You’ll love making this easy, one-pan recipe for Creole Style Smothered Chicken. A whole butterflied chicken is cooked with a simple creole sauce made of peppers, onions, celery, and tomatoes that are cooked down and thickened to pour over the chicken. A great comforting dinner any night of the week!
This Southern classic is one of my favorite recipes to make and is a staple in our kitchen. Who wouldn’t want a serving of tender, juicy chicken topped with flavorful homemade Creole sauce? It’s the perfect meal to serve with a side of rice or green vegetables making it well-rounded and satisfying.
The flavorful secret of this recipe is the creole sauce, a delicious combination of bell peppers, celery, and onions sautéed to release their sweet and savory properties. The tomatoes complement the robust flavors of the vegetables, creating a beautiful sauce with a tantalizing aroma that will fill your kitchen.
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- The entire recipe, including the chicken and Creole sauce, is cooked right in one skillet, saving you clean-up time.
- It’s a dish that’s comforting and hearty as a Sunday dinner or to serve on any weeknight.
- The weight of the skillet helps seal in the moisture and tenderness of the chicken while keeping the skin nice and crispy.
- The Creole sauce is made with the “holy trinity” of bell peppers, celery, and onion, along with tomatoes and seasonings.
- It’s budget-friendly and very easy to make.
- It pairs well with almost any side dish, including rice, beans, or a fresh green salad.
Ingredient Notes
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- Whole chicken – Look for a chicken that weighs about 4 pounds or one that fits into your skillet with overcrowding.
- Salt and pepper
- Butter – To sear the chicken and create a crispy skin texture.
- Onion, celery, and bell pepper (also called The Trinity) – this combination is the basis for many Creole recipes; it consists of equal parts onion, celery, and bell pepper.
- Garlic
- Dried thyme – adds a nice herbal flavor.
- Flour – for thickening the sauce.
- Canned tomatoes – be sure to include the juice to add volume and richness to the sauce.
- Green onions – used as a garnish for color and a light oniony flavor.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
What is a Butterflied (Spatchcocked) Chicken?
A butterflied, or spatchcocked, chicken is one with the backbone removed completely. This allows the chicken to lie completely flat in the pan. Doing this reduces the cooking time by creating a uniform thickness. It’s a simple process to do yourself, or ask the butcher in the grocery store to do it for you. They’re happy to take care of it at no extra cost in most places.
To butterfly (or spatchcock) a chicken:
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut down both sides of the backbone from one end to the other and remove it completely.
- Open up the chicken and place it skin side up on a cutting board. Press down on the breastbone until the bone cracks and chicken flattens out. Tuck the wing tips under the breast.
- The last step is to make a shallow cut between the leg and thigh. Why? Well, that’s usually the last part to cook through and making a little cut there will help the dark pieces to cook at about the same time as the lighter pieces.
For photos of the process visit my Rosemary Lemon Spatchcocked Chicken recipe post.
How to Make Creole Style Smothered Chicken
Brown the Chicken
Choose a skillet large enough to hold the butterflied chicken without crowding, preferably a well-seasoned black iron skillet. The one I used here measures 12 inches.
STEP 1. Lightly season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken skin side down.
STEP 2. Cover the chicken with a heavy plate or a smaller skillet that will fit inside the cooking skillet (In the photo, I’ve used a 10-inch skillet to weight the chicken). Weight the plate or skillet with several heavy cans. You need about 5 pounds of weight. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned.
STEP 3. When the chicken has browned, remove it to a plate and set it aside.
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Create the Creole Sauce
STEP 4. Without cleaning the skillet, add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Cook and stir the vegetables until they’re wilted and the onion is becoming translucent.
STEP 5. Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with flour and stir until well blended. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Combine the Chicken and Sauce
STEP 6. Return the chicken to the pan with the browned side up on top of the sauce.
STEP 7. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover again with the plate or smaller skillet and weights. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160F.
STEP 8. Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce briefly until thickened.
STEP 9. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.
Recipe Tips
- It’s possible to use chicken pieces or chicken quarters, but I think it’s actually easier to use a whole chicken.
- Be sure to use enough weight and place it so that the chicken is pressed down evenly against the surface of the skillet. This ensures that it cooks evenly.
- Larger chickens will require more cooking time and larger skillets. For best results choose a chicken that is no larger than 4 pounds and use a meat thermometer to ensure that it has reached 165 degrees (F) internally in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
- Searing the chicken in butter before cooking it in the sauce adds loads of flavor. Don’t be tempted to skip that step!
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat using the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through.
Freezing: You can store the chicken and sauce separately in freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Questions about Creole Style Smothered Chicken
Sometimes it is, but it doesn’t have to be! You can control the level of spice by adding your desired amount of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes to the sauce. You’ll note that this recipe as written doesn’t contain anything spicy at all. Feel free to add some heat if you like.
Cajun foods typically use quite a bit more warm spices such as cayenne. Creole tends to lean more toward herbal flavors of thyme, oregano, and, of course, the trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onions.
Creole generally refers to people of mixed colonial French, African American, and/or Native American ancestry, usually residing in Louisiana.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
Creole Style Smothered Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole chicken butterflied
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 14.5 ounces canned tomatoes with their juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Choose a skillet large enough to hold the butterflied chicken without crowding. A well-seasoned black iron skillet is preferable.
- Lightly season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken skin side down.4 pound whole chicken, Salt and ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons butter
- Cover the chicken with a heavy plate or a smaller skillet that will fit inside the cooking skillet. Weight the plate or skillet with several heavy cans. You need about 5 pounds of weight. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned.
- When the chicken has browned, remove it to a plate and set aside.
- Without cleaning the skillet, add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Cook while stirring until the vegetables are wilted.1 medium onion, 2 ribs celery, 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with flour and stir until well blended. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.2 tablespoons flour, 14.5 ounces canned tomatoes
- Return the chicken to the pan with the browned side up on top of the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with the plate or smaller skillet and weights. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160F.
- Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce briefly until thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Notes
- Be sure to use enough weight and place it so that the chicken is pressed down evenly against the surface of the skillet.
- Larger chickens will require more cooking time and larger skillets. For best results choose a chicken that is no larger than 4 pounds and use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken has reached 165 degrees (F) internally in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
- Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat using the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through.
- Chicken and sauce may be stored separately in freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on July 29, 2014. It has been updated with additional information.
Hi Lana
I used Whole Chicken Leg Quarters Instead, Removed the Skin and seasoned them
with Cajun seasoning. Placed in Pyrex and Sprayed with Olive Oil Cooking Spray . Baked at 400F , 1 Hour Turning. Removed from Oven and Poured Creole sauce Over them.
Served with Rice and Peas Creole Style . DELICIOUS A KEEPER
So glad you liked the creole sauce, Sonia!
Dis NewOrleans boy livin in nyc , is gunna make did tonight for dinner .. I have been thing about chicken & red gravey like my mamma made for weeks now ! Can not Wait ! #WHODAT
Enjoy!
What a fun dinner party. I pinned several of the choices. This chicken dish is the highlight of the bunch as far as I am concerned.
This looks incredible! I’ve actually never had anything like this. Thanks for hosting!
It’s definitely a southern classic, Milisa. I hope you’ll give it a try sometime!