Smothered Chicken

For many people, home tastes like a plate of smothered chicken with all the sides. A smothered chicken recipe, besides being wonderfully decadent and delicious, is an essential part of the soul food recipes canon.

We have generations of talented Black chefs and cooks to thank for this cuisine. Soul food was borne of the ingenuity and skill of enslaved peoples brought to the United States from across Africa. Despite finding themselves in unforgiving surroundings with unfamiliar ingredients, these folks took inspiration from their own heirloom recipes, blending them with what foods were available.

Ingredients for Smothered Chicken

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• Chicken thighs: The first step in learning how to make smothered chicken is getting the right cut of chicken. Buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this smothered chicken recipe. Chicken cooked with its bones has a deeper, full-bodied flavor that you really can’t re-create in boneless chicken.
• Flour: A thin layer of flour, mixed with seasoned salt and pepper, dries out the skin so it gets nice and crispy in the oil.
• Oil: For smothered chicken thighs, our Test Kitchen recommends canola oil, but you can also use other oils with a high smoke point.
• Chicken broth: Be sure not to confuse chicken stock and broth. Stock is made with animal bones and sets up like gelatin when it’s refrigerated. Chicken broth is thinner and stays in a liquid state when refrigerated because it’s made only with water and boneless cooked meat.
• Beef bouillon granules: If you’re wondering why we use both bouillon and broth, it’s because we need the broth’s liquid to make the gravy but we want to add just a touch more meaty flavor without adding extra liquid, which is where the bouillon comes in. Plus, beef bouillon darkens the sauce to a gorgeous golden brown hue.
• Worcestershire sauce: If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce at home and want to save a trip and an expense, use soy sauce or tamari in its place.
• Herbs and spices: Pungent onion and garlic powder are mixed with herbaceous and floral thyme, rosemary and sage for a complex and deeply savory flavor profile.
• Half-and-half: For this smothered chicken recipe, we make the gravy nice and creamy with a big splash of half-and-half.

Directions

Step 1: Coat the chicken

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In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the mixture for the gravy.

Coat the chicken, a piece or two at a time, in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess.

Step 2: Brown the chicken

Next, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Step 3: Make the gravy

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Reserve 3 tablespoons of the drippings from the pan (you can discard the rest). This will form the base of the gravy.

In the pan, whisk together the drippings and the reserved flour mixture until blended. Then gradually whisk in the broth and bouillon. As you stir, loosen up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce.

Editor’s Tip: The browned bits in the pan are called fond and are full of flavor that will make your gravy taste ultra-rich.

Step 4: Finish cooking the chicken

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Next, return the chicken to the pan and heat until the gravy begins to boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer. Cover the pan and cook until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170 to 175ºF, 13 to 15 minutes.

The last step is to stir in the half-and-half to make the sauce velvety. Serve immediately.

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Recipe Variations

• Bump up the flavor: Shake in a little bit of Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning for more southern flavor. A tiny bit of Dijon mustard would add a nice zippiness to the smothered chicken thighs.
• Add a kick of spice: For those that like a little spice, add in smoked paprika, cayenne, crushed red chili flakes or a touch of hot sauce.

How to Store Smothered Chicken

Once the leftovers of your smothered chicken recipe have cooled to room temperature, store the chicken covered with gravy in an airtight container. The leftovers can last in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat the chicken low and slow in a saucepan with the lid on or in the microwave. Don’t heat it too fast or the chicken will be hot on the outside and cold on the inside and the gravy will break.

Can you freeze smothered chicken?

Absolutely! Once your smothered chicken thighs have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container and stash them in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge.

Smothered Chicken Tips

How do you thicken (or thin) gravy?

If you find that your gravy isn’t quite as thick as you’d like, you can add flour or cornstarch to give it more body. Thicken gravy with cornstarch by combining the starch with a bit of water to make a mixture called a slurry. Then, whisk this slurry into the gravy. You can also thicken gravy by whisking in flour on its own. Be sure to whisk well to break up any lumps.

If the gravy is too thick, add a splash of broth. This will help loosen the sauce. And if you encounter any other issues, here are all our best ways to fix gravy.

What should you serve with smothered chicken?

You’ll definitely want to enjoy plenty of the creamy gravy that accompanies this chicken. To make the most of it, serve smothered chicken thighs and the gravy over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. You can also serve smothered chicken with biscuits—be sure to soak up every bit of that sauce! Complete the meal with some green veggies like broccoli, green beans or collard greens.

Can you use other cuts of chicken?

You certainly can use other cuts of chicken when learning how to make smothered chicken. Bone-in chicken breasts or drumsticks could also be used. You could even opt for boneless chicken thighs or breasts.