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    Pink Owl Kitchen » southern recipes » Cajun Smothered Chicken Breasts

    Cajun Smothered Chicken Breasts

    Published: May 11, 2022 · Modified: Dec 7, 2022 by Ashley Boyd · This post may contain affiliate links

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    cajun smothered chicken in a cast iron skillet.

    Cajun Smothered Chicken 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!

    cajun smothered chicken in a cast iron skillet.

    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!

    cajun smothered chicken with rice on a gray plate
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
    • What To Serve With Cajun Smothered Chicken
    • A Few Tips For Making This Recipe
    • Recommended Tools for This Recipe
    • More Southern and Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
    • 📖 Recipe

    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.
    chicken breast dredged in flour
    cooked chicken breat in skillet
    • 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!
    veggies cooking in skillet.
    cajun smothered chicken cooked in skillet.

    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.

    detail shot of cajun smothered chicken in skillet.

    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
    cajun smothered chicken on a gray plate.

    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

    • Chef's knife
    • Cutting board
    • 12-inch cast-iron skillet
    • Wooden spoon
    detail shot of cajun smothered chicken in skillet.

    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 in a cast iron skillet.

    Cajun Smothered Chicken

    Ashley
    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.
    4.38 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Southern American
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 365 kcal

    Equipment

    • 12-inch cast-iron skillet

    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 16.4gProtein: 37gFat: 16.9gSaturated Fat: 4.6gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 933mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1.3gSugar: 2.9gCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword cajun chicken recipe, cajun smothered chicken, chicken and gravy, chicken dinner recipes, comfort food recipes, smothered chicken
    Tried this recipe?Tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram! And don't forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and review!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anne Olson

      September 03, 2022 at 11:48 pm

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        September 16, 2022 at 3:04 am

        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.

        Reply
    2. Liz Patten

      November 13, 2022 at 11:52 pm

      This is an incredible meal! I loved cooking it and sharing it with my family. It will be in my rotation from now on!

      Reply
      • Ashley Boyd

        November 21, 2022 at 4:13 pm

        I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Ashley.

    I am a new mom, wife, and creator of all you see here at Pink Owl Kitchen. All of our recipes are influenced by my southern upbringing and are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients to encourage families to come together around the dinner table more!

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