Description
Smothered chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods. Tender moist chicken smothered in onions, carrots, celery, peppers and spinach and a yummy sauce – all in one skillet. Food for the soul, this one pot meal of chicken and vegetables goes way back, over 30 years at least.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3.5 pounds chicken pieces (bone in, skin on)
- 1/4 cup seasoned all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 inch slices
- 4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed into 1/4 cup cold water
- salt and black pepper to taste
- chopped green onions or chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350F/176.7C
- Prepare Chicken: Trim extra fat from chicken. Place seasoned flour into a bag and season chicken pieces, one at a time, by shaking in bag (shake off excess flour and discard any remaining flour mixture after all chicken is coated).
- Sauté Chicken: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil on medium heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken to the bottom of the pan and fry on one side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken and repeat on second side. Drain on a paper towel over plate and set chicken aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Sauté vegetables and garlic in the skillet for 5 minutes. Place chicken back in skillet and settle vegetables under and on top of chicken.
- Bake: Pour broth into bottom of skillet and sprinkle chicken and vegetables with thyme. Cover chicken, place in the oven and cook chicken for about 35-45 minutes.
- Finish Sauce and Serve: Remove chicken to a plate and set aside while you finish the sauce. Skim grease floating on the top and discard. Place skillet on stove and bring vegetable and broth mixture to a boil. Pour in the cornstarch-water slurry and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, stir in spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Place chicken back into the skillet and spoon over sauce to coat it.
Notes
To make seasoned flour: combine 1/4 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 695 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 581 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Cholesterol: 202 mg