In this article
My mother used to say that fried chicken was for company and smothered chicken was for the people she loved. When the neighbors or my father’s boss came to Sunday supper, out came the crisp platter of fried chicken. When it was only us, she made this in the big skillet, and to be honest we got the better end of the deal. My father liked to say he married her for the fried chicken and stayed for the smothered chicken.
The method is simple, but every step builds flavor. Chicken pieces are seasoned, dusted in flour and browned hard in a heavy skillet until the skin is deep gold. They come out, and a mountain of sliced onions goes into the same pan and cooks down slowly until soft and sweet, scraping up every brown bit stuck to the bottom. A little flour is stirred in, then broth, whisked into a smooth gravy. The chicken goes back in skin side up, the lid goes on, the heat goes low, and it simmers for about 45 minutes, until the meat lets go of the bone when you look at it. The gravy is the whole supper, and it belongs over a big pot of white rice.
Why this smothered chicken works
- Bone-in thighs and drumsticks. Dark meat stays moist through a long simmer, and the bones give the gravy body.
- Browned hard first. The deep golden crust on the chicken and the brown bits in the pan are where the gravy’s flavor comes from.
- Onions cooked slowly. Sliced onions cooked down in the chicken fat turn sweet and melt into the gravy.
- Covered and low. A gentle simmer under a lid makes the meat fall-apart tender without drying it.
- One skillet. Everything happens in the same pan, so nothing is lost.
Ingredients
Serves 4 with rice. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the chicken
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (1.4kg), about 8 pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (65g), for dredging
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the onion gravy
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups, 450g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (25g)
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (600ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley, to finish
To serve
- 4 cups hot cooked white rice (about 1 1/3 cups raw, 250g)
Use a heavy 12 inch skillet with a lid, cast iron or stainless. A thin pan scorches the flour before the chicken has browned.
How to make smothered chicken
- Pat the chicken dry. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and season the chicken all over. Dredge each piece lightly in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken skin side down first, in batches if needed, about 5 minutes a side, until deep golden. Move it to a plate.
- Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat to medium, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring and scraping the brown bits, for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth, whisking, until smooth. Add the thyme and bring to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the skillet skin side up, with any juices from the plate. Spoon some gravy over it.
- Cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily from the bone (at least 175 degrees, 80°C, in the thickest thigh).
- Uncover, taste the gravy for salt and pepper, and simmer 5 minutes more if you want it thicker. Scatter with parsley and serve over hot rice with plenty of gravy.
Tips that make the difference
- Do not rush the browning. Pale chicken makes a pale, thin-tasting gravy.
- If the bottom of the pan starts to look too dark while browning, lower the heat a little; dark brown is good, black is bitter.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil under the lid toughens the meat.
- If the gravy gets too thick while simmering, loosen it with a splash of broth.
Variations
- Mushroom. Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onions.
- Over mashed potatoes. Some families serve it over mashed potatoes instead of rice; both are right.
- Oven method. After the chicken goes back into the gravy, cover the skillet and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.
- Peppered. Add 1 sliced green bell pepper with the onions for a Creole-style smothered chicken.
Storage and make-ahead
Refrigerate leftovers in their gravy, covered, for up to 4 days. It is even better the next day.
Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth, covered, until hot through.
Freeze chicken and gravy together for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently asked questions
What does smothered chicken mean?
It means the chicken is cooked covered, smothered in gravy, after being browned. The gravy is made in the same pan.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Boneless thighs work; simmer them about 25 minutes. Breasts dry out and are best avoided.
Why is my gravy lumpy?
The broth went in too fast. Pour it slowly while whisking, and the flour and onions will make a smooth gravy.
How long does smothered chicken simmer?
About 40 to 45 minutes covered on low, until the meat lets go of the bone.
Brown it hard, cook the onions slow, put the lid on and leave it alone. Then call the people you love to the table.
Southern Smothered Chicken in Onion Gravy (Over Rice)
Old-fashioned Southern smothered chicken: bone-in thighs and drumsticks browned in a skillet, then simmered covered in a smooth onion gravy made in the same pan until the meat falls off the bone. Served over white rice.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (1.4kg), about 8 pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (65g), for dredging
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley, to finish
- 4 cups hot cooked white rice
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and season the chicken all over. Dredge each piece lightly in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken skin side down first, in batches if needed, about 5 minutes a side, until deep golden. Move it to a plate.
- Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat to medium, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring and scraping the brown bits, for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth, whisking, until smooth. Add the thyme and bring to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the skillet skin side up, with any juices from the plate. Spoon some gravy over it.
- Cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily from the bone (at least 175 degrees, 80°C, in the thickest thigh).
- Uncover, taste the gravy for salt and pepper, and simmer 5 minutes more if you want it thicker. Scatter with parsley and serve over hot rice with plenty of gravy.
