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Pan of chicken thighs in a creamy onion gravy.

Smothered Chicken Thighs Recipe

Contributor: Christine Pittman

This cozy Smothered Chicken Thighs recipe is so full of flavor thanks to the deliciously creamy and spicy sauce.

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 7 minutes
  • Cook Time: 38 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder*
  • 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. cayenne (optional, or use less)
  • 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs**
  • 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, onion powder, paprika, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  2. If the chicken thighs are rolled into bundles, unroll them. Add the chicken to the flour mixture and toss until evenly coated.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. When it’s hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer, shaking them over the bowl of flour to remove any excess before adding them to the pan. Do not discard the flour. Cook chicken until well-browned, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  4. Reduce heat to low. Add the butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook while stirring for 30 seconds.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining seasoned flour over the onion. Increase heat to medium and cook and stir for 1 minute. While continuing to stir, slowly drizzle in the chicken broth and then stir in the cream.
  6. Arrange chicken in the skillet in a single layer, overlapping the pieces as little as possible. Spoon sauce over chicken. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and cook until chicken is at least 165°F and no longer pink inside, about 10-12 minutes.
  7. Remove cover. If desired, increase heat to medium and continue to cook the sauce while stirring often until thickened, 3-5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
  8. Serve chicken thighs topped with sauce and onions.

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Notes

*Instead of the onion powder, paprika, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, and black pepper you can use 2 tablespoons of store-bought or homemade Cajun seasoning. If your mixture doesn’t contain salt, then you will still add the salt indicated above. If it does contain salt, then do not add more until you taste the sauce at the end. Note that Cajun seasoning is quite spicy. If you don’t want your finished dish to be as spicy, reduce the amount of Cajun seasoning by half.

**If using bone-in chicken thighs (with or without skin), the recipe remains the same except in step #5 increase the cooking time to 20-25 minutes, being sure to check that the chicken is no longer pink near the bone and that the internal temperature is 165°F.