Description
Southern Smothered Chicken features savory fried chicken pieces cooked in a rich and creamy homemade gravy. This classic Southern skillet dish is well-seasoned with a blend of spices and poultry seasoning, then simmered to tender, fall-apart perfection. Perfect for cozy cold-weather meals, it’s comfort food that satisfies every time.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (about five pieces)
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
For the Gravy
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or one cube
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- Parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoned flour: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and paprika. Remove 3 tablespoons of this seasoned flour from the bowl and set aside for the gravy.
- Coat the chicken: Thoroughly coat each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring they are evenly covered.
- Brown the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add the coated chicken pieces in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Fry the chicken until browned on all sides but not fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove chicken and cook onions: Remove browned chicken from the pan, leaving the oil behind. Add diced onion to the pan and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Make the roux: Add the reserved 3 tablespoons of seasoned flour to the pan and whisk thoroughly with the oil to form a slurry.
- Add seasonings and broth: Whisk in chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly to remove lumps but keeping the onion pieces intact.
- Add milk and thicken gravy: Whisk in the milk until smooth and bring mixture to a boil. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens.
- Simmer chicken in gravy: Return the chicken pieces to the pan, coating them in gravy. Cover the pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes, turning chicken occasionally to cook evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with optional parsley and serve hot, enjoying classic Southern comfort food.
Notes
- For a crispier crust, double dredge the chicken by dipping back into milk before coating a second time with flour.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks for best flavor and tenderness.
- Vegetable oil is preferred for frying due to its high smoke point.
- Adjust seasoning in the gravy to taste, adding more salt or pepper if desired.
- Leftover gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- Feel free to garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thyme for added color and flavor.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or sautéed greens for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
