What Is Smothered Chicken?
A smothered chicken breast is a dish that involves browning the chicken breasts and then deglazing the pan with liquid or cream to create a gravy in which the breasts are then simmered until tender. In this case, the gravy is made using the cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Then it is all simmered inside the oven, including the rice, to make a casserole. “The full recipe with ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.”
How To Make Smothered Chicken and Rice?
First, we need to season the chicken thighs with mustard powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the rice according to package directions, in the microwave or on the stovetop. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet, and brown the chicken thighs skin side down for four minutes. Flip them over and brown for four minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate. Using the same skillet, with the remaining olive oil, saute the onion and minced garlic, about 3 minutes. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray and place the cooked rice as a bottom layer. Place the browned chicken thighs on top of the rice. In a large bowl, mix the sauteed onions and garlic with the cream of mushroom soup, condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, sliced mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and rice and sprinkle with dried parsley. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 mins. Remove foil and cook for 20 minutes more.
What To Serve with Smothered Chicken?
Buttered green beans are the typical side dish for smothered chicken, but I like to serve it with a side of steamed veggies with butter. You can also serve it with a side salad of your choice. A fruit cobbler is my favorite dessert for this dish, but an ice cream is also a great option.
Cooking Tips
Before browning the chicken, be sure to have your skillet and oil very hot. Otherwise, they won’t brown. When browning the chicken, always start skin-side down. Before adding salt to the soup mix, taste it. It may not need that much. The condensed cream of chicken soup is already a bit salty.
