Smothered Chicken Wings

Anything smothered is the epitome of the best Southern comfort food and these Smothered Chicken Wings are no different! Seasoned chicken wings are seared in a cast iron skillet before baking with onions and bell peppers in a homemade pan gravy until super tender. They are slightly crisp and flavorful and the gravy is sooo good served over steamed rice or with a slice of Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread for the best comforting dinner!

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Why This Recipe Is So Good

• Smothered chicken wings with homemade pan gravy served over rice is the epitome of Southern comfort food. It takes about 20 minutes to prep then it’s off to the oven to bake until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and delicious. 
• It made with minimal ingredients. Chicken wings, onions and bell peppers, chicken broth, a little bit of flour, and seasonings come together to make an easy and filling dinner that will always be a family favorite. 
• We are browning the wings in the skillet before baking so the chicken skin is crisp instead of flabby. This step doesn’t take that long to complete but it’s very important!

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken wings – I used split chicken wings because they cook more evenly but you can use the whole wing if you like. Turkey wings or chicken legs can be substituted for chicken wings.
• Gravy – We are making homemade pan gravy with all-purpose flour, vegetable oil, and chicken broth. It comes together in 5 minutes before pouring it over the chicken. You can sprinkle in addition dried thyme and salt and pepper for extra flavor. 
• Veggies – Chopped onions and green bell peppers. 
• Seasonings – The chicken is seasoned with dried thyme, cayenne pepper, ground paprika, and garlic powder. The seasonings will flavor the chicken and therefore the gravy as everything cooks together in the oven. 

How to Make Smothered Chicken Wings

All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Brown the chicken wings. Rinse then pat chicken wings dry with paper towels, place chicken in a large mixing bowl with vegetable oil and seasonings, mix until well coated then brown in a cast iron skillet over medium heat with a little bit of vegetable oil on each side. This usually takes about 3 – 5 minutes per side, don’t worry about cooking the wings all the way through you just want some color on them. Transfer browned wings to a 9×13 baking dish. Work in batches as needed. 
2. Cook the peppers and onions. To the same skillet, add diced onions and bell peppers, cooking on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir every few minutes. Then transfer the cooked peppers and onions to the chicken in the baking dish. 
3. Make the gravy. In the same skillet, add vegetable oil, and once heated whisk in flour to make the roux for the the gravy. Cook the flour for 1 minute, stirring consistently until it is ever so slightly browned and starts to smell like pie crust. Whisk in chicken broth then allow the gravy to come to a simmer. 2 – 3 minutes. Taste gravy for seasoning then pour over the chicken wings. Stir everything together.
4. Bake chicken wings in a preheated oven until the chicken is cooked through and the gravy is bubbly. Serve over rice with your favorite southern side dishes. 

Frequently Asked Questions  —

Looking For More Southern Recipes?

• How To Cook Pinto Beans ( Instant Pot No Soak)
• Dutch Oven Whole Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus in the Air Fryer
• Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
• Braised Boneless Leg of Lamb
• Jalapeno Honey Cornbread

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Smothered Chicken Wings

Anything smothered is the epitome of the best Southern comfort food and these Smothered Chicken Wings are no different! Seasoned chicken wings are seared in a cast iron skillet before baking with onions and bell peppers in a homemade pan gravy until super tender. They are slightly crisp and flavorful and the gravy is sooo good served over steamed rice or with a slice of Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread for the best comforting dinner!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Southern

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 447kcal

Author: Tonya Fowler

Cost: $15

Equipment

• 1 Large Cast – iron skillet
• 1 9×13 inch baking dish or 2 (8-inch) baking dishes
• 1 Chef knife

Ingredients

Chicken wings

• 2 lb chicken wings split wings, fully thawed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 medium pepper
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 small onion

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth 1-1 ½ cups if you prefer a thicker gravy, homemade broth or low-sodium broth

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Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Rinse chicken wings then pat dry with paper towels. Place wings into a large mixing bowl with vegetable oil and seasonings then stir until well combined.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot add a tiny bit of oil to the skillet then arrange your wings in the pan leaving some space around each one. Don't crowd the skillet and work in batches if you need to. Sear chicken wings for 3-5 minutes on both sides. Don't worry about getting them cooked through because they will still be raw. You just want some color on the meat and for some of the fat to render out. Transfer browned wings to an oven-safe 9×13 baking dish then set aside.
• To the same skillet you cooked the chicken in, add chopped onions and bell peppers with a large pinch of salt. Cook the vegetables on medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until soft and very lightly browned. Stir frequently and add a drizzle of oil as needed if the skillet starts looking a little dry. Once softened, transfer cooked onions and peppers to the baking dish with the chicken.
• To the same skillet, stir together vegetable oil and flour. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly until it starts to smell like pie crust. You don't want it too browned just very light in color. If the mixture is too clumpy add 1 teaspoon of oil. Whisk in cold chicken broth then allow your gravy to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. I added extra salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Finally, pour the gravy over your chicken wings and vegetables in the baking dish. Stir to coat.
• Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender(it should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit) and the gravy has thickened. Serve over rice with your favorite Southern side dishes. Enjoy!

Notes

How To Store/ Make Ahead

• Fridge. Chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
• Freeze. Allow chicken wings to cool, then portion them into freezer-safe bags or an airtight container. They can be kept in frozen for up to three months.
• Reheat from the fridge or the freezer in the oven covered until heated through. 

Tips and Tricks

• Chicken wings. Whole wings or split chicken wings. Chicken legs or turkey wings can be used instead. Make sure the chicken is dry and full thawed otherwise, it won’t brown as well.
• Broth. Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even beef broth can be used for a richer flavor. Water can be substituted but the gravy won’t be as flavorful. I used my homemade chicken broth, if using store-bought use low-sodium broth so your dish doesn’t turn out overly salty.
• Veggies. Add thinly sliced celery or mushrooms for a different flavor.
• Brown the meat before baking. This helps to render out some of the fat in the skin so you don’t end up with flabby chicken skin.
• Gravy. Use 1- 1 ½ cups of broth if you prefer a thicker gravy. ¼ cup of heavy cream will also thicken your gravy. Milk will make the gravy creamier but it won’t be as thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1110mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 569IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.