmer it over low heat for about 30 minutes, you can also reduce the amount of chicken broth, since it won’t really have all that time to evaporate, probably down to a cup.
Awesome. Thank you so much!! Making it now and it smells amazing!
Hi!
Can I use boneless, skinless thighs?
Absolutely!
This is a great chicken dish! I will make this again and again…….