…and wine… my favourite part…
If you start digging into looking for a Smothered Chicken Recipe you will quickly learn that there are at least a gazillion versions and recipes, which tells you one thing… it’s awesome.
Juicy, tender chicken smothered in a rich, creamy sauce that’s sometimes heavily fried, sometimes lightly fried… sometimes chicken breast, sometimes chicken thighs, sometimes a whole chicken. Soooo….
What’s the common denominator here? Gravy. The chicken is always surrounded by a delectable, saucy, rich gravy. Some might say it’s smothered in gravy. Get it? It’s all making sense now.
I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I cut in half (lengthwise) so they cook quickly and evenly. A quick dip in some well seasoned flour and a little fry in some bacon fat (because bacon fat is liquid gold) before surrounding it in a creamy, thick chicken gravy flavoured with yummy white wine and loaded up with hearty mushrooms.
You know I love a skillet dish – as you saw recently in my Creamy Mushroom Chicken & Rice and my French Onion Soup Pasta – and this one is a good one to turn to time and time again. One skillet, minimal effort and doesn’t it just scream comfort food?
Comfort food season is here friends so let’s break out the sweaters and the cream sauces.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Smothered Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise
- 2/3 cup flour
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 shallots sliced
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish and stir in a good pinch each of S&P.
- Coat the chicken in the flour on both sides, shaking off the excess, and set aside. Cook the bacon in a 12” cast iron skillet until crisp then remove and set aside.
- Remove enough excess fat from the skillet, 2 leave about 2 Tbsp in the pan.
- Add in the chicken, in batches, if necessary, and sear on both sides until golden (about 3-4 minutes per side).
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add a drizzle of oil to the pan if it’s dry and add in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 or until golden.
- Add in the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes more, until softened.
- Add in the garlic and the thyme and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the butter and the flour. Stir well. Pour in the wine and the broth and bring to a simmer, allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and stir. Season with S&P.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer all for 5-6 minutes, ensuring the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and top with the bacon (and chopped parsley, if desired).
Smothered Chicken Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Chicken – I like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work well too. I’ve even made this with pork chops and it’s super good.
Bacon – I try to find thick-cut bacon for this dish, but it’s not mandatory, any bacon will work.
Flour – regular all purpose flour.
Shallots – I could write a love letter to shallots… I just love them. Regular onion works just fine though.
Mushrooms – Cremini mushrooms are my go-to, but you can sub in regular white button. mushrooms in a pinch.
Thyme – I like dried thyme just as much as fresh, so no guilt here if you use the stuff on your spice rack.
Wine – a nice, dry white wine is what I use, but use whatever you like to drink.
Heavy Cream – if you want truly rich and creamy sauce this is what you need. If you want to go dairy free just sub in coconut cream or your favourite non-dairy creamer.
Smothered Chicken Recipe Variations:
Smothered Pork Chop Version – swap out the chicken breasts for pork loin chops.
Bell Pepper Version – add in a diced bell pepper along with the shallots
Herby Version – add in 1/2 tsp dried oregano along with the thyme and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves along with the shallots.
Smothered Chicken Recipe, how to make it…
Ready to cook up some cozy skillet chicken? Same.
Start by giving those chicken pieces a good seasoning with salt and pepper. Set up a shallow dish or a plate with flour, mixed up with a good pinch of S&P, and coat each piece of chicken, shaking off the extra like the pro that you are. Set them aside while you move on…
Now, heat up your heavy skillet and crisp up the bacon. Once it’s ready, set it aside on a plate but keep about 2 tablespoons of that heavenly bacon fat in the pan. Next you’ll sear the chicken. Add it to the skillet (you may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan) and cook until both sides are gorgeously golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Take the chicken out and give it a little rest.
If the pan’s looking a bit dry, add a splash of oil and then toss in the mushrooms and cook them for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Next, add in the shallots and cook them until they’re soft and fragrant—about 4-5 minutes. Next up: garlic and thyme. Let these aromatics do their thing for just a minute.
Now, stir in the butter and sprinkle in a little more flour to make a roux to thicken things up. Pour in the wine and broth, and bring it all to a simmer, letting it bubble away for a few minutes. Then, add in the cream and give it a stir.
Nestle the chicken back into the sauce and let it all simmer for another 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and everything’s looking delicious. Top the finished dish with that crispy bacon and a sprinkle of parsley if you’re feeling fancy. TaDa!
looking for some recipes to serve with your smothered chicken? try these…
- Obviously mashed potatoes are a good choice, but you could also mix it up and make these Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes
- Or this Gorgonzola Risotto
- I like to serve it with these Maple Balsamic Marinated Brussels Sprouts in the Fall
- If you want to add a little brightness to the meal, serve it with these Zucchini Ribbons with Lemon and Parmesan
- and these Apple Blondies with Walnuts and Cinnamon Brown Butter Glaze or these Cinnamon Pumpkin Blondies would make a perfect dessert.
If you like this Smothered Chicken Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
