This one pan chicken and gravy is made with juicy seasoned thighs in a rich homemade gravy. Simple, comforting and seriously delicious.
This recipe is proof you don’t need a slow cooker, a casserole dish or more than 25 minutes to make proper chicken and gravy. The chicken is tender, the gravy is gorgeously rich, and it all comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Follow me…
Ingredients Notes
I think you’ll be shocked at just how few ingredients this recipe requires. The full quantities are down in the recipe card, but I want to just quickly discuss a few ingredients:
- Thighs are essential for this recipe – thighs are fattier than breast, and that fat is perfect to add flavour and use as the base of the gravy. Thighs are much more difficult to overcook too, so they stay nice and juicy.
- Stock is the backbone of the gravy – use a stock you know you love. The chicken will add a tonne of flavour, but a good stock will help bring the gravy to life.
- Worcestershire adds depth – you don’t need much, but even just 1/2 tsp helps add some depth of savoury richness. The weaker your stock, the more you might need.
Preparing the Chicken
The seasoning is a concoction of simple, store-cupboard essentials which offers a ‘roast chicken’ style seasoning. Once you’ve seasoned the thighs, it’s time to fry.
The importance of pan-frying
When you fry the thighs, you want the pan to build up little bits of char and flavour (also known as ‘fond’). This is then incorporated into the gravy, which adds heaps of flavour. It’s for this reason I don’t recommend using a non-stick pan. Frying the thighs will also render out the fat, which can then be used for the base of the gravy. Again, this is bonus flavour!
Process shots: season chicken (photos 1&2), fry chicken (photos 3&4).
Chicken Pan Gravy
To make the gravy, you simply make a roux with butter and flour, then whisk in the stock. Make sure you use your wooden spoon to scrape all that flavour from the pan.
Shredding the chicken
I recommend shredding the chicken with two forks before adding it back to the gravy. Strictly speaking, you could keep the thighs whole, but I prefer the way the shreds of chicken soak in the gravy. Either way, make sure you incorporate the resting juices for even more bonus flavour.
Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), stir in flour (photo 2), whisk in stock (photo 3), add Worcestershire and simmer (photo 4), add shredded chicken (photo 5), stir (photo 6).
Serving Suggestions
The gravy should thicken pretty quickly, but just continue simmering to thicken it more if needed. To thin it out, just stir through a splash of stock or water. This recipe was made to be plonked on top of some Creamy Mashed Potato for the ultimate comfort food dinner!
- Storage – Allow to cool, then tightly cover and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. The gravy will thicken as it sits, so just loosen it with a splash of stock or water if needed.
- Freezing – This freezes well. Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently until piping hot, adding a splash of stock or water to loosen the gravy.
For more similar recipes, check out my Bangers, Mash and Onion Gravy and Chicken Schnitzels and Mushroom Gravy!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken and gravy shall we?!
How to make Chicken and Gravy (Full Recipe & Video)
Easy One Pan Chicken and Gravy
Equipment
- Small Pot or Bowl (for seasoning)
- Large Pan & Tongs (see notes)
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Dish/Tray & 2 Forks (for shredding chicken)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1.3lb / 600g boneless skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Gravy
- 2 tbsp / 30g Butter
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 2 cups / 480ml Chicken Stock (see notes)
- 1/2 – 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (see notes)
Instructions
- In a small pot or bowl, combine the chicken seasoning, then use it to coat both sides of the thighs.
- Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, add the thighs and cook for around 4-6 minutes on each side, or until lightly charred and cooked through the centre (timings will depend on the thickness of the thighs – safe internal temp for chicken is 165F/74C if you have a thermometer).
- Remove the thighs from the pan and place to one side, then lower the pan heat to medium. Melt in the butter, using your wooden spoon to scrape any flavour from the base of the pan. Stir in the flour to create a roux, then gradually add the stock, whisking as you go to prevent lumps from forming. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a gentle simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens.
- Meanwhile, use two forks to roughly shred the chicken thighs. Add to the gravy (alongside any resting juices), then stir to combine. Simmer for a minute or so, just to marry everything together. If the gravy is still a little thin, just continue to gently stir/simmer to thicken it. If it over-thickens, just stir in a splash of stock (or even water if you've run out of stock).
- Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
