This is one of those classic southern supper recipes that's a quick and easy. Golden brown chicken is simmered in an oh-so creamy sauce until it's fall apart tender. The aroma of it cooking will bring the neighbors to the door with plates in hand!
Be sure to serve with plenty of collard greens, buttermilk biscuits or cornbread!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- There are some aromas that just smell like home and this classic southern Sunday supper is one of them.
- Smothered chicken is so simple that even the most inexperienced cook can make it successfully the first time.
- One pan dishes are the best for keeping your kitchen clean. This dish makes cleaning up a snap, so you can enjoy your meal without worrying about the mess.
Tender chicken in a homemade chicken gravy - what's not to love?
Southern smothered chicken has been a favorite for generations! It's just love on a plate and a wonderful dinner to come home to.
If you love this try the fried pork chops and gravy or the brown sugar chicken next!
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions for this million dollar spaghetti recipe. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Saute the vegetables.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour mixture on both sides then sear.
- Make the simmer sauce.
- Add the chicken and veggies back into the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, or until done.
🥫 Storage
Remove leftover smothered chicken from the skillet and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat until warm for a fresh-made taste or reheat in the microwave for one to two minutes until warm all the way through.
Smothered chicken does not freeze well because the sauce tends to get watery.
📖 Variations
Southern food tends to be simple and made with common ingredients. It's also very easy to substitute one thing for another.
- Use bone in chicken parts - it's less expensive and your dish will have a little more flavor.
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead if your family prefers dark meat.
- Substitute chicken with center cut pork chops.
- Add sliced mushrooms to the gravy while it is simmering for additional flavor.
- You can also add other veggies to the gravy, like carrots or green beans for a delicious flavor.
- Sprinkle crisp bacon crumbles on top of the chicken before serving.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley or sliced green onions as a garnish for a beautiful color.
- Use poultry seasoning in place of the Creole seasoning.
- Add crispy french fried onions to the top - amazing!
- If you want a little more spice, add some cayenne pepper to the gravy.
- Chicken broth can be used instead of chicken stock to make the gravy however you may need to add more seasonings.
- You can use garlic powder to taste in place of the fresh garlic cloves.
- You can also use onion powder to taste in place of fresh onions.
💭 Things to know
Use these tips to make sure your southern smothered chicken dinner is the best it can be.
Expert tip: Once you add the chicken to the hot pan leave it alone for about 4 minutes so it can get a nice crust before you turn it over. If the crust tears off when you flip it you turned it too quick.
- Bone in chicken will be juicier and have more flavor but it will also take a bit longer. I personally use boneless breasts and it's fine.
- Adjust the onions and garlic to your own tastes.
- If you don't like spice, use salt and pepper in place of Tony Chachere's.
- If you have time, marinate the breast in buttermilk for 30 minutes before cooking. It will make it even more tender.
- If you've got a big iron skillet, use it for this recipe. It will give your chicken a nice crust.
- Be sure to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before adding it to the hot pan.
- You'll want the interior of the meat to be about 160F - it will finish cooking to 165F while you are getting it on the table.
- Make sure the breasts are cut or pounded thinly, for even cooking.
- When making gravy, the flour mixture can scorch quickly so make sure you watch it closely and stir constantly.
- Once you add the chicken stock to the roux for the gravy, whisk often and well to prevent the gravy from separating and sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet you can use any type of large skillet, preferably with a heavy bottom.
- When making your gravy be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan well and get up all the brown bits, as they add extra flavor to your gravy.
- A dash of soy sauce can add a deep and rich flavor to your homemade gravy.
👩🍳 FAQs
Technically speaking, yes. This dish is mostly chicken and vegetables with a small amount of all purpose flour and oil for frying and thickening the gravy. However, it is a comfort food so it's not entirely light.
It usually consists of chicken parts (breasts, thighs, etc.), a roux gravy made with flour and fat, and seasonings. Some recipes will also call for adding vegetables to the gravy, like mushrooms or onions. I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Yes, you can. I like to use butter because it gives this southern smothered chicken recipe a delicious flavor but you can also use bacon grease.
📚 Related recipes
Here are some easy weeknight meals that I love -
- Easy bourbon chicken recipe is sweet and sticky with lots of tender, juicy chicken enveloped in a tangy, slightly spicy sauce.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Strips are as delicious as the ones at your favorite fast food spot but these are baked and not fried .
- Creamy Chicken Spaghetti is a childhood favorite! Easy on the budget!
🍽️ Serve with...
It's easy to make this great recipe a complete meal.
- Southern Green Beans are a family favorite side dish that we always serve with a soul meal like this one.
- Mashed Potatoes are a comforting classic that I always serve with this skillet chicken dinner.
- A crusty bread like this 30 minute baguette is perfect for sopping up the homemade gravy.
- This Dr. Pepper Cake is rich, and chocolatey and it's an easy recipe to make for dessert.
Definitely check out this slow cooker smothered chicken! It has all the flavor but it's even easier to make!
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- mixing bowls
- ball whisk
- heavy skillet
- instant read thermometer
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- buttermilk
- creole seasoning
- all purpose flour
- oil or bacon grease
- onion
- celery
- garlic
- butter
- chicken stock
- milk
📞 The last word
This easy smothered chicken recipe is just so quick to make that you'll want to have it often. It's pure comfort food - easy on the wallet and a southern favorite.
Looking for something a little different? Be sure to try this cheesy enchilada soup!
I'm suggesting you use a ball whisk with this. If you've never used one before they are the bombdiggity for creating perfect roux and gravy. There's a link in the recipe so you can take a look.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Southern Smothered Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, skinless boneless - may substitute thighs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere’s), may substitute salt and pepper or other seasoning mix, divided use
- ½ cup flour
- oil or bacon grease
- 1 cup onion, peeled and sliced
- ½ cup celery, sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
For the Simmer Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere’s)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk if you have time.
- Add 1 tablespoon of seasoning to the buttermilk and pour it over the chicken breast. Marinate 30 minutes.
- Remove from the buttermilk and pat dry.
- Mix the ½ cup flour and the Tony Chacheres seasoning (or salt and pepper).
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, covering all sides. To dredge the chicken in the flour just plop it down in the flour and coat one side then turn it over and coat the other. Press the flour into the chicken gently.
- Heat the oil or bacon grease (or a mix) in the skillet over medium heat - there should be just enough to cover the bottom with a thin layer.
- Add the garlic, onions, and celery and saute for about 3 minutes, or just until they start to cook and become translucent.
- Remove the vegetables from the skillet, set aside, and carefully add the chicken.
- Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet.
- Whisk in the 3 tablespoons flour and reduce heat to low.
- Cook, moving the flour around the pan so it doesn't scorch, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock slowly, whisking to keep it smooth.
- Whisk in the milk and 1 teaspoon of Tony Chachere's seasoning.
- Simmer for about 1 minute to let it begin to thicken.
- Add the sauteed onion mixture and the chicken, spooning the gravy over the chicken.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes. Check and stir occasionally to ensure that it isn't boiling dry or sticking.
- Serve over white rice, mashed potatoes, or biscuits.
Notes
- Bone in chicken will be juicier and have more flavor but it will also take a bit longer. I personally use chicken breast and it's fine.
- If you have time marinate the chicken in the buttermilk for 30 minutes before cooking. It will make it even more tender.
- If you've got a big iron skillet use it for this recipe.
- Be sure to pat chicken dry with paper towel before adding it to the hot pan.
- Once you add the chicken to the hot pan leave it alone for about 4 minutes so it can get a nice crust before you turn it over. If the crust tears off when you flip it you turned it too quick.
- You'll want the interior of the chicken to be about 160F - it will finish cooking to 165F while you are getting it one the table.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published January 20, 2020. Last updated February 22, 2023 for better user experience and easier to read format.
Terry says
Hey, Marye! There seems to be a few discrepancies in the recipe. In the ingredients picture, you show bacon grease. In the FAQS section, under "Can I use bacon grease, you replied that you preferred using butter. On the Recipe Card, you say "oil or grease", no mention of butter. Must have been written on a Friday afternoon, or a Monday morning LOL. So - which do you REALLY prefer? Many thanks, and Happy Holidays, from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦, where we're having a heat wave, as we're supposed to hit 32°F this afternoon, which surely trumps the -18°F, with freezing rain, of 2 days ago. Be blessed!
Tom W. says
I made this for my parents and friends last night and they raved about it. I did marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 24 hours, though (planning ahead). As I love mushrooms, they were used and plenty of them. I made two batches of chicken (2 breasts and 2 thighs per batch), one loaded with creole seasoning and one without creole seasoning (for the spice wimps in my family -- you know who you are).
Can't wait to make this again (for myself - where we'll take the spice level up a notch or two).
Thank you for this recipe!
LindY G says
This has always been a fav of mine, my Mama made THE best Chicken and Gravy ever. Thank you for sharing.
Marye says
I hope you like it!