We have heard it so many times. Lean meats are the way to lose weight. Now you can have your “pan-fried” chicken and gravy. This dish seems too good to be true. It’s healthy, there isn’t any added fat, it’s tasty, and it takes less time to cook than other sautéed chicken dishes and will save you time in the kitchen. The chicken breast comes out juicy on the inside and browned on the outside, encased in tasty, crunchy spices. The chicken without the gravy goes wonderfully in a nice green salad and a well-loved dressing. With the gravy, it can warm the insides on even the chilliest of winter nights. This could be your family’s new favorite comfort food.
Healthy Chicken with Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Enough of your favorite chicken rub to completely cover all the chicken, such as Emeril’s or Lysander’s
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ cup white wine
- 2-3 chicken boullion cubes or 2-3 teaspoons of powdered boullion
- 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour, corn starch, tapioca flour, or other thickener
Cooking Directions:
- Trim away the fat and any ligaments and cartilage. Sprinkle chicken rub heavily on one side of the chicken pieces. .
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the pan over medium-high heat. Spray the bottom of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chicken in the pan, the sides with the rub on them facing down and the bare side facing up. Coat the bare side of the chicken heavily with the rub, spray cooking spray to coat the top of the chicken pieces, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook chicken until brown on one side. If too much chicken juice appears on the bottom of the pan, turn the heat up. If spices on the bottom of the pan start burning, turn the flame down. Cook chicken until brown on the outside. Cut open the thickest piece to check for doneness. If the piece is not pink in the middle and juicy, it is done. Check all the pieces this way.
- To make gravy, turn off flame and take chicken out of the pan. Mix thickener in with the three cups of water. Put mixture into the pan and turn flame up to medium-high to high. Put in wine and boullion cubes and stir mixture with wisk. Bring gravy to a boil and let it simmer for five to ten minutes until sufficiently thickened.
- Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
Cooking Tips:
This dish will not work well in a glass pan. The secret for its flavor is browning the chicken, the spice rub, and all the spices and juices on the bottom of the pan. The browned juices and spices stuck to the bottom of the pan will also make flavorful gravy. A glass pan will not brown the meat like a metal, nonstick pan will.
Use thick chicken breast. The chicken will be juicier than using thin slices of meat.
This dish can tolerate high cooking temperatures. However, be careful to keep a watchful eye on the chicken that the spices don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. It will detract from the gravy.
Try cooking sherry instead of white wine for a different flavor for the gravy.
If doubling or tripling this recipe, you will need more gravy. However, the spices and browned chicken juice will not be enough to add a great deal of flavor for the gravy. Try adding garlic powder, thyme, and oregano. Even a dash of soy sauce might give it a boost of flavor.
Healthy tips:
Herb Ox make a decent low sodium chicken boullion. Although it is three times more expensive, it won’t break the bank, and it will still add a nice flavor to the gravy without all the sodium. To make the gravy even more flavorful, add an extra packet of the sodium free boullion.
Kirsten O'Connor - I have a masters in Mental Health Counseling. I am working for a non-profit organization, Books for Charity, to establish and run a phone ...
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