Smothered Chicken Using Leftover Chicken Food

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a shallow bowl, spread 3/4 cup all-purpose flour. Dredge chicken pieces, one at a time, in flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces, skin side down, cooking 4-6 minutes until nicely browned. Remove browned chicken to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, adjusting heat as need, so not to burn the flour.
• Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots and cook until veggies are soft, 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over veggies and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Mix in broth, poultry seasoning, cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Nestle chicken pieces into sauce along with any accumulated juices. Partially cover and simmer chicken 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.
• Transfer chicken to a deep platter. Adjust gravy seasoning if needed, then pour over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prework: Add chicken dredge ingredients to a large plate and toss to combine. Set aside. Measure out gravy ingredients prior to beginning.
• Cook the Bacon: Fry bacon over medium-low heat until crispy on both sides. Remove from pan and pour grease into a heat-safe bowl. Reserve 2-4 Tablespoons of clear bacon drippings. Wipe any black residue from the pan if needed.
• Slice & Pound the Chicken: While the bacon cooks, slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Place saran wrap over them and use a meat tenderizer to pound them to about 3/4 inches thick. This gives them a little more texture for the flour dredge to hold on to. They'll plump up more when cooked.
• Coat the Chicken: Wipe the chicken dry and coat generously in the flour mixture, get in every nook and cranny.
• Cook the Chicken: Add the reserved bacon drippings to the clean pan and enough vegetable oil to cover the chicken by half. Heat over medium-high heat. Once heated and glistening, add the chicken. Fry 2 at a time for about 5 minutes per side, until they have a nice golden sear. Set aside on a plate. Adjust heat down slightly and back up throughout cooking as needed.
• Drain the oil: Remove the oil from the pot and use a paper towel to remove any black spots from the pan, but leave any brown remnants. This is called 'fond' and will give the gravy a nice flavor.
• Make the Roux: Melt the butter over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to "clean" the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the flour gradually, whisking continuously, until a paste forms.
• Add the Broth and Half and Half: Add the liquid in small increments, whisking constantly. It will thicken up in between each splash of liquid. If you add it all at once, you'll "break" the roux and it won't be thick.
• Add remaining gravy ingredients: Slowly add the beef bouillon, soy sauce, and seasonings.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add a few drops of kitchen bouquet if a darker color is desired.
• Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juice from the plate.
• Chop up the bacon and add it to the top of the chicken.
• Cover partially and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees prior to serving.
• Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prep the oven and baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Place a rack over a baking sheet.
• Make the spice rub. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and chili powder.
• Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Generously season the chicken thighs with about ¾ of the seasoning rub. Place the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
• Prep the dredge. Season the flour with remaining seasoning rub, salt and pepper. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour to a smaller bowl.
• Dredge the chicken thighs. Dredge the chicken thighs through the flour mixture making sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess flour. Place the thighs back on the rack and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
• Pan sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side until browned. The chicken won't be fully cooked at this point. Transfer the chicken back to the rack.
• Cook the onion and garlic. In the same skillet add the butter, onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Stir in the red pepper flakes.
• Sprinkle flour. Sprinkle the reserved seasoned flour over the onions and continue cooking while stirring for another 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
• Make the gravy. Start pouring chicken broth while continuously whisking and cook for a couple more minutes until the gravy comes to a simmer. Whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add chicken and braise in the oven. Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon some of the gravy over the chicken. Cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Cook in the oven for one hour.
• Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

SUNNY'S EASY SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and more olive oil if needed and saute until lightly browned and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Let cook until the onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the flour and mustard and cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the grilled chicken breasts, then cover the skillet and turn down the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Prepare the rice according to the package directions. Remove the rice to a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons parsley. Place rice on a platter, then top with the chicken and mushroom sauce. Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Clean chicken breasts and dry well. In a shallow baking dish, combine the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture to coat. Shake off excess. In a large skillet heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown well, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour excess oil from pan, leaving a thin layer. Add onions and garlic, saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. In a bowl combine sour cream, chicken stock and green onions and mix well. Transfer chicken back to skillet, pour sour cream mixture over it. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until done, about 10 minutes.;

SOUL SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dredge in 3/4 cup flour, place in the skillet, and brown on all sides. Set chicken aside, and drain skillet, reserving about 1 tablespoon butter.
• Reduce skillet heat to medium-low, and stir in onions, celery, garlic, and carrots. Cook 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in the flour, and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in the chicken broth, season with cayenne pepper, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low.
• Return chicken to the skillet, cover, and continue cooking 30 minutes, until chicken juices run clear and gravy has thickened.