This super comforting dish is made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are lightly breaded and pan-fried, then cooked in a mouth-watering gravy with onions, celery, and bell peppers. Flavored with cajun spices, this dish is the ultimate comfort meal with just the right amount of heat!
In case you are new to my site, I'm obsessed with Cajun and Creole cuisine and I'm always finding ways to incorporate those flavors into my food. For this recipe, I took a classic southern comfort food dish and added a little cajun flair, by adding the "holy trinity" of onion, bell peppers, and celery that is characteristic of many Cajun dishes, as well as some Cajun spices.
Smothered chicken is a dish I grew up eating in Mississippi and it always gives me such nostalgia whenever I make it. Smothered chicken is basically lightly breaded and fried chicken cooked in a delicious gravy until tender and delicious and is typically served over white rice.
If you think this dish sounds delicious you should also try our Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage and Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo!
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Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
- Extra virgin olive oil. The chicken breasts are pan-fried in olive oil to create a light crust on the outside.
- Thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This recipe calls for about 2 pounds of chicken breasts, which is 4-5 thinly sliced chicken breasts. You can also slice 3 large chicken breasts in half to give you 6 thin portions. This is what I did for this recipe.
- Salt and cracked blacked pepper. The chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper before being coated in flour.
- All-purpose flour. You will need about ½ cup of flour for dredging the chicken breasts and 2 tablespoons for the gravy.
- Unsalted butter. The vegetables are softened in butter and the butter is used to create the roux for the gravy.
- Yellow onion. You will need one small yellow onion sliced into thin strips for this recipe. You can also use a white onion if you prefer.
- Red bell pepper. This recipe calls for one medium red bell pepper sliced into thin strips. You can also use a green bell pepper.
- Celery. Slice one stalk of celery into half-moons for this recipe.
- Fresh garlic. You will need 3 cloves of minced garlic for this recipe.
- Chicken stock. Chicken stock is added to the roux and helps create a flavorful gravy.
- Worcestershire sauce. This ingredient adds delicious depth and flavor to the gravy.
- Half and half. A small amount of half and half is added to the gravy for texture and creaminess.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. These spices, along with salt and pepper, are used to flavor the gravy.
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, lightly coating both sides and shaking off any excess. Place the chicken in the hot oil and cook for 5-7 minutes on both sides until golden brown. Transfer the chicken breasts to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes until the veggies begin to soften. Stir the veggies with a wooden spoon, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add two tablespoons of flour to the skillet and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet while stirring constantly so that lumps do not form. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and half and half, then add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer the gravy for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken breasts back to the skillet with the gravy. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer the chicken and gravy for 15-20 minutes until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is tender. Serve the chicken over white rice with gravy spooned over top. Enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe can also be made with bone-in chicken breasts or thighs as well as boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Just be sure and adjust cooking times accordingly so the chicken is cooked through.
You can also switch up the veggies in this dish if you like. You may omit the bell pepper and/or celery if you prefer. Feel free to add sliced mushrooms, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, or any other vegetables you would like to get creative with!
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
This dish can be made a day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, just transfer the chicken and gravy to a skillet and heat on the stovetop.
Leftover cajun smothered chicken can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
What To Serve With Cajun Smothered Chicken
Here in the south, we typically serve smothered chicken with nothing more than cooked white rice and maybe a side of bread. But don't stop there! Try this smothered chicken with some of the following:
- Green beans
- Collard greens
- Macaroni and cheese
- Homemade dinner rolls
- Southern cornbread
- Candied yams
- Southern-style grits
A Few Tips For Making This Recipe
- Lightly coat the chicken breasts in flour and be sure to shake off any excess. You don't want a thick crust on the chicken.
- Cook the flour for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken stock to get rid of the raw flour taste. This will significantly help the flavor of the gravy and give it more depth.
- Do not quickly dump all of the chicken stock into the skillet at once without stirring. Instead, slowly pour the stock into the skillet while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon so that the gravy does turn out lumpy. Gravy making 101 - lumpy gravy is a no-no!
- If fat accumulates at the top while the gravy is simmering, you can skim it off using a spoon.
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
More Southern and Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Creole Sauce
- Creamy Cajun Mushroom Pasta
- Loaded Creole Breakfast Skillet
- Sweet and Spicy Turnip Greens
📖 Recipe
Cajun Smothered Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 pounds thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts see note
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 small yellow onion sliced into thin strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 1 stalk celery sliced into half-moons
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup half and half or whole milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, lightly coating both sides and shaking off any excess. Place the chicken in the hot oil and cook for 5-7 minutes on both sides until golden brown. Transfer the chicken breasts to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes until the veggies begin to soften. Stir the veggies with a wooden spoon, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add two tablespoons of flour to the skillet and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet while stirring constantly so that lumps do not form. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and half and half, then add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium, season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken breasts back to the skillet with the gravy. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is tender. Serve the chicken over white rice with gravy spooned over top. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also slice 3 large chicken breasts in half to give you 6 thinly sliced portions.
- Leftover cajun smothered chicken can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Anne Olson
Ashley,
I made this dish tonight and it is fantastic!! So flavorful and satisfying.
And fast, with the boneless chicken. I appreciate that this doesn’t
have to cook for the longer time of another recipe I have.
I am pleased that no depth of flavor is compromised in this speedier method.
Thank you so much for the recipe and giving me a delicious and quick
dinner!
Anne from Montana
Ashley Boyd
Hi Anne! I am ecstatic to hear you enjoyed the cajun smothered chicken recipe and I'm happy I could help you get dinner on the table quickly! Thank you for the kind and thoughtful comment.