There aren’t many things in life that taste better than smothered chicken. My grandmother was the OG at it. I’ve seen her do it a million times. I’ll be the first to admit, there’s something about my Grandmother’s cooking that I’ll never be able to duplicate. But, I can get really close. And this one is definitely it!
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 packet of Sazon
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon of dried fennel
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 cups of all purpose flour
Oil, for frying
For the gravy
1 cup of diced onion
1/2 cup of diced bell pepper
1/2 cup of diced celery
2 tablespoons of flour
6-8 cups of water
1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon
1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon of black pepper
To start, add all of the chicken to a large bowl. Liberally season with salt, Sazon, Italian seasoning, paprika, Cajun seasoning, dried fennel, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder. Then, pour in the buttermilk and massage the mixture all over the chicken.
Heat the oil and when the oil is hot, coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shake off the excess, and fry in the oil until the chicken is golden brown on both sides. If necessary, cook the chicken in batches, so as not to over crowd the pan.
Once the chicken has been cooked on both sides and is golden brown, drain on paper towels to get rid of the excess oil. Then, drain the pan of the oil except for about a half cup of oil and be sure to keep the brown bits in the pan. While the pan is still hot, add in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until softened. Then, sprinkle in the flour and stir every few moments until the roux has darkened.
To finish the gravy, add in the water and season with the chicken bouillon, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add in the chicken and cook on low heat until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is warmed throughout. Serve over rice or potatoes.