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A plate full of smothered chicken served up over rice with a fork propped on the edge of the plate.
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4.32 from 38 votes

Southern Smothered Chicken

Lightly fried chicken breasts smothered in a traditional and delicious brown gravy with onions creates the perfect classic smothered chicken dish the whole family will love.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 211kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil separated
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons separated
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • ½ cup water
  • 1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • Rice for serving
  • Garnish: parsley

Instructions

  • Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in large pan over medium heat.
  • Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Dredge chicken breasts lightly in 1/2 cup of flour then brown in skillet on both sides.
  • Once browned, remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towel. Set aside.
  • Next scrap the bottom of the pan getting up all of the browned bits.
  • Add the onion slices to the pan and saute' for about 5 minutes until a bit browned and tender.
  • Add minced garlic and saute' for 1 minute.
  • Next add 1 additional tablespoon of oil to skillet then sprinkle on remaining flour.
  • Allow the flour to brown then pour in chicken stock and water and whisk together.
  • Turn heat to high to bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Whisk in worcestershire sauce then turn heat down to medium.
  • Add back in chicken and put lid on pan. Allow the sauce to thicken until it coats the back of a spoon and chicken is nice and tender.
  • Serve over rice and garnish with parsley if you desire.

Notes

Make sure you really allow the gravy to thicken.  Take the time to let it simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.  It will also continue to thicken once the heat is turned off if it is resting.
Use skinless and boneless chicken for the best results.
Add mushrooms with the onions for a slight variation on the gravy to smother the chicken.
Make sure the oil is hot before you start cooking the chicken. That way it comes out nice and crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 349mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg