This Smothered Chicken Thighs Recipe takes less than 10 minutes of prep work and yields incredibly tender chicken and the most delicious sauce. Don’t let the long bake time scare you— this dish turns out so good! Everyone loves it.

I was inspired by @allyssainthekitchen and her smothered chicken recipe that she makes often. I’ve made a few changes to ingredients that I always have on hand and adapted the method to what I prefer. Thanks to Alyssa for sharing the original recipe!

Ingredients for Smothered Chicken Thighs

Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are key for this recipe because they bake for a very long time. Thighs have a higher fat content than breasts, so the fat renders and the meat breaks down and ends up so tender and delicious.

I tried this recipe with chicken breasts, but they seemed more prone to drying out than the thighs did.

Olive Oil

A drizzle of olive oil is all you’ll need. The fat from the chicken thighs will render down and add so much flavor and richness to the sauce.

Carrots and Shallot

Carrots and shallot add flavor and a touch of sweetness to this meal.

Chicken Broth

Chicken broth makes up the base for the gravy. Choose your favorite brand. I like to use low sodium to better control the amount of salt in the gravy.

Seasonings

I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika to flavor the chicken.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch gets added to the pan sauce to thicken it up.

How to Make Smothered Chicken Thighs

Step 1: Season the Chicken

Add your chicken thighs to the bottom of the pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with all of the seasoning. Mix the chicken so that it’s evenly coated.

Step 2: Add the Carrots, Shallots, and Chicken Broth

Add the carrots and shallots to the pan. Nestle them in wherever there is room. Pour the chicken broth over top of everything.

Step 3: Bake for 90 Minutes

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350ºF for 90 minutes. I know it seems like a long time, but it’s the amount of time needed to render the fat from the chicken thighs and make the sauce nice and rich. But for sure- it’s a very long bake time. I was skeptical at first. Just trust the process.

Step 4: Make the Gravy

Remove the pan from the oven and ladle out a small amount of the gravy. Mix it with the cornstarch and combine until smooth. Add that back to the pan and stir it around to distribute evenly.

Step 5: Bake Again

Raise the oven temperature to 400ºF. Bake again, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened slightly.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!

Serve the chicken and veggies over hot Jasmine rice with that delicious sauce spooned over top. You will absolutely love this dish!

More Chicken Recipes

Crowd-Pleasing Baked Chicken and Rice: One of my most popular recipes of all time. Everyone loves this one-pan chicken and rice dish.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie: The best chicken pot pie that you’ll ever taste. Promise!

Chicken Enchiladas: So creamy, a little spicy, and so good. This is a family favorite recipe.

HAPPY COOKING!

I hope you love this Smothered Chicken Thighs recipe as much as I do. If you love this recipe, would you please leave a review? It means so much to me and helps others find my site. Want more videos, recipes that don’t make it to the site, and a peek into my life? Follow along on Instagram @AMBERSKITCHEN.