Save this One-Pan Chicken and Gravy for nights when you’re really pressed for time but want something hearty and cosy! A mixture of stock and flour gets poured into a pan with country seasoned chicken, potatoes and vegetables which magical turns into a rich gravy in the oven. How good is that!?
Unorthodox method – but it works!
This baked chicken dinner is made entirely in one pan – including the gravy, rather than making it separately in a saucepan like you usually would! It uses my “self-saucing” baked gravy method, where flour and stock are poured into a pan with vegetables and seasoned chicken. As everything bakes, the flour thickens the stock into gravy while all those lovely chicken juices drip in, making it beautifully rich and savoury.
I know it’s an unorthodox method, but it works AND tastes great! Just see the reader feedback on my Baked Sausage and Gravy and Baked Chicken and Gravy which use the same method. This isn’t one of those convenience hacks that sacrifices flavour. And actually, when you think about it, this is really just a variation of a baked stew, where the sauce becomes a rich gravy. 🙂
Today’s version has chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas and onion with the beautiful rich gravy. It will take you just over 10 minutes to get in the oven, then out comes a complete dinner.
Can all chicken dinners be this easy please? 🙂
Ingredients in One-Pan Chicken and Gravy with Potatoes and Vegetables
Here’s what you need to make this.
1. For the country seasoned chicken
The chicken is coated in a country inspired seasoning using staple spices I always, always have.
Bone-in Chicken Thighs – This recipe has been designed to use bone-in chicken thighs that stay beautifully juicy inside and get a lovely browning on the skin for the bake time required for the gravy to thicken and the vegetables to cook through.
Use 1 – 1.25 kg / 2 – 2.5lb of chicken, whether that’s 4 large or 5 to 6 smaller ones.
Other chicken cuts – Drumsticks will work nicely here, I’d increase the seasoning slightly as there’s more surface area. Chicken Marylands (leg quarters) would also be terrific! Bake them for 50 minutes to cook through – if the gravy is a little thicker than ideal, see recipe card notes for how to adjust thickness.
For boneless thighs, it will work but the chicken won’t colour in the same way as skin-on chicken does. But if you really want to use them, add them in partway through the bake time else they’ll over cook, and finish with a quick blast under the oven grill/broiler to brown the chicken a bit – I’ve included directions in the recipe card. I don’t recommend breast for this recipe as the tastiness of the gravy relies on the juices from the chicken, and breast doesn’t release much as it’s so lean.
Spices – My never-fail combination of paprika, garlic, onion and thyme! I call it a Country Seasoning. 🙂
Olive oil – To make the spices stick and help with browning.
2. Potato and vegetables
Here’s what I use for the vegetables. I chose them because they hold up for the whole baking time so you can put everything in at the beginning (except peas which are simply stirred in at the end and warmed using residual heat) and they don’t release liquid which will mess with the thickness of the gravy. Feel free to substitute with other vegetables, bearing in mind these factors. To be honest, other than root vegetables like celeriac I can’t think of others.
3. the magic self-saucing gravy!
And here’s what you need for the gravy! Just whisk everything together, pour in the pan, pop in the oven, and it will thicken like magic!
Beef stock / broth – Yes beef, not chicken! It has more flavour and gives the gravy more colour, though I’ve noticed that these days the beef stock I buy doesn’t have the same colour it used to have so I sometimes have to do a colour boost with soy sauce (next point).
Dark soy sauce – A little trick I use to add colour and flavour to simple gravies, very helpful when you’re making a gravy without the benefit of drippings from a roast. The gravy is quite pale without it, but just 1 teaspoon of dark soy totally transforms it into a rich brown colour. It does not taste Asian-y!! I promise, no one can even taste soy sauce in it at all. 🙂 But it’s optional. (Note: regular soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce will not darken the colour of the gravy).
Flour – Just plain flour / all-purpose flour. This is what thickens the gravy.
Pepper – I like to use a nice amount of pepper for the gravy, feel free to cut back if you want.
No salt – There is enough salt between the stock and what washes off the vegetables.
How to make One-Pan Chicken and Gravy with Potatoes and Vegetables
Try to minimise touching the chicken skin once you sprinkle the seasoning on, so it coats it evenly rather than having some smeared bald batches. 🙂
Toss vegetables – Put the vegetables, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Then pour that in a roasting pan – mine is 35 x 26cm/13.8 x 10.2″. (You could just do this tossing in the pan, but the vegetables get coated more evenly in a bowl, and we re-use that bowl for the chicken and gravy anyway so we aren’t creating avoidable washing up!)
If your pan is larger then the gravy will probably end up thicker as it will reduce more, easily adjusted just by mixing in a little hot water. If yours is much smaller the gravy might be a little thinner when it’s hot out of the oven but don’t worry, it thickens quite quickly as it cools.
Coat chicken – Put the chicken in the same bowl and drizzle with oil, coating both sides. Then I kind of use the chicken to wipe the bowl clean of residual oil from the vegetables. Then sprinkle the chicken with the Seasoning – use some on the flesh side but most on the skin. Spread as needed to get it over all the skin but try to avoid touching it too much as you’ll rub the seasoning off.
Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Tuck the flappy skin under the sides and bundle the chicken up.
Gravy – In the same bowl, whisk the flour with about 1/2 cup of the beef stock until lump free. Then add the remaining stock and gravy ingredients and whisk.
Don’t try to whisk the flour with all the liquid in one go – you’ll end up with a gazillion pesky little flour lumps!🤯
Pour the gravy into the pan, down the side – don’t pour it over the chicken and wash off all the tasty seasoning!
Bake 45 minutes – Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil (about 1/2 teaspoon per chicken) then bake for 45 minutes at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced) until the chicken is nicely browned on the tops and the gravy is bubbling.
No stirring, no turning required – unless you have a patchy oven and you want to rotate the pan partway through for evening browning of the chicken.
Peas and stir gravy – Remove the chicken onto a plate. Add the thawed peas into the pan then stir using a rubber spatula, being sure to get right into the corners of the pan where the gravy will be thicker. Mix to make the liquid comes together into a smooth gravy.
Note: Frozen peas are already cooked, so they just need to be warmed through. When this is fresh out of the oven, there is plenty of heat in the pan to warm them through.
And that’s it, dinner is served! You’ve got tasty seasoned roast chicken pieces, potatoes, carrots, onions and peas all smothered in a beautiful rich gravy that you’ve just made entirely in one pan. How good is that??!
Shout out to Jane* on Instagram, who planted the seed for this recipe when she commented on my vegetable-absent Baked Chicken and Gravy asking, “Do you think I could add vegetables to this?”
To which I responded, “Yes! Great idea!” then proceeded to bombard her with a stream of thoughts and instructions as the recipe started taking shape in my head, right then and there.
Poor Jane. I don’t think she was expecting quite such a barrage in response to one simple question. And she’s probably going to be even more surprised to see that I’ve turned it into an actual recipe AND I’m writing about her here. 🤣
But isn’t it wonderful that this recipe exists all because of one innocent little question she asked? 🙂 – Nagi x
* Changed name for privacy. I get that not everybody wants to put their life online!
Watch how to make it
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One-Pan Chicken and Gravy with Potatoes and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.25kg (2 – 2.5lb) large bone-in skin-on thighs (4 – 5 pieces) , ~220-250g / 7 – 8 oz each (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Chicken seasoning:
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika , regular/sweet
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder , or more garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme , crushed with fingers
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, double for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Potato and vegetables:
- 600g/ 20oz baby potatoes , skin on, cut into 1.75 cm / 0.7" pieces (Note 2)
- 3 carrots , peeled, cut into 7mm / 1/3" thick coins (consider halving very big rounds into half moons)
- 1 large red onion , cut into 1cm / 0.4″ thick wedges
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed with garlic crusher or finely minced with a knife
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, double for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Gravy:
- 1/3 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock/broth , low sodium (yes, beef, not chicken! Note 3)
- 1 tsp dark soy *secret ingredient* , optional, to make gravy rich brown plus deepens flavour, or use gravy browner (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional:
- 1 cup frozen peas , leave out to thaw while chicken is baking
- 1 tsp thyme leaves , for sprinkling (100% optional)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Toss Potato & Veg ingredients in bowl, pour into pan. Coat chicken with olive oil then sprinkle with Seasoning. Place on Veg. Whisk flour with bit of stock, then whisk in everything else and rest of stock. Pour in pan, drizzle chicken with oil, bake 45 min at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Remove chicken, stir in peas, serve!
FULL RECIPE:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Potato & veg – Toss the Potato and Vegetable ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a roasting pan (mine is 35 x 26cm/13.8 x 10.2").
- Season chicken – Put the chicken in the same bowl , drizzle with the oil and turn to coat. Mix the Seasoning in a bowl then sprinkle evenly on the chicken, using most on the skin side.
- Place on top of the vegetables, bundling the chicken into neat parcels by tucking the flapping bits under.
- Gravy – Put the flour in the same bowl then add about 1/2 cup of the stock. Whisk until lump free, then whisk in the rest of the stock and remaining Gravy ingredients. Pour into the pan down the edge (don't pour over chicken or veg).
- Bake 45 minutes – Drizzle the chicken with a little bit of olive oil then bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and potatoes are soft.
- Stir in peas – Remove the chicken onto a plate. Add the thawed peas then use a rubber spatula to stir the gravy and vegetables – this will make the liquid come together into a lovely thick gravy. (See Note 5 if gravy is too thick or thin).
- Serve! – Divide vegetables and gravy between bowls, top with chicken and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Jaffle
Jaffle and his best mate Charlie, on a play-date! Inside:
Outside:
In Jaffle’s bedroom (yes, he still sleeps in the shower):
At work:
And later that evening after Charlie’s left for the day:
Ahhh bliss! Got to pour myself a RED wine and relax on my WHITE sofa for the first time since Jaffle arrived!!! 🤣
Congratulations on your stint at the New York Times! I hope you bring the same wonderful sensibility to that publication as you bring to everything else.
Thank you so much Cathy!! It’s such an honour and I’m very excited to be part of it:) – N x
My oven only allows for 25• F intervals. Is it best to bake at 375• for longer, or 400• for shorter time? Thanks in advance.
I’d go 375 and go for a little longer, the chicken will brown more evenly 🙂
Would you folks have a recipe for lobster cream sauce?
I haven’t published it but I do have one but it’s made using fresh raw lobsters, is that what you’re thinking? 🙂
This looks delicious and I’m going to try it tonight.
My thoughts immediately turned to leftovers and wondered if I could make them into a small pie. Your thoughts, Nagi?
I immediately thought to double the recipe, cut up half the chicken when cooked and cooled, and make a pot pie with this easy-peasy filling. You could make smaller ones in ramekins, etc. But pot pie does freeze well in wedges and reheats well in a bit of butter in a saucepan.
Yes! What a terrific idea Eva! – N x
This looks so appetizing! Can I use potato/corn starch to keep it glutenfree?
Hi Maria, I haven’t tried but I think you can – use about 1/3 less than the recipe states for flour 🙂 – N x
The recipe looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. I am wondering however as I have gluten-free members in my family can I use cornstarch instead of flour and if so how much?
I am wondering about making this gluten free as well, and hoping that the usual ratio of cornstarch/flour:regular flour of 1:2 will work? And there is NOTHING cuter than a happy, relaxed, playful young golden like Jaffle and his friend. Thanks for sharing recipe and golden heart-warmers!
HI Mike and Lynne! I’ve had a few people ask the same so I think I’ll test it myself to double check, but I would just use cornflour instead of flour but use about 1/3 less. Let me come back and confirm! – N x
Looks amazing!
Any suggestions on adjustments to the recipe if the only chicken my partner will eat is boneless, skinless breast?
Hi Shayna! I’ve popped directions on the recipe card, Note 1 🙂 – N x
This is a perfect quick meal for us as it satisfies our quite different tastes.
Jaffle reminds me of my kids at the end of a play date 🐾
He he yes, he really is like a naughty little kid 😆
Thank you for an easy recipe I can share with meat-eating friends who are expanding their cooking repertoire.
Two questions: “Bake 45 minutes – Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil (about 1/2 teaspoon per chicken) ”
Did you mean ½ teaspoon olive oil per chicken thigh?
“Optional:
…
▢1 tsp thyme leaves , for sprinkling (100% optional)”
Are these leaves of fresh thyme? Minced fresh leaves? Dried thyme leaves?
Thank you for clarification.
Just drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle on whatever thyme you have, don’t overthink it
Hi Emily! Yes it’s 1/2 tsp olive oil per chicken thigh, and yes fresh thyme leaves! Not minced 🙂 If minced, I’d write that instruction. Hope that helps! – N x
So many posts that “it looks good”. Wished the positive reviews would stick to actually being people who tried the recipes Nagi shares and what the results were and suggestions.
RIGHT?!?!!
Agree – don’t put stars if you haven’t tried the recipe. Isn’t this common sense?
We all feel as though we’re a big community family and post our thoughts etc (whether we’ve made this dish already or planning on making it). It’s a conversation we all get involved in. You just need to scroll through as there are various posts that have made it and add their ideas etc. we simply enjoy being a part of Nagi and co’s family 😊 and contributing where we feel we’d like to. I hope enjoy that side of it as well 😊
Hi Julianne! We are working on a function where we can filter reviews to show those where people have actually made it 🙂 I think it will be useful! – N x
Nagi, I love this recipe. Anything that goes in the oven and comes out dinner is perfect. There’s a product called Parisian Essence which is hard to find but it’s possible, which does the job of darkening gravy, fruit cakes etc. There’s also a recipe for making it – caramelised sugar with water added.
Haven’t seen Parisian Essence since I was a kid – and that was a long time ago! My parents used it all the time to colour gravy before Australia had even heard of soy sauce.
They were the (g)olden days. Parisien Essence made the Christmas cake dark and delicious too.
Thanks for the tip Karmel! I’ll have to keep an eye out for it! – N x
I would like to try this in the slow cooker, do you have an idea of timings please Nagi? x
Hi Marie, unfortunately this won’t work work in the slow cooker, I’d have to alter the recipe. Sorry! – N x
LOVE the pics of your sweet boy all tuckered-out.
LOVE the idea of One-Pan-Wonders and I feel like I’ve been dancing around the edges of a chicken dish like this for AGES, and it makes me so happy to see it already worked-out and successful. This will definitely go into my rotation.
What’s your thoughts on doing it with a WHOLE chicken, just cut in half? I’ve been covering it with foil, then removing it for later cook, but I end up burning my veg because of how long the chicken needs.
Mad Hugs, N, to you and yer ma and lovelies.
Ha ha, that boy plays HARD and crashes even harder!! 😂 I think a halved whole chicken would work, but it will take longer to cook, as you’ve found. I’d cut the vegetables larger so they can handle the extra cooking time, and cover with foil if they’re browning too much. Sending big hugs right back to you! – N x
Haha the famous face pulling trick Tommy grabs Pachis cheek and vice versa and I know the mud experience well 🧡💛🐾 enjoy your wine 🍷 & white lounge
Ha ha, so it’s not just Jaffle and Charlie!! 😂 The face grabbing, the mud, the absolute chaos. And then they look so innocent afterwards! That wine was definitely earned. 😂 – N x
Would this work in slow cooker?
Hi Heidi, unfortunately this won’t work work in the slow cooker, I’d have to alter the recipe. Sorry! – N x
Would parsnips work too if cut same size as potatoes
Yes! They would be wonderful!
Aloha I usually rub dark soy into the skin before I roast. Would this work please.
Love Waffle my cat Ra sleeps in the bathroom too. Sink bath doesn’t matter 🤣
I’d still use the seasoning as well Jules 🙂 Ha ha, what is it with pets and sleeping in the bathroom! With all that effort we go to, making them lovely comfrotable beds!!
Nagi what an amazing idea, my mouth is watering at the thought of it. I definitely need to try this.
Thank you Pauline! Sooner than later please! We need your feedback 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try it. Just letting you know you listed Soy Sauce in recipe notes twice and the overall numbering is a bit off 😊
Fixed! Thank you RJ!
Will it work with if I take the skin off off the thigh before cooking or will it be too dry?
Hi Nic, I would recommend keeping the skin on for this recipe. It helps protect the chicken and keeps it juicy. Without the skin, the bone-in thighs may dry out a little and you’ll also lose some of the lovely flavour that the chicken skin juices and fat add to the gravy. If you prefer skinless chicken, I’d suggest using boneless thighs and following the adjusted cooking times in the recipe notes. Thank you!