Shortcut Country Chicken & Gravy Recipe Is Budget-Friendly Comfort Food (5 Ingredients) by Donna John

Chicken and gravy is one of the most downhome country dishes you can put in your mouth. Chicken and gravy is pure comfort food. This chicken and gravy is a shortcut recipe, using only five simple ingredients (and one is water). This is one hearty chicken dinner your family will want to be on repeat.

To make this easy chicken and gravy dish you will need the following ingredients: a whole chicken, an onion, a family-size can of cream of chicken soup and sour cream. You will also need some water to get the cooking process going. This chicken recipe has a similar cooking method as my chicken and dumplings recipe.

Start by cooking the chicken and onion until the chicken is cooked through. While the chicken cools on a baking sheet or in a baking pan, the cream of chicken soup and sour cream are added to the broth. Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot, and simmer until it thickens up. It's now ready to be served over egg noodles or rice.

Tip: After measuring out the 6 cups of broth from the cooked chicken, I poured the remaining broth through a mesh strainer to get the onions out and added them back to the pot. Why waste good onions?

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

This five-ingredient, high-protein recipe begs for a fresh vegetable on the side. I served mine over rice with a side of sweet green peas, but carrots, green beans, broccoli or corn would also round out the meal. Pick your favorite veggie side dish.

Cuisine: American / Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
• 8 - 10 cups water (to cook the chicken)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 22 ounces (1 large can) cream of chicken soup
• 8 ounces sour cream

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the chicken in large pot. Add 8 to 10 cups of water to the pot along with the chopped onion.
   
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
   
3. Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool enough to handle. (Put the chicken onto a baking sheet or in a pan to cool. Spread it out and remove the skin so it cools faster.)
   
4. Measure out 6 cups of the broth and return it to the pot (discard or save the remaining broth for another use).
   
5. Add the can of soup to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Let the broth simmer on low, stirring often, while the chicken cools. (If you can't find a 22-ounce (family size) can of cream of chicken soup, use two 10.5-ounce cans.)
   
6. Put the sour cream into a small bowl. Add a ladle full of hot broth and stir to combine.
   
7. Add another ladle and stir until smooth. (This helps prevent the sour cream from curdling.)
   
8. Add the sour cream mixture to the broth.
   
9. Stir until smooth.
   
10. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Continue to cook until it thickens to your desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
    
11. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.
    

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily. Food, fun, health, happiness.