Smothered Chicken
This smothered chicken recipe is made in one skillet and loaded with juicy chicken breasts and a delicious gravy. It is a restaurant-worthy meal that you can make at home!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
For The Chicken:
- 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally to make 4 fillets
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
For The Gravy:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 7-8 garlic cloves smashed
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock broth
- 1 cups half and half or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 ounces 150 grams baby spinach
- Fresh sage leaves and parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a pan or skillet over medium heat. Fry bacon until crispy on both sides; transfer to a plate.
- Season the chicken with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and Parmesan cheese. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture; shake off excess.
- Heat vegetable oil in the same pan/ skillet. Once it is hot, add the chicken and sear on each side until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side ( depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- Wipe the pan over with paper towel.
- Smash garlic cloves with the blunt edge of the back of your knife.
- Add the butter together with garlic in the same pan. Saute the smashed garlic for about 1 minute.
- Add the flour, whisking continuously until smooth.
- Gradually add the chicken stock and half and half, whisking constantly. The gravy will thicken up. Be sure to add liquids in small increments not to break the roux.
- Season the gravy with salt, onion powder and Italian seasoning and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the baby spinach and cook until it is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken back to the pan.
- Chop the bacon and add to the pan too.
- Cover the pan partially ( or leave uncovered for a thicker gravy) and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh sage leaves and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- When making gravy, controlling its consistency is key. Slow inclusion of broth and half-and-half, in small increments, is the best way to do this. Your patience here will be rewarded with a thick, beautiful gravy.
- For thicker gravy, simmer your sauce uncovered. For thinner gravy, add an extra splash of half-and-half, milk, or both.
- To ensure that the breading on your chicken stays on, make sure your oil is hot enough before you add the chicken to the pan. This will get a nice sear on your chicken breast.
- You can add texture on the surface of the chicken with a meat tenderizer. This gives the breading more surface area to cling to, makes the chicken look a little fancier, and will actually increase the flavor of your chicken.
- Chicken thighs and pork chops make great substitutes for this recipe. If you’re using thicker pork chops, we recommend adjusting the timing of this recipe to ensure that they are fully cooked. Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork chops, guaranteeing a perfectly cooked chop every time.
- If you’re looking to reduce the sodium content of this dish, unsalted butter and reduced sodium broth will work great. You could also leave the bacon out, but we love the taste and crunch of crispy bacon.
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1551mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g