This easy chicken and gravy recipe is a quick 20-minute dinner made in just one skillet! Juicy, tender chicken breasts are smothered in an ultra-creamy chicken gravy, creating a rich and comforting dinner the whole family will love.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken and Gravy Recipe
With a little heat from garlic, onion, and pepper, and a smooth and buttery sauce, these gravy-smothered chicken breasts are total comfort food!
- Easy to make and clean up. There aren’t any difficult techniques that you need to use, and you don’t even need to pick up a knife! As for clean up, this entire recipe is make in one skillet. Yay for an easy clean up!
- Fast. This recipe is basically smothered chicken made in a fraction of the time. Instead of waiting for well over an hour, this skillet chicken and gravy takes only 20 minutes to make.
- Budget Friendly: Besides the chicken, everything else in this recipe are pantry staple ingredients like flour, butter, oil and seasoning that you probably already have on hand. This is one of those great dinners that won’t cost you a lot and needs no planning ahead!
- Comforting. The flavor in this recipe is incredible. The chicken is perfectly seared so it’s tender and juicy. Using the chicken pan drippings, you make a delectable chicken gravy that is rich and creamy, with a strong chicken flavor. The final dish is pure comfort food that the whole family will enjoy! Our kids LOVE this dinner!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s everything you need to make this creamy one pot chicken and gravy recipe. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact ingredient amounts and directions.
For the Chicken:
- Chicken breasts: We use boneless, skinless breasts for this recipe, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You will just need to cook them a few extra minutes till they reach an internal temperature of 175°F.
- Granulated Garlic
- Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper: Freshly cracked pepper will give you the most flavor.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil also works well.
For the Gravy:
- Butter
- Flour: Check below for how to use cornstarch instead.
- Chicken Stock: Or chicken broth.
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Chicken and Gravy
You’re about to see just how easily this 20-minute smothered chicken recipe really is. Everything moves quickly, so make sure you have your ingredients out and ready to go. For more detailed instructions, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Sear the chicken. Coat the chicken with the seasonings, then place it in a hot pan with oil.
- Cook the chicken. Lower the heat and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, flipping halfway through. When the chicken is done cooking, place it on a plate and cover it to keep it warm.
- Make a roux. Whisk flour and butter together in the skillet to make a roux, making sure to scrape up the chicken bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Make the gravy. Pour the chicken stock into the roux while whisking. Simmer until the gravy thickens, then season to taste.
- Finish. Place the chicken back in the pan, spoon the gravy over top of the chicken and serve immediately.
Tips For the Best Quick Smothered Chicken
A few tips to guarantee this recipe is a success:
- Make sure the pan is hot. It’s really important to only add the chicken to the skillet once the pan is good and hot. If the pan isn’t hot, the chicken won’t sear properly. That means the chicken breasts won’t have the correct texture and may stick the the pan. If you’re not sure if the pan is hot enough, add a drop of water in the pan. If it pops and splatters, it is hot enough and you can add the chicken.
- Whisk constantly. After adding the flour, make sure to whisk frequently. If you’re not constantly whisking your roux, then the flour and butter will begin to burn and stick to the skillet, and you’ll have to start over. Also, make sure to whisk constantly when you add the chicken broth, or else the gravy can separate.
- Add more liquid if necessary. If you let this chicken and gravy recipe cool at all, the gravy might firm up and solidify. To fix this, just add a little bit of extra broth, and turn the pan back on to a low heat, stirring constantly. Soon the chicken gravy will be back to normal.
- Add Mushrooms or Onions: If you want, you can add some sliced onions or mushrooms to the gravy. After you remove the chicken, add a little more oil or butter if needed, and then add the mushrooms or onions. Sauté until tender, then add the flour and continue on with the recipe as directed.
- Use cornstarch to make this recipe gluten free: Need to make this gluten free? Trade out the flour for cornstarch. When the recipe says to add the butter and flour to the skillet, add the butter and all of the chicken broth except 2 tablespoons worth. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any chicken pieces stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Bring broth to a simmer. Then in a small bowl, whisk to combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with reserved 2 tablespoons broth. Pour into the simmering chicken broth, whisking constantly, until thickened.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to eat this juicy skillet chicken and gravy is over some creamy Mashed Potatoes or with a vegetable side dish like this easy Skillet Fried Corn, Roasted Green Beans or Roasted Broccoli. Whatever you serve with this recipe, it will absorb some of the buttery chicken gravy and instantly become even better! It’s also great with some rolls or biscuits on the side, like these easy Herb Drop Biscuits!
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Chicken and Gravy
Store leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, while constantly stirring to keep anything from burning. If there’s not enough gravy, you can add one packet of chicken gravy, mixed with one cup of chicken broth, and then poured into the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and once thickened, and chicken is warmed through, serve.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
This is a great meal to freeze. Make sure the food has completely cooled, then transfer it to an airtight container and put it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Make
- Crockpot Ranch Chicken
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Ranch Ritz Chicken
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Chicken and Gravy
This chicken and gravy is tender, juicy, rich, and so easy to make. It's everything you love about smothered chicken, but in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
For the Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock, or chicken broth
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with the salt, pepper, onion powder, and granulated garlic, then set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. (Make sure the oil is hot so the breasts get a good seared when placed in the oil.)
- Cook the chicken for 2 minutes and then flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes more. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the chicken for about 7 to 9 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through and an instant read meat thermometer insert into the breast and reaches 165°F.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and set on a plate. Cover the plate to keep the chicken warm.
- Do not rinse the skillet, remove any extra oil from the skillet leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet. If you have brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, make sure to leave those too.
- Add the butter to the skillet. As the butter melts scrape up the browned chicken bits into the butter.
- Add the flour and use a whisk to blend the butter and flour. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. The roux should start to darken and smell amazing.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, continue to whisk until well blended, making sure to get the sides of the skillet. (The roux will gather in the sides of the skillet and not blend so it is important to scrape the sides of the skillet as well.)
- Simmer the gravy until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Taste the gravy and then add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Add the chicken breast back into the skillet and spoon the gravy over them. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, while constantly stirring to keep anything from burning. If there’s not enough gravy, you can add one packet of chicken gravy, mixed with one cup of chicken broth, and then poured into the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and once thickened, and chicken is warmed through, serve.
Add more liquid if necessary. If you let this chicken and gravy recipe cool at all, the gravy might firm up and solidify. To fix this, just add a little bit of extra broth, and turn the pan back on to a low heat, stirring constantly. Soon the chicken gravy will be back to normal.
Add Mushrooms or Onions: If you want, you can add some sliced onions or mushrooms to the gravy. After you remove the chicken, add a little more oil or butter if needed, and then add the mushrooms or onions. Sauté until tender, then add the flour and continue on with the recipe as directed.
Use cornstarch to make this recipe gluten free: Need to make this gluten free? Trade out the flour for cornstarch. When the recipe says to add the butter and flour to the skillet, add the butter and all of the chicken broth except 2 tablespoons worth. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any chicken pieces stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Bring broth to a simmer. Then in a small bowl, whisk to combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with reserved 2 tablespoons broth. Pour into the simmering chicken broth, whisking constantly, until thickened.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 347kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 126mg, Sodium: 620mg, Potassium: 719mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 230IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Super easy, very tasty. I cheated on the gravy. Instead of using chicken broth, I had a 14 oz can of Campbells chicken gravy added that to my roux mixture ( with all that yummy seasoning – I also added poultry seasoning) and simmered together. It was THE BEST Gravy flavor! My daughter said,
” Mom, you’ve got to remember this recipe!” We had very little gravy leftover and I sprinkled some on the dog food. She ate her entire bowl too.