Smothered chicken is a flavorful and comforting Southern food dish of tender chicken cutlets, bacon, and delicious gravy, making it a family favorite.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Smothered Chicken Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 624kcal
Ingredients
4slicesbacon,diced into ½ inch pieces
4boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets,approximately 1½ pounds
½cupall-purpose flour
1½teaspoonsseason salt,divided into ½ teaspoon and 1 teaspoon
3tablespoonscanola oil
¾cupdiced yellow onion
1teaspoonchicken bouillon seasoning
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonpoultry seasoning
¼teaspoonblack pepper
2cupslow-sodium chicken broth
1cupwhole milk
21ouncescream chicken soup
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1tablespoonfresh chopped parsley,optional garnish
Instructions
Add the diced bacon to a large 12-inch skillet on medium-low heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the fat has rendered out and the bacon pieces are crispy.
While the bacon is cooking, you can prepare your chicken cutlets by adding the all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon season salt to a medium-sized, shallow dish. Stir to combine. Coat all four chicken cutlets on both sides with the seasoned flour. Set them aside on a plate until the bacon is done cooking.
Once the bacon has cooked and crisped, using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Set the bacon aside. Be sure to leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet.
Add the canola oil to the skillet with the bacon grease and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the flour-coated chicken cutlets and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. You will need to note that depending on the size of your chicken cutlets, you may need to cook your chicken in two batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. This will ensure that your chicken browns and cooks evenly. Once the chicken is cooked, and browned, remove it from the skillet and place it on a plate to rest while the sauce is made.
Turn the heat of the skillet down to medium and add to the skillet the diced yellow onion, chicken bouillon seasoning, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of season salt. Saute the onions for 1-2 minutes or until the onions have softened.
Add the low-sodium chicken broth, whole milk, and cream of chicken soup to the skillet, whisking constantly until no lumps remain from the soup.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the unsalted butter until fully incorporated.
Place the cooked and browned chicken cutlets back into the skillet along with any chicken juices from the plate.
Spoon some of the warm gravy over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle the reserved crispy bacon pieces over the entire surface of the chicken and sauce. Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
Opt for low-sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the gravy. If you use regular chicken broth, consider reducing the amount of season salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon. Adjust the salt level to your taste preference.
If your chicken cutlets vary in thickness, you can either cut them in half or use a meat mallet to pound them to a uniform thickness. This ensures even cooking.
If your bacon renders more than 2 tablespoons of fat, pour out the excess to avoid making the gravy too greasy.