SMOTHERED CHICKEN

This smothered chicken recipe is absolutely delicious and takes less than 1 hour to make! It’s classic comfort food at its finest that’s made with a savory creamy sauce and tender chicken breasts… (Recipe at the bottom)

🌟 WHY THIS RECIPE IS THE BEST

This smothered chicken recipe is full of flavor and so easy to make! The chicken breasts are coated in a flavorful flour mixture, then pan-fried until golden brown. They’re simmered in a creamy sauce that’s made with chicken broth, onions, spices, and Worcestershire sauce.

The result is juicy chicken breasts smothered in a delicious gravy-like sauce that everyone will love. It’s the perfect dinner to serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.

Smothered chicken is such a comforting and satisfying dish to enjoy when winter comes around. The warm, savory spiced chicken is perfectly seasoned, and the creamy onion sauce tops it all off!

It’s also an inexpensive recipe for home cooks on a budget to make for their families.

🍽 KEY INGREDIENTS

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how few ingredients this recipe requires from your pantry to make it. And with a single skillet too, it’s perfect for home cooks.

Chicken breasts – Use skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you have extra try my fried chicken tenders.

Flour – The flour is used to thicken the sauce and to coat the chicken with the seasonings to give them a nice crispy exterior.

Seasonings – A simple mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, standard or smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper is added to the flour to provide a savory flavor with a bit of heat.

Butter – You’ll need a small amount of butter to caramelize the onions.

Onion – Sliced onions are also a key ingredient in smothered recipes. They’re sweet, and when cooked in a creamy sauce, they’re delicious!

Chicken broth – A key ingredient in the sauce that also adds flavor. You can use low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer.

Heavy cream – This is what makes the sauce nice and creamy.

Worcestershire sauce – This is another key ingredient in the sauce that provides a savory depth of flavor.

Oil – Olive oil or vegetable oil to cook the chicken breasts in the skillet.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Chicken breast

You can substitute the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs or other meats like turkey steaks or pork loin.

Heavy cream

If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, you can use whole milk or half and half.

Worcestershire sauce

You can use soy sauce or tamari sauce as a good substitution for Worcestershire sauce.

🔪 HOW TO MAKE SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Southern Smothered chicken is such an easy recipe to make at home using basic ingredients. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below, and you’ll have this delicious Southern chicken recipe on the table in less than 1 hour!

PREPARATIONS

• Cut each chicken breast in half lengthways.
• Slice the onion in half and then make thin half-moon slices.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1
Season each chicken cutlet with salt & pepper on both sides.

Step 2
Make the flour mixture by mixing the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the mixture to a separate bowl to thicken the sauce.

Step 3
Coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour and add them to the hot skillet.

Step 4
Set a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook for 5 minutes on either side until they’re golden brown but still slightly pink in the middle, and transfer to a plate.

Step 5
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions and cook for about 15 minutes until they’re soft and have a brown caramelized color. Stir them frequently to prevent them from burning.

Step 6
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of reserved seasoned flour into the skillet and continue to cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Step 7
Pour in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until the flour has dissolved, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Step 8
Stir in the cream, add the chicken back into the skillet, and let the chicken cook completely for another 5 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat.

Step 9
Once the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened to your liking, add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 10
Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, greens, or other favorite sides

💭 COOKING TIPS

Thick sauce

If your sauce is too thick, just add more chicken broth to make it thinner.

Cutting the chicken

Make sure to cut the chicken cutlets to the same thickness to cook evenly.

📖 RECIPE VARIATIONS

Smothered chicken is a Southern classic recipe that is always a hit at dinner time, and the recipe can be tailored to suit everyone’s taste buds. Try some of these tasty variations.

BREADED SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Give your chicken an extra layer of crunch with panko breadcrumbs.

Make an egg wash mixture and pour 200 grams of breadcrumbs into a bowl, then dip the chicken cutlets into the seasoned flour, egg wash, and the breadcrumbs. Cook in the hot skillet until lovely and golden, then follow the cooking instructions.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Slice 1 cup of mushrooms into quarters and add them to the skillet while cooking the onions for a delicious recipe that adds an earthy flavor to the dish and enhances the sauce flavor. Add the seasoned flour to the skillet once the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.

SPICY SMOTHERED CHICKEN

If you like your food spicy, add 1 or 2 diced chipotle chilies and a tablespoon of their juices from the jar to the skillet with the onions to make it extra spicy.

🥗 WHAT TO SERVE WITH

Chicken recipes like smothered chicken are great for serving with comforting side dishes like mashed potatoes, greens, roasted potatoes, or other household favorite side dishes

🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS