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This classic smothered chicken recipe involves tender chicken in a rich caramelized onion gravy for a drool-worthy main dish. Serve it up with your favorite side dishes for a satisfying dinner!
If you love classic comfort food, this tender smothered chicken is for you! Ultra tender lightly breaded chicken is the main feature, and a thick rich caramelized onion gravy is what gives it so much flavor and a cozy appeal.
Pair it with your favorite starch, like rice, pasta noodles or mashed potatoes as well as some veggies for a winning meal!
The way I see it, dinner recipes like this are perfect for meal prep to make in advance for dinners throughout the week. It is also quick enough to prepare that you can whip it up on busy weeknights as well.
Also try my Smothered Pork Chops if you love the idea of saucy meat.
Ingredient Notes:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, or Chicken Tenderloins: The star of the show here! There are a few options for what cut of chicken to use. You can purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them in half through the middle horizontally so that you end up with two thinner fillets.
You can also use chicken tenders or chicken tenderloins, which are available next to the chicken thighs and breasts in many grocery stores. Bone-in chicken thighs and boneless thighs work too, but require different cooking times.
I use chicken tenderloins, which turn out ultra tender!
Flour: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour
Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and sea salt are excellent for seasoning the breaded chicken to ensure there is flavor in every corner of the meal.
Yellow Onion: Caramelized onion is what brings rich flavor to the gravy. Be sure to set aside plenty of time to caramelize the onion for the best results, as proper caramelization takes time!
Fresh Garlic: Garlic cloves add robust flavor. Adjust the amount according to your personal preference.
Chicken Broth: The base of the gravy is chicken broth or chicken stock. I like using chicken bone broth for some added collagen.
Unsalted Butter: A little butter goes a long way in generating a creamy flavor that is impossible to beat.
Avocado Oil: Used to caramelize the onion and sear the chicken. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, which makes it ideal for cooking at high temperatures. I don’t recommend using olive oil for searing the chicken because it will likely burn due to the high heat.
Recipe Customizations:
- Sprinkle the finished product with cooked crispy bacon for some extra flavor.
- For added richness or creaminess, add a splash (1/4 cup to 1/3 cup) or heavy cream or sour cream along with the broth for creamy gravy.
- Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for added richness.
- For a kick of heat, add some cayenne pepper to the seasoned flour mixture.
How to Make Smothered Chicken:
Begin by caramelizing the onion. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Sauté the sliced onions for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to sweat.
Reduce the heat to medium heat and continue cooking and stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deeply golden brown. If the onions become too dark too quickly, reduce the heat to low.
This whole process takes about 30-50 minutes, and the longer the onions cook, the deeper the flavor of the gravy!
Once the onions have mostly finished the caramelization process, add in the fresh garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the garlic is very fragrant.
While the onions are caramelizing, prepare the chicken. Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat off any excess moisture using paper towels.
If you’re using regular breasts, slice them in half horizontally to create two thinner chicken fillets. The goal is to have thin chicken cutlets.
Transfer the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt to a plate and stir everything together until combined. Dip both sides of each chicken breast into the flour mixture, making sure the whole thing is coated.
Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes to become sizzling hot.
Carefully transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. If the chicken darkens too quickly at any point, reduce the heat.
Transfer the breaded chicken to the skillet with the caramelized onions and garlic. Add in the butter and the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken to check its internal temperature. Chicken breasts are cooked through at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serve smothered chicken with your favorite sides and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and enjoy! I like serving this dish with steamed brown rice and green beans for a balanced meal. White rice, pasta, roasted or baked potatoes and a side salad are also great options.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tip
- If you’d prefer to use bone-in skin-on chicken, follow my recipe for Caramelized Onion Chicken, which is similar to this one, but uses bone-in pieces and coconut milk instead of broth.
- And there you have it! Wildly flavorful chicken pieces in a creamy sauce makes the best real comfort food, especially during the cold months of the year.
- If you love chicken dinners like this, also try these popular chicken recipes.
More Popular Chicken Recipes:
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
Smothered Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 1.25 pounds chicken breasts , or tenderloins*
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour , or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by caramelizing the onion. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Sauté the sliced onions for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to sweat. Reduce the heat to medium heat and continue cooking and stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deeply golden brown. If the onions become too dark too quickly, reduce the heat to low. This whole process takes about 30-50 minutes, and the longer the onions cook, the deeper the flavor of the gravy!
- Once the onions have mostly finished the caramelization process, add in the fresh garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the garlic is very fragrant.
- While the onions are caramelizing, prepare the chicken. Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat off any excess moisture using paper towels. If you’re using regular breasts, slice them in half horizontally to create two thinner chicken fillets. The goal is to have thin chicken cutlets.
- Transfer the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt to a plate and stir everything together until combined. Dip both sides of each chicken breast into the flour mixture, making sure the whole thing is coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes to become sizzling hot. Carefully transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. If the chicken darkens too quickly at any point, reduce the heat.
- Transfer the breaded chicken to the skillet with the caramelized onions and garlic. Add in the butter and the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken to check its internal temperature. Chicken breasts are cooked through at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve smothered chicken with your favorite sides and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and enjoy! I like serving this dish with steamed brown rice and green beans for a balanced meal. White rice, pasta, roasted or baked potatoes and a side salad are also great options.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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