Name: Slow-Cooker Southern Smothered Chicken
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 2 onions , chopped fine; 2 celery ribs , chopped fine; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

The traditional Southern style of “smothered” chicken involves cooking the chicken low-and-slow in a rich gravy. Too often, though, versions of smothered chicken taste like whatever else is in the dish, rather than the chicken itself. But smothered chicken is designed to coax out as much flavor as possible from the chicken, and the slow cooker is the perfect tool for the job. To start, we tossed chicken thighs in flour and browned them in batches to render some fat and build a base of flavor. Once the chicken was browned, we moved it to the slow cooker and used some of the residual fat to sauté the aromatic ingredients for the sauce. A simple mix of onion, celery, garlic, and sage gave a clean, savory base that enhanced the rich chicken flavor. Achieving the right consistency for the sauce took some tinkering. In the end, we found that just 1 cup of chicken broth with 2 tablespoons of flour made for a velvety rich sauce, and was plenty to smother the chicken for serving. Once the sauce was added to the slow cooker, we cooked everything until the chicken was tender and our sauce was deeply flavorful. This simple braise may not be flashy, but its robust chicken flavor, brought to life in the slow cooker, is deeply satisfying.

Instructions

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Spread ½ cup flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of chicken until deep golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to slow cooker; repeat with remaining chicken, adjusting heat as needed if flour begins to burn.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add onions, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage, and remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing any lumps; transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 5 hours on low.

Transfer chicken to serving dish. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Stir in vinegar and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 cup sauce over chicken. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.