Chicken with gravy is the best thing ever. There’s nothing that tastes better than a great chicken with gravy meal cooked by my favorite cook-mom, Mama Noodles. Chicken with gravy goes well with everything like chicken pot pie, cornbread, and mashed potatoes. And since it’s so easy to make and so delicious, it’s one of my family’s favorite meals whenever they ask me to make anything at home.
Gravy Baked Chicken (thighs & drumsticks) – 5 min prep!
Got 5 minutes for dinner? Make this incredible baked chicken recipe! Crispy oven roasted chicken thighs and drumsticks that makes its own gravy in the same baking pan.
It’s the chicken version of this Sausage Bake with Gravy, a long time reader favourite. Minutes to prep, zero maintenance to cook. 100% delish!
Gravy Baked chicken recipe – make its own gravy!
This is another one* of those super speedy recipes that came about at the end of a long cook day when I had to use up ingredients before the expiry date but had zero energy to expend. It’s a dump-and-bake recipe, but entirely made from scratch – no canned soup shortcuts around here!
Chicken is coated in a simple spice mix for flavour (plus it makes the chicken crispy!) then it’s baked IN a flour/beef stock liquid that magically thickens into a gravy by the time the chicken is cooked.
Just LOOK at the gravy perfection!! ↑↓↑↓
What you need
Here’s what you need for this baked chicken. Very few ingredients, right?? Hard to believe it’s going to make something so delicious… but I promise it does! It’s all in the cooking logic. Read on!
How to make this baked chicken dinner
And here’s how it’s made:
The key to this recipe is how the “self saucing gravy” is made. You simply whisk together flour with beef stock/broth, then pour it around the chicken. As it bakes in the oven, 3 things happen:
- The chicken flesh under the liquid stays moist and absorbs the stock flavour = tasty chicken flesh even without marinating;
- The chicken leeches juices into the stock, adding even more flavour into what will end up as gravy; and
- The flour in the broth makes it thicken into a gravy.
WARNING: When it comes out of the oven, you’ll be looking at a congealed mess in the pan instead of the silky gravy you see. Have faith! Just give it a good whisk and it comes together beautifully!
And here’s what you end up with – crispy chicken….
…. AND a gravy to douse everything on your plate!
And what did that take you to prepare? All of 5 minutes? If that!
Serve with anything your heart desires. Pictured at the top of the post with creamy mashed potato (possibly cauliflower – can’t remember if I was attempting low carb on that day) and a side of Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing.
And in the photo above, this crispy baked chicken is served with buttery Seasoned Rice (think Rice-a-roni, except homemade, excellent freezer standby) and steamed greens drizzled with the herb & garlic dressing from this Cucumber Salad.
But honestly? Chicken and gravy. It goes with anything (non Asian). You could even pull the meat off the bones, toss in the gravy then stuff it in bread rolls to make Chicken and Gravy Rolls. YES!
Smothered Chicken
This smothered chicken recipe is made with juicy fried chicken breasts in a flavorful gravy with crispy bacon. It’s truly a restaurant worthy meal right at home!
Serve these with my creamy mashed potatoes, biscuits, and roasted green beans.
Smothered Chicken
I don’t know about you, but I could eat chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes any day of the week. That’s the beauty of this Smothered Chicken Recipe. You can prepare the chicken and gravy in a single skillet while you boil up some creamy mashed potatoes next to it. This is definitely a comfort food recipe that your family will love.
BONUS: You can use chicken thighs or pork chops in this recipe instead of chicken breasts. Check out the process shots below to see how this comes together, along with my PRO tips for success!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Fry bacon until crispy and set aside. Reserve 2-4 Tablespoons of clear bacon drippings. Wipe any black residue from the pan if needed.
Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise and pound to about 3/4 inch thick. Dredge in flour mixture and tap off excess.
Add the reserved bacon drippings to the clean pan and enough vegetable oil to cover the chicken by half. Heat over medium-high heat. Once heated and glistening, add the chicken. Fry 2 at a time for about 5 minutes per side, until they have a nice golden sear. Set aside on a plate.
Remove the oil from the pot and use a paper towel to remove any black spots from the pan, but leave any brown remnants. This is called ‘fond’ and will give the gravy a nice flavor.
Make the Roux: Melt the butter over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the flour gradually, whisking continuously, until a paste forms.
Add the Broth and Half and Half: Add the liquid in small increments, whisking constantly. It will thicken up in between each splash of liquid. If you add it all at once, you’ll “break” the roux and it won’t be thick.
Add beef bouillon, soy sauce, and seasonings. (Add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet if a darker color is preferred.)
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juice from the plate. Chop up the bacon and add it to the top of the chicken.
Cover partially and cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.
Pro Tips
To Control the Consistency of the Gravy:
- Add the chicken broth/half and half to the roux slowly and in small increments. This is the key to keeping the consistency nice and thick.
- For thicker gravy: Let it continue to simmer, uncovered.
- For thinner gravy: Add a splash of half and half, milk, or broth.
Other Pro Tips:
- Ensure the oil is hot enough prior to adding the chicken to ensure the breading stays on.
- Create texture on the surface of the chicken with a meat tenderizer to give the breading more to cling on to, this will give it more of a fried chicken look. Work the breading into every nook and cranny.
- Chicken thighs or pork chops can be used in this recipe instead of chicken breasts.
- To control the sodium in this recipe, you can use unsalted butter and/or reduced sodium broth. Additional salt can always be added if desired. (You can also omit the bacon, but it does add a nice flavor and crunch!)
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
CHICKEN AND GRAVY RECIPE
This chicken and gravy recipe is simple and delicious! With a quick and easy homemade gravy made from scratch. Pan-seared chicken breast smothered in rich and flavourful gravy served over creamy mashed potatoes with some green peas. It is easy and quick, so comforting and utterly delicious.
CHICKEN RECIPE WITH GRAVY
If you ever wanted to know how to make chicken and gravy then this simple chicken breast smothered in gravy recipe is for you. I love how easily it comes together, it is perfect if making ahead and freezes excellently. What is not to love?
With only a handful of ingredients and minimal prep, you can have this chicken dinner with gravy from the kitchen to the table in 30 minutes.
No marinating is needed for the chicken as the simple chicken seasoning used, (ginger powder, onion powder, garlic, and smoked paprika)give it an instantaneous flavor boost. The chicken breast is sliced lengthwise to ensure that it cooks quickly and evenly, with no risk of overcooking or undercooking.
Can we take a minute to talk about the chicken gravy, this homemade version will sure give KFC gravy a run for their money.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- The gravy is made from scratch, and there are no packets in sight here. Homemade all the way!
- The whole dish is packed full of flavor, the simple chicken seasoning used gives a zing to the dish that will have you licking your lips for more.
- It is perfect for meal prep, this chicken is so yummy when made ahead and reheated as at when needed. It saves you time in the kitchen when prep days are done.
- A one-pan chicken dinner that is simple & quick to make with minimal pantry staple ingredients, so comforting and utterly delicious! This recipe is adaptable to the instant pot or crockpot (slow cooker)
CHICKEN AND GRAVY INGREDIENTS
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Stock – I used mushroom gravy but any other type of stock would work, substitute with low sodium chicken stock or water.
All-purpose flour: this is needed to make the roux for the gravy
Fresh garlic
Yellow onion
Dried Chili
Olive oil
Butter: I used slightly salted butter.
SIMPLE CHICKEN SEASONING INGREDIENTS
Smoked paprika
Garlic granules
Onion granules
Ginger powder
Salt and black pepper
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND GRAVY
Start by cutting 2 large skinless boneless chicken breast pieces into 2 halves lengthwise. Pat dry with a kitchen paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides
To a small bowl add ginger powder, onion granules, garlic granules, and smoked paprika and stir to combine. Season the chicken on both sides with seasoning.
Heat olive oil on medium-high heat, once the oil is hot and shimmering, add chicken breast pieces. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes then flip and continue to sear for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to a bowl.
Add butter to the hot skillet and melt then add the chopped onions. Saute the onions stirring occasionally until caramelized. (this process should take about 5 to 10 minutes, keep an eye so that the onions does not burn)
Add chopped garlic and saute for about 30 seconds just until fragrant. Reduce the heat and stir in flour into the butter and onion mixture for about 1 minute just until slightly brown and nutty, followed by the stock, add it in slowly and gradually until the desired consistency is achieved.
Return the seared chicken pieces into the gravy, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the desired thickness is achieved. Spoon some of the gravy over the chicken so it is well coated and absorb some of the flavors from the gravy.
Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on the chicken and gravy and serve immediately over some creamy mashed potatoes with steamed veggies.