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With tender chicken cooked in homemade pan gravy, Smothered Chicken and Gravy is classic Southern comfort food. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice for an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy comfort food meal for a cold night or after a day of hard work, look no further. You can pull this smothered chicken dinner together in just under 30 minutes. Or if you’re looking for a recipe you can set and forget – I’ve also included instructions for making it in the slow cooker too.
Like many Southern recipes, including shrimp and grits and fried chicken, smothered chicken and gravy definitely falls into the category of “meat-on-the-bones comfort food”. There’s just something about it that feels to cozy and nourishing, just the thing for a chilly winter night.
Why This Is The Best Smothered Chicken Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes. Despite tasting like hours of effort went into the dish, smothered chicken comes together in just 30 minutes. I love that it’s quick enough to whip up during the week.
- Stovetop or crockpot. This smothered chicken and gravy recipe can be made on the stovetop or in the crockpot. I usually make it on the stovetop just because it’s so quick and easy but it’s a great “set it and forget it” meal for the slow cooker too.
- Cozy comfort food. As with many popular Southern recipes, smothered chicken makes the perfect comfort food dinner. It’s hearty and filling, not to mention it’ll make the kitchen smell amazing. It’s the ultimate meal for a cold winter night!
Key Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the handful of ingredients needed to make this smothered chicken recipe. Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for a full detailed list of ingredients.
- Chicken breasts – I use chicken cutlets, or pound breasts thinly for even, tender cooking.
- Aromatics – Garlic, onion, and celery are all used for maximum flavor
- Seasonings – I like to use poultry seasoning to keep things simple. I’ve included my favorite homemade blend below. Another option is a store-bought blend. I like Savory Spice Store’s chicken fried steak seasoning.
- Butter – A rich, savory base to the gravy.
- Chicken stock – You could use broth, but stock has much more flavor. Low sodium is always my preference so I can control the amount of salt in my dishes.
- Sour cream – Adds creaminess to the sauce.
Tips for Success
Here are a few things to keep in mind to perfect this recipe.
- Pound the chicken. If you are using chicken breasts instead of chicken cutlets, be sure to pound them into even thickness. This ensures they cook quickly and evenly with no part becoming dried out.
- Turn off the heat. Before adding the sour cream, remove the pan from the heat. If the gravy is still over heat or returns to a boil, the sour cream can curdle and split from the gravy.
- Taste test. After adding the sour cream, I like to give the gravy a taste and add any spices as needed.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Since the chicken is pretty thin, it cooks quickly. I recommend flipping it just once if possible, to get it nicely browned on each side. Use an internal thermometer if needed to ensure it reaches 165F.
What To Serve With Smothered Chicken and Gravy
I love to serve my smothered chicken and gravy over cheesy mashed potatoes, which I’ve included my instructions for in the recipe card below. Regular mashed potatoes work great too. If you don’t feel like making mashed potatoes, biscuits or rice are great alternatives.
I typically round the meal out with some veggies, whether that’s a side salad or some steamed or roasted broccoli.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover smothered chicken and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot. Add a splash of chicken stock if needed to thin the gravy.
Looking For More Comfort Food Recipes?
- Red Wine Pot Roast
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Better Than Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo
- Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells
- One-Pan Butter Parmesan Pasta
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for smothered chicken and gravy! Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback! If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Smothered Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken cutlets or breasts (breasts pounded thin for even cooking)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 stick butter 4 tbsp
- poultry seasoning (my recipe below) I love Savory Spice Store's chicken fried steak seasoning
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- buttery potatoes or rice for serving
Optional Poultry Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika regular paprika works instead
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion granules onion powder works instead
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (optional)
- 4 pounds russet potatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups half and half warmed
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 3/4 cup monterey jack cheese shredded, or mozzarella, pepper jack, etc.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pepper to taste about 1/2 tsp each
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- In a medium bowl or zip-top bag, add chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few spoonfuls of poultry seasoning. Work the seasoning into the chicken, ensuring it's well coated on all sides. Set aside while prepping other ingredients.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes or until underside is browned. Flip only once.
- After you flip the chicken, reduce the heat to low and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Continue cooking until internal temp reaches 165 degrees (about 8 minutes).
- Remove chicken and set aside on a plate with tented foil to rest.
Make the Gravy
- In the same pan over medium-low, add remaining butter then diced onions and celery. Saute 2-3 minutes until they begin softening. Add in the garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies along with 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, mixing as it cooks.
- Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. While the stock heats, shred the chicken using two forks. Reduce heat to low. Add the chicken into the pan, cover, and bring to a low simmering boil allowing sauce to thicken (about 8-10 minutes).
- Turn off heat, add sour cream into the pan and stir until incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Mashed Potatoes (optional)
- Peel potatoes and cut into quarters so they are all roughly the same size. Bring water to boil n a large pot over high heat, add 3/4 tsp salt to the water. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Strain potatoes and add them back into the pot on the stove (off the heat). Add in the stick of softened butter along with the warm half and half, a 1/2 cup at a time.
- Mash the potatoes, working the half & half and butter into the potatoes until smooth. Add in shredded cheese and mix into the hot potatoes along with the garlic powder and seasonings. Continue to mash until smooth and cheese has melted. Taste and adjust as neeeded to your liking.
Wow! YUMMY!!!! Took a lot of time though. Had 4 pieces of chicken breast that were very fat. We cut them in half and had 8 slices of chicken. Also cooked 5lb. of potatoes. Used every kind of cheese and spices for the potatoes. Loved the gravy. Will for sure make it again. Fantastic!
Forgot to add sour cream, but it was still really tasty. I did it over Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Served with green beans. Pretty easy, very hearty.
Love it! Hubby love it too 🤪🩷
I made it because it looked SO yummy and I wasn’t wrong! Thank you so much for the recipe! We loved it, especially the kids. We ate it with rice and a side of salad. YUUUMMMM!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
I made this the other day… it’s fantastic! A new family favorite.
Delicious
Made this tonight and my picky 8 year was asking for seconds
Have not made any recipes as of yet, but I fully intend to. Currently I am in the Hospital, that’s why I haven’t made them. Been reading, studying, printing and saving. Soon as I can, I will be making them. You have me starving now. I do take deliveries. 🤣
I just love your recipes. One question…do you have a recipe for the Old Timey Coconut Cake.
I love that cake, my mom always made it for my birthday and other occasions..Thanks, keep up the good work..
Hi Ethel – I am somehow just now seeing this comment to my recipe. I absolutely LOVE coconut cake. I am going to ask my mom if we have a family recipe from my grandparents. I remember them making this when I was growing up.
First time I made it, the 6 cloves of garlic was too much and took the taste away from everything. Made it again but did 3 cloves and it was perfect. My partner is British and this is his first Southern style meal, and he LOVED it. I had to redeem the recipe from the first go, but second time around was a hit.
I made this for dinner tonight, delicious ! Thank you for sharing ♥️