Chicken and Gravy

Chicken and gravy must be one of the simplest yet most comforting dishes to have on a cold Winter's day. The joy of the festive season is truly over, and we are left with gloomy days of endless cold.

There is very little prep that goes into this meal, and it's sure to go down well with the whole family. Delicious chicken breasts smothered in gravy served over a bed of mashed potatoes and greens, what's not to like?!

And everything can be cooked in less than 30 minutes on the stove top, no oven needed whatsoever. The chicken breasts are moist, cooked to perfection, and so good! No need to tenderise the chicken or slice it up, the whole chicken breasts cooks through really well.

There is no need to cook the gravy separately, it's all cooked in one pot, as the juices and bits left from browning the chicken add so much flavour.

Ingredients used

• chicken breasts - make sure they have similar sizes so they can cook through at the same time
• butter - for frying the chicken and making the gravy
• oil - I used rapeseed oil, but any vegetable oil would do. Used together with the butter it prevents it from browning.
• chicken stock - adds much more flavour than just water
• salt & pepper
• dried herbs - I used Italian herbs, but just dried parsley and thyme would work
• garlic granules
• flour - for thickening the gravy

Step-by-step photos and instructions

• in a pan set over a medium heat, add the oil and half of the butter and allow the butter to melt
• season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and fry on both sides until golden - it can take up to 10-12 minutes
• remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside
• in the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt it

• add the flour and whisk well to get a smooth paste, then pour in the gravy
• continue to whisk for the gravy to thicken
• add the chicken breasts back to the pan and place a lid on
• leave it to cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, turning the chicken breasts occasionally to avoid them sticking to the pan
• add the herbs, check for seasoning, and serve with mash and peas.

Expert tips

The thickness of the chicken breasts will dictate the cooking time. Browning them first not only helps with the flavour, but they are also cooked half the way. The rest of the cooking is done with the gravy.

As the gravy thickens, I recommend turning the chicken breasts onto the other side regularly to avoid them sticking to the pan - or you can just shake the pan now and then to make sure they are fine.

There is no need to add creamy to this chicken with gravy dish, the flour is enough to thicken the gravy into a creamy and smooth texture.

How to cook chicken and gravy in the crockpot

This dish can also be cooked really well in a slow cooker. Texture wise, it's pretty similar to my Chicken Breasts in Mushroom Sauce or my Creamy Tuscan Chicken.

We will only need one cup of chicken stock, as the slow cooker retains the liquid really well. Start by browning the chicken, and once it's cooked, add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker together with the seasoning and stock/broth.

Leave it to cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker. Mix the flour with a bit of milk to get a smooth paste, then add it to the slow cooker and whisk well.

Leave it to cook for a further 20 minutes for the gravy to thicken, add the chicken breasts back to the crockpot, and check for seasoning. We won't need all the butter, just enough of browning.

Other chicken breast recipes