Chicken and Gravy
This gravy and chicken dish is tasty, inexpensive, and simple to make. This dish calls for pan-frying and a simple seasoning of chicken breast. A rich homemade gravy is prepared from the drippings. Afterwards, the chicken is shred and combined with the gravy.
Yield: 4
Materials
- 1 pound Chicken Breast boneless and skinless
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper plus extra for garnish if desired
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3½ cup Chicken Broth divided ½ cup to cook the chicken and 3 cups for the gravy
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- Chopped parsley sliced green onions, chopped chives, sprinkle of paprika, or extra black pepper for garnish optional
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add the salt, black pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix everything together. Use the mixture to season the chicken on both sides.
- In a big, deep pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken when the oil is heated but not smoking.
- Cook for three minutes on the chicken.
- Cook each piece for two minutes on each side, or until browned.
- Gently pour a half-cup of chicken stock over the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet after the stock begins to boil.
- Chicken should be cooked thoroughly after 8 to 12 minutes (at least 165°F; see notes). Maintain a simmer and adjust the heat as necessary for the broth.
- After turning off the heat, take the chicken out of the skillet. After cooling, place it on a rimmed dish or skillet (to catch any juices) and shred it later.
- If any liquid is left in the skillet, it shouldn't be excessively high. Don't clean or wash the skillet. Restart the burner at medium heat and stir in the butter.
- Stir in the flour once the butter has melted and foamed. Mix thoroughly to blend, then cook, stirring nearly continuously, for one to two minutes.
- Stir quickly while adding the chicken stock little by little to the butter and flour mixture. Add the ingredients and whisk, moving in tiny circles around the skillet. Stir the chicken gravy until it becomes smooth.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes (while shredding the chicken) after the liquid begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to a simmer and avoid bringing it to a rolling boil. As needed, adjust the heat and give it a quick stir.
- Meanwhile, put the chicken on a cutting board and pour the boiling gravy over any juices that have accumulated on the dish.
- As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks.
- Mix in the shredded chicken after adding it to the gravy. To allow the flavors to meld, cook on medium-low to low heat for 5 minutes. If necessary, taste and add salt. We didn't add anything additional to ours, only for reference.
- Garnish the chicken in gravy with chopped herbs and a bit of black pepper, if you'd like, and serve it with mashed potatoes or your preferred side dish.
Notes
The size and thickness of the chicken breast will determine how long it takes to cook. When the thickest section of the chicken achieves an internal temperature of 165°F, it is considered completely cooked. Additional methods to determine if chicken is cooked through include seeing sure the fluids flow clear when a knife or fork is inserted into the chicken, and that the chicken is opaque throughout and free of pink or red.
Use low-sodium chicken broth if you have a sensitive stomach and increase the salt later if necessary.
Serving ideas include mashed potatoes, biscuits, egg noodles, or a slice of white bread served open-faced.
Use low-sodium chicken broth if you have a sensitive stomach and increase the salt later if necessary.
Serving ideas include mashed potatoes, biscuits, egg noodles, or a slice of white bread served open-faced.