Southern Smothered Chicken and Gravy have tender chicken thighs and drumsticks that have been seasoned and then cooked in gravy with onions! Prep this recipe in just 10 minutes for a flavorful dinner that the whole family will devour!
One Pan Smothered Chicken
Feast your taste buds on this Southern Smothered Chicken and Gravy that’s cooked right in one skillet! Moist, seasoned chicken is cooked on the stovetop in its own gravy with onions and spices, making for a flavorful dinner that can be made any day of the week!
Nothing says family time like gathering around the table for a dish of warm comfort food! And that’s exactly what you get with this delicious recipe for Smothered Chicken thighs and drumsticks that are ready in under an hour!
This easy-to-make recipe is brought to life with chicken, seasonings, spices, and a handful of pantry staples! It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that you can appreciate for its flavor, ease, and even quick clean-up!
Chicken and Gravy Recipe Ingredients
For this Creamy Smothered Chicken Recipe, you’ll start by selecting the cut of chicken you’d like to use. I chose to use chicken thighs and drumsticks but you could also use chicken breasts.
Next, the chicken is coated in a dry seasoning mixture. This is made of the following ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- poultry seasoning
- paprika
The seasoned chicken is then browned up in a skillet with vegetable oil. Once it’s removed the onions will cook in the leftover drippings along with some of the reserved seasoning mixture.
For a tasty variation, you could even add in some bacon to be sauteed along with the onions!
Next, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, milk, and chicken broth are added to the skillet to create the gravy. The chicken is then added back into the skillet to finish cooking with the onions and gravy.
Once finished you can garnish the dish with parsley!
How to Make Smothered Chicken with Gravy
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and paprika in a large bowl.
- Remove some of the seasoned flour and set it aside.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the remaining seasoned flour.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Next, place the chicken in the skillet to fry until they’re browned on all sides, and then remove them.
How to Make Chicken Gravy
- Add the onions to the pan of leftover oil and fry until golden.
- Then, add the reserved seasoned flour into the pan and whisk it into the oil.
- Add in the chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken broth. Whisk together and allow it to cook.
- Stir in the milk, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Bring this gravy mixture to a boil and then simmer, stirring constantly.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pan and coat the pieces with gravy. Cover the pan and allow the chicken and sauce to continue cooking. Be sure to turn the chicken occasionally.
- Garnish with parsley and serve!
How To Serve Southern-Style Smothered Chicken
If you’re wondering what sides go with Smothered Chicken, this recipe is delicious served over rice or with Mashed Potatoes. Bake up some fluffy Parker House Rolls or Texas Roadhouse Rolls to soak up all that extra gravy with too!
How to Store Leftover Smothered Chicken
Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat them within 3 days. You could also place the leftovers in the freezer to store for up to 3 months.
Southern Chicken in Gravy FAQs
Since the chicken is cooked in liquid after being browned the skin texture goes soft. For that reason, I personally prefer this recipe without the skin.
You can swap it out for chicken stock or vegetable stock. Another option would be to take two cups of water and add one teaspoon of bullion powder for each cup of water.
Yes, that should be fine to do since it’s such a small amount that’s used. If you’d like you could use 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme instead.
More Chicken Recipes You Will Love
Dinners don’t have to be repetitive and boring when Southern Style Smothered Chicken and Gravy can be an option! Grab another mouthwatering chicken recipe to try the next time you need to liven up dinner time!
- Potato Chip Chicken Tenders – Made with honey barbecue potato chips and then fried to a delicious golden brown!
- Shredded Chicken Tacos – Soft tortillas that are loaded with shredded chicken, fresh veggies, and cheese!
- Air Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken – Tender chicken with a crunchy coat of hot spices, preps in just 15 minutes!
- Garlic Chicken – Moist, delicious chicken that’s made with 40 garlic cloves!
- Grilled Chicken Salad – Strips of grilled chicken nestled on a bed of fresh vegetables with a homemade creamy dressing!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
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Southern Chicken in Gravy
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Large deep pan with lid
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks above five pieces
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Gravy
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or 1 cube
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and paprika. Remove 3 Tablespoons of the seasoned flour from the bowl and reserve this for later.1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika
- Completely dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.2 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- Add vegetable oil to a large deep skillet, preferably cast iron over medium heat. Add the coated pieces of chicken. Make sure not to crowd your chicken and cook in batches, if needed.⅔ cup vegetable oil
- Fry the chicken until it is browned on all sides. Once browned, transfer the chicken to a wire rack over a baking sheet and leave the oil in the pan.
- Next, add the onion to the pan and fry it until golden, about 5 minutes.1 large onion
- Whisk the reserved 3 Tablespoons of seasoned flour into the oil. Then whisk in the chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken broth. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk frequently to make sure there are no lumps aside from the onions.1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 cups chicken broth
- Next, whisk in the milk, again making sure there are no lumps. Bring this mixture to a boil and allow it to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.1 cup whole milk
- Add the chicken back to the pan. Make sure that it is coated with gravy. Be sure the heat is medium. Cover the pan and allow it to cook for 30 minutes more, turning the chicken occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.fresh parsley
Video
Notes
- How Do I Store Leftover Smothered Chicken? Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat them within 3 days. You could also place the leftovers in the freezer to store for up to 3 months.
- I Like Fried Chicken With The Skin On – Can I Do That With This Recipe? Since the chicken is cooked in liquid after being browned the skin texture goes soft. For that reason, I personally prefer this recipe without the skin.
- What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Any Chicken Broth? You can swap it out for chicken stock or vegetable stock. Another option would be to take two cups of water and add one teaspoon of bullion powder for each cup of water.
- Can I Leave Out The Poultry Seasoning? Yes, that should be fine to do since it’s such a small amount that’s used. If you’d like you could use 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme instead.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Sariah says
Made this recipe tonight. Used unsweetened almond milk as a substitute. It’s soooo yummy!! Its a little salty, but the boyfriend and I enjoy just a little too much salt, cutting the salt in half could probably work perfectly fine for those who don’t like overly salty. But it came together very easily, the chicken was super tender, and the gravy was very good. We ate it over rice with some garlic bread and enjoyed it A LOT! Highly recommend!
Pho says
Works well with coconut milk as a substitute.
Summer B says
Yummy…thank you for sharing. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed. Not even sure if it made a noticeable difference :). Classically delicious comfort food dish!
Kaylie says
Cool