Easy Smothered Chicken With Bok Choy and Mushrooms
Golden, crispy chicken smothered in a savory gravy with baby bok choy and mushrooms. This easy bok choy chicken recipe is comforting, flavorful, and made in one pan. Looking for another easy chicken dinner? Try my Teriyaki Baked Chicken Legs next.
Crispy Smothered Chicken with Roasted Baby Bok Choy and Mushrooms
This crispy smothered chicken is cooked in a creamy, savory gravy and finished with tender baby bok choy and mushrooms for a comforting, one-skillet bok choy chicken recipe that’s both hearty and balanced.
The chicken is pan-seared until the skin is golden and crispy, then gently simmered in a rich gravy made right in the same skillet. The baby bok choy and mushrooms are added at the end and lightly steamed, keeping them tender without overcooking. Everything comes together in one pan, which makes this bok choy chicken recipe feel approachable for weeknights while still being special enough to serve for company
I f you’re looking for a comforting dinner that combines crispy chicken, creamy gravy, and fresh vegetables, this bok choy chicken recipe delivers big flavor without complicated steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements, easy instructions, and helpful tips.
How to Make Smothered Chicken and Bok Choy
- Season Chicken
Season chicken thighs, reserving a small amount of seasoning for the gravy. - Season the chicken thighs all over with the seasoning mixture, leaving 1 teaspoon reserved for the gravy.
- Cook Onion & Garlic
Sauté diced onion until soft, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. - Remove Aromatics
Remove onions and garlic from the skillet and set aside. - Sear Chicken
Sear chicken skin-side down until golden and crispy. - Make Gravy
Add butter, flour, milk, bouillon, and reserved seasoning. Stir until smooth. - Simmer Chicken
Return chicken, onions, and mushrooms to the skillet. Cover and simmer. - Add Bok Choy
Place bok choy on top, cover, and steam until tender. - Serve
Once bok choy is tender and gravy is creamy, serve hot.
This is a great dinner when you want something cozy but still put-together. It works well for weeknights, but it’s also nice enough to serve when you want a homemade meal that feels elevated without a lot of extra effort.
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements, step-by-step instructions, and tips to make this crispy smothered chicken come out perfect every time.
Smothered Chicken Bok Choy Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs with skin on
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp tsp garlic powder (see note)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp or two of garlic
- 1/2 tsp or two of onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Skillet & Gravy
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed
- 1 small ed onion diced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk (plus a splash more if needed to thin)
- 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
Vegetables
- 1 bunch baby bok choy, cleaned, dried, cut lengthwise then quartered
Instructions
- Mix garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tsp of this seasoning mix for the gravy.
- Season the chicken thighs all over with the seasoning mixture, leaving 1 teaspoon reserved for the gravy.
- Sauté onion + garlic: Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion 2 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove onion/garlic to a plate.
- Sear chicken: Add a little more oil if the skillet looks dry. Sear chicken skin-side down first until the skin is crispy and deep golden, then sear the other side. Remove chicken to a plate. Carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving about 1–2 Tbsp in the skillet.
- Make the gravy: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook 30–60 seconds. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Stir in Better Than Bouillon and the reserved 1 tsp seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer chicken + mushrooms: Add chicken back to the skillet, then add the cooked onion/garlic and mushrooms. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. (Check the gravy—if it thickens too fast, add a splash of milk.)
- Scrape and smooth: Remove chicken briefly. Scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and stir into the gravy. If gravy is too thick, thin with a splash of milk. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Steam bok choy (one-pot): Lay bok choy on top of the chicken (it’s okay if a little sinks). Turn heat to medium-high until it starts bubbling, then reduce to low, cover, and cook about 6 minutes, until bok choy is tender.
- Serve: Taste the gravy and adjust salt, pepper, or onion/garlic powder if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
Notes
- Seasoning amounts: If you like stronger flavor, use 1 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder instead of ½ tsp.
- Searing tip: Don’t move the chicken while it sears—let it sit so the skin crisps.
- Doneness: Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internal temp.
- Gravy too thick? Add milk a splash at a time until creamy.
Don’t forget to check out these other keto friendly meals, beef with broccoli with a twist, or maybe these steak rolls, beef asparagus rolls, cheeseburger salad
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I’ve never had smothered chicken. I have to tell my husband that this is us in a chicken dish because he’s Southern and I’m Asian. lol I love the fusion and can’t wait to try.
I never bought bok Choy because I don’t know how to add it in a recipe or how to cook it. What a great recipe April!
wow! this dish is pure heaven! I love how the book ahoy pops out . Always on the look out for good chicken recipe and can’t wait to try out this one!
I’m not a big fan of collard greens, but I am ALL ABOUT baby bok choy! I love that you use it in this chicken dish. And that chicken….loving the glorious colors and flavors in this dish
Thank you Karyl!!!
I love bok choy but I don’t see many recipes that feature this delicious veggie. Excited to try your crispy smothered chicken with roasted baby bok choy and mushrooms.
I love chicken too and we eat it often. This recipe is mouth-watering! Not sure I can find bok choy here in Italy but I’ll look out for it!
This smothered chicken looks super easy and delicious, i love the addition of bok choy as I rarely think of adding it to things!
Looks like you don’t even miss the flour because that chicken skin looks perfectly crisp and delicious. I’ve actually been craving some bok choy lately, so the timing of this is great. Can’t wait to make it next week!
Yup I didn’t miss it. Thank you Amanda! 🙂
Chicken is my favorite protein, it is just so versatile. Also love bok choy, so this recipe looks just like my thing. Flavorful and comforting!
Yes…bok choy is really so good. Sometimes I like to mix things up and do out of the box type recipes..especially fusion ones. Thank you so much Mari!
You can never go wring with chicken smothered in a rich creamy flavorful sauce! I love the combination of bok choy and mushrooms- I can’t wait to share this with my family.
Thank you so much!
Bok choy is a relatively new ingredient in our home. We all love it and eat it whenever we dine on Chinese food, but recently we’ve started buying it and preparing it at home. For the most part, the bok choy goes into a stir fry, but I can’t wait to try it with chicken and mushrooms! Looks amazingly delicious!!
Thank you so much Byron!
This looks super tasty! I love anything “smothered”. It just screams comfort food to me!
Thanks Kylee!
I want to eat everything pictured here!! This looks delicious! I will have to try it out. How dare you show me good food. lol
I have a fondness for book Choy so to tie this green in with chicken is a winner for me.
I WAS SOLD WHEN I SAW SMOTHERED, BUT THEN YOU WENT AND ADDED THE BOK CHOY AND I FELL IN LOVE. THIS SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE APRIL!
Thank you so much Danielle. It’s absolutely delicious with the bok choy!
You can never go wrong with a great chicken dinner. Always a hit with the whole family. Love the use of bok choy. A nice change from other veggies. My grandkids would love this next time they are over for dinner.
Thanks Gloria! Hope you can try it!