Amazing Homemade Chicken And Gravy 1 trick

There is just nothing better when you get home after a hard day than the smell of simmering chicken and rich gravy filling your kitchen. Seriously, it instantly lowers my stress levels! We all crave that classic comfort food, but who has hours to stand over a stove sometimes? Don’t you worry your head about it. This recipe for Homemade Chicken And Gravy is my go-to secret weapon because it delivers that deeply savory, tender texture without any fancy techniques.

This isn’t some thin, weird grocery store gravy, either. This is the real deal, the kind that sticks perfectly to mashed potatoes. My mom used to make a version of this every Sunday. It’s the ultimate easy dinner, and honestly, the simplicity is what makes it taste so authentic. You need this recipe floating around your kitchen, trust me.

Why This Homemade Chicken And Gravy Recipe Works So Well

I know you’re looking for that classic dinner feeling, but you probably don’t want to spend half your evening fussing over the stove. That’s why I absolutely love this specific method. It’s ridiculously simple but gives you such premium results. It comes together faster than ordering takeout, and the flavor is pure, unadulterated comfort food. If you want to see how you can master a beautiful brown gravy without relying on drippings alone, check out my tips on this easy brown gravy guide!

Quick Prep Time for Homemade Chicken And Gravy

We’re talking only 15 minutes of actual hands-on prep time here. You handle the chopping and seasoning, and then the Dutch oven does all the heavy lifting while you put your feet up for a bit. It’s perfect for a busy Tuesday night.

Tender Chicken Guaranteed

Never eat dry chicken again! The secret here is that lovely, low simmer in broth. Once those chicken pieces are browned nicely, letting them bathe in seasoned chicken broth for 30 to 40 minutes ensures they are fall-apart tender. It’s a gentle cooking method that really locks in all the moisture.

Gathering Ingredients for Homemade Chicken And Gravy

Okay, now that you’re excited about dinner, let’s talk about what you need to pull this amazing dish together. It’s all pantry staples, which is another reason I love it so much! You might have everything sitting in your fridge right now. If you’re looking to explore some bolder, spicier flavors, you should check out how I use similar techniques when making Cajun chicken gravy.

We keep the ingredients straightforward, focusing on quality basics that shine when simmered together slowly. Don’t skimp on the broth because that’s where most of our gravy flavor is coming from!

Chicken and Aromatics

You’ll need about 2 pounds of chicken pieces—I’m flexible here, bone-in or boneless both work great, but bone-in really adds depth! Then grab 1 tablespoon of olive oil for browning. For our flavor base, we are using 1 medium onion, make sure you get it nicely chopped, and 2 cloves of garlic that need to be minced really fine so they disappear into the sauce.

The Flavorful Broth and Seasoning

This is the heart of the stew! You need 4 cups of good chicken broth—use the best quality you can find! For seasoning, we’re adding 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and of course, salt and black pepper to taste. Measure the salt and pepper at the end, but make sure you season the chicken generously before it hits the pan!

Gravy Thickening Agents

For our classic texture, we keep it simple. You will want 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour which we mix into the liquid later. Crucially, you also need about 1/2 cup of cold water. And I mean cold! We mix that flour and cold water together separately to create a slurry. If your water isn’t cold, you end up with lumps, and nobody wants that!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Homemade Chicken And Gravy

Alright, let’s get cooking because the payoff here is huge! These steps look like a lot, but honestly, most of the time is just letting the pot bubble away quietly while you tidy up the kitchen. If you are looking for an even more hands-off approach after the initial steps, you might like seeing how I adapt this concept for my slow cooker chicken meals, but this stovetop method wins for speed!

Browning the Chicken

First things first: season your chicken pieces generously. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper, it really matters! Heat up that olive oil in your big pot or Dutch oven over a medium-high flame. We want to brown the chicken beautifully on every side to seal in flavor. If you have a lot of chicken, work in batches—don’t crowd the pot! Once they have a nice golden crust, pull those beauties out and set them aside on a clean plate for a little rest.

Building the Base and Simmering the Chicken

Now, right in that same pot, toss in your chopped onion. Sauté that for about 5 minutes until it starts looking soft and sweet. Then, add your minced garlic—be quick here, only cook it for 1 minute until you can really smell it. Next, splash in the 4 cups of chicken broth. This is my favorite part: use a wooden spoon and scrape up all those tasty brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot! That’s pure flavor gold. Return your browned chicken to the pot, sprinkle in that dried thyme, reduce the heat way down low, cover it up, and let it simmer gently, about 30 to 40 minutes, until that chicken is just fork-tender.

Creating the Rich Homemade Gravy

Once the chicken is done, take it out and keep it warm. Now, we turn this savory liquid into gravy. In a separate little bowl, take your 1/4 cup of flour and whisk it with the 1/2 cup of cold water until it’s totally smooth—that’s your slurry. Bring the liquid in the pot back up to a medium heat. Slowly, and I mean *slowly*, whisk that slurry into the bubbling liquid. Keep whisking constantly! It should start thickening up nicely in about 3 to 5 minutes. Taste it right before you serve it—maybe it needs a pinch more salt or pepper. Pour that gorgeous gravy right over your warm chicken, and dinner is done!

Expert Tips for the Best Homemade Chicken And Gravy

You know, I love that this recipe is so forgiving, but I’ve ironed out a few little wrinkles over the years to make sure you get the absolute best results every single time. These aren’t rules, just little nudges from my kitchen to yours that really elevate this comforting dish. If you’re looking for the kind of classic, tried-and-true methods that our grandparents used, you might enjoy reading about some old-fashioned recipe techniques, too!

If you can swing it, always try to use bone-in chicken pieces. The bones release collagen and flavor into that broth while it simmers, which means your gravy is naturally richer before you even add the flour slurry. It makes a small but noticeable difference!

Adjusting Gravy Thickness

Sometimes you want that gravy to really hug your food, right? If you find the standard 1/4 cup of flour just doesn’t give you enough body, don’t worry about it! Just whip up a little extra slurry with a bit more flour—say, 1/3 cup total—and whisk it in slowly while the liquid is simmering. It thickens right up, but remember to let it cook for a few minutes afterward so you don’t taste any raw flour!

Achieving a Silky Smooth Gravy

I mentioned that we don’t use drippings exclusively, which helps keep things smooth, but sometimes the little bits of cooked onion or thyme just don’t break down enough. If you truly want restaurant-quality silkiness, here’s my trick: before you make that flour slurry, ladle the simmering broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Strain out all the solids, then pour that clear, flavorful liquid back into the pot and proceed with thickening. It gives you the smoothest homemade gravy imaginable!

Serving Suggestions for Your Homemade Chicken And Gravy

The chicken is tender, the gravy is rich, and now we need something spectacular to soak it all up! That’s the best part of a good comfort meal, right? You don’t need anything fancy, just familiar partners that let your star dish shine. This dish is just begging to sit next to a pile of something starchy that can truly hold onto all that delicious gravy.

Classic Sides to Pair with Homemade Chicken And Gravy

You absolutely can’t go wrong with a massive pile of creamy mashed potatoes; it’s the law of comfort food physics! If potatoes aren’t your thing, serving this over fluffy white rice or maybe even some hearty egg noodles works perfectly too. I always try to sneak in a simple vegetable so I feel less guilty about the gravy. A quick side dish like simple steamed green beans or some roasted root vegetables you can whip up alongside the chicken keeps the meal balanced. And if you’re feeling extra fancy with your sides, you could try something like my Parmesan roasted potatoes!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Homemade Chicken And Gravy

The best part about making a big batch of this comfort food is having leftovers waiting for you! Chicken and gravy keeps really well, but you do have to treat the chicken and the gravy a little differently so they come back perfectly the next day. We want to maintain that food safety standard, of course, but we also don’t want sad, mushy leftovers!

When I store mine, I always keep the chicken and the gravy in completely separate airtight containers. This is a huge step that people often skip! Storing them separately helps the chicken stay firmer and keeps the gravy from getting a weird skin on top.

Reheating the Gravy Separately

For the gravy, definitely reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir it constantly—that’s key because flour-based thickeners tend to settle at the bottom and can scorch if you walk away for even a second! If it seems a little too stiff after being refrigerated, just whisk in a splash of water or, even better, a tiny splash of extra chicken broth until you get that perfect pourable consistency again. Everything tastes better when reheated with a little extra broth, doesn’t it?

When you’re ready for round two of this amazing easy dinner, just gently warm the chicken through in the microwave or a low oven while heating the gravy. Enjoy the second meal!

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Chicken And Gravy

It’s funny how even with a straightforward recipe, questions always pop up! That’s totally fine; I love hearing what you all are thinking about. Getting these little details right is what turns a good dinner into your favorite go-to meal. If you wanted to take these flavors and make them into soup, you should totally check out my thoughts on making a great base for chicken noodle soup!

Can I make the gravy without using flour?

Yes, you absolutely can, although flour is what gives us that classic texture. If you need to skip the flour—maybe you’re out or avoiding gluten—the easiest swap is using a cornstarch slurry instead. For every tablespoon of flour you would have used, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with two teaspoons of cold water until smooth. Whisk that in slowly just like the flour! Another option, if you really don’t want any thickener, is just to simmer the broth uncovered for much longer until it naturally reduces down a lot.

What is the best cut of chicken for this recipe?

I wrote that 2 pounds of chicken pieces works, and that’s true for both bone-in or boneless. However, if I’m making this for a really special Sunday dinner, I always try to use bone-in thighs or drumsticks. The bones release collagen and flavor into the broth while it simmers, which means your gravy base is way more robust! If you’re in a hurry, boneless breasts are fine, just watch the simmer time so they don’t get tough.

How can I make the Homemade Chicken And Gravy richer?

To seriously deepen that richness factor? My top tip is upgrading your liquid. If you have homemade chicken stock in your freezer rather than store-bought broth, use that—it makes an incredible difference. Otherwise, once the gravy is thickened and seasoned perfectly, take the pot off the heat and stir in just one tablespoon of room-temperature butter right at the end, or swirl in a splash of heavy cream if you’re feeling indulgent. It adds shine and richness instantly!

Nutritional Snapshot for Homemade Chicken And Gravy

Listen, when you’re cooking something this wonderfully comforting, I’m not usually thinking about calorie counts or fat grams, you know? And I bet you aren’t either! That’s part of the joy of making real, satisfying food at home.

So, here is the lowdown: the nutritional information provided for this recipe—calories, protein, fat, and so on—is just an estimate based on the standard ingredients listed. Because we are using real ingredients that change slightly every time we shop, your actual numbers are going to vary.

Remember, if you use bone-in chicken, or if you decide to add an extra splash of butter to that gravy (which I totally endorse!), the final count will shift a bit. I made this recipe to taste amazing and bring comfort forth, not to follow a strict diet plan, but this method is naturally lower in fat than fried chicken, so that’s a win!

Share Your Homemade Chicken And Gravy Success

Okay, my friend, that’s the whole shebang! You now have the blueprint for the most satisfying, tender, and flavorful Homemade Chicken And Gravy you’ve ever made on a weeknight. I truly hope this reminds you of cozy dinners and simple pleasures, just like it does for me every time I cook it.

But honestly, the best part of cooking is sharing the results! I live for seeing how your kitchen turned out. Did you go with the mashed potatoes or noodles underneath? Did you remember to strain the gravy for that extra silky texture? I want to know everything about your dinner success!

Please, please, please take a moment after you’ve devoured that delicious meal to leave a rating for the recipe right down below. Your feedback helps other home cooks feel confident trying this classic dish. If you had any brilliant additions or tweaks of your own—maybe you threw in a bay leaf while simmering—pop a comment in the box so we can all learn from each other. And if you ever have questions about the process or need a little reassurance, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly via my contact page!

Happy cooking, and enjoy that comfort food hug in a bowl!

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