Southern Fried Chicken Breasts with Cremini Sweet Onion Gravy- boneless chicken breasts are fried in a cast iron skillet and served with a flavorful onion and mushroom gravy.
Southern Fried Chicken Breasts with Cremini Sweet Onion Gravy is one of my very favorite meals from one of my very favorite cookbooks, Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes From Asheville’s New South Kitchen. There are so many fabulous recipes in this cookbook including Shrimp and Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Pickled Green Tomato Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, plus the best Tomato Pie ever.
These Fried Chicken Breasts with Cremini Sweet Onion Gravy are perfect for a Sunday supper. The gravy has a fabulously rich and complex flavor.
The earthy flavor of the cremini mushrooms together with sweet onion is such a wonderful combination.
Homemade Demi-Glace
The base of the gravy and what makes it so delicious is a homemade demi-glace.
It sounds fancy and intimidating, but it is really easy to make and can be made in advance and refrigerated. The demi-glace is made from celery, onion, and carrots which are caramelized to bring out their flavor and then cooked with red wine, beef broth, and tomato paste.
Going to the trouble to make the demi-glace gives the gravy so much flavor.
It tastes incredible on chicken-fried steak too.
Marinate The Chicken
The chicken gets marinated in buttermilk overnight. This helps keep the chicken wonderfully tender and moist.
Recipe Tips
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts.
- I like to fry chicken in a cast iron pan for best results. Cast iron retains heat really well and keeps the oil at and even temperature.
How To Serve
Serve Southern Fried Chicken Breasts with Cremini Sweet Onion Gravy over mashed potatoes with a side of peas or Southern-Style Green Beans for an out of this world southern meal.
More Ways To Cook Chicken
- Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
- Chicken in Jack Daniels Cream Sauce
- Chicken Cobbler
- Company Chicken
- Southern Baked Chicken
- Creamed Chicken and Biscuits
Southern Fried Chicken Breasts with Cremini Sweet Onion Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cremini Gravy
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups demi-glace,, see below
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Demi-Glace
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk in the refrigerator overnight.
- Make the demi-glace. Heat the olive-oil in a heavy saucepan. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
- Add red wine and cook until reduced by half.
- Add beef broth and tomato paste and stir well. Decrease heat to medium and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. Mixture should be reduced by 1/4. (Can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated.)
- To make gravy, cook mushrooms and onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy saucepan until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add demi-glace and salt and simmer for about 20 minutes. Season with pepper and keep warm.
- To fry chicken, heat canola oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat to 325 degrees.
- In a pie plate, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
- Drain the chicken and dredge in flour mixture. Fry in oil for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe slightly adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville’s New South Kitchen
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Ohh wow, this chicken looks PERFECT! And that mushroom gravy sounds delish. You can’t go wrong with good Southern home cookin! 🙂
This looks like the kind of meal I would want a cozy winter night – rich and comforting.
This is AMAZING! I just love chicken with pan sauces!
This looks so good! Like the ultimate comfort meal.
This looks like the perfect comfort food, Christin! I can never resist anything with mushrooms and fried chicken. Love that gravy, too!
This looks so good, it makes me hungry. I love chicken in every form and the mash underneath and the peas make everything even more appetizing.
I like Tupelo Honey Café, but this looks better than anything I’ve ever been served there – yum!
Ah, thank you Mary 🙂
That cremini gravy looks incredible and savory! Lovely meal 🙂
This meal just screams comfort food, and that gravy sounds like the best thing ever!
They opened a tupelo honey cafe only like 20 minutes from me months back and I keep meaning to go! This meal looks so comforting and cozy!