Got 5 minutes for dinner? Make this incredible baked chicken recipe! Crispy oven roasted chicken thighs and drumsticks that makes its own gravy in the same baking pan.
It’s the chicken version of this Sausage Bake with Gravy, a long time reader favourite. Minutes to prep, zero maintenance to cook. 100% delish!
Gravy Baked chicken recipe – make its own gravy!
This is another one* of those super speedy recipes that came about at the end of a long cook day when I had to use up ingredients before the expiry date but had zero energy to expend. It’s a dump-and-bake recipe, but entirely made from scratch – no canned soup shortcuts around here!
Chicken is coated in a simple spice mix for flavour (plus it makes the chicken crispy!) then it’s baked IN a flour/beef stock liquid that magically thickens into a gravy by the time the chicken is cooked.
Just LOOK at the gravy perfection!! ↑↓↑↓
* Sausage Bake, and the Ultra Lazy Series (Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake, Chicken Rice Bake and speedy Corn Chowder) being to more such examples! Handy for busy midweek cooking. 🙂
What you need
Here’s what you need for this baked chicken. Very few ingredients, right?? Hard to believe it’s going to make something so delicious… but I promise it does! It’s all in the cooking logic. Read on!
How to make this baked chicken dinner
And here’s how it’s made:
The key to this recipe is how the “self saucing gravy” is made. You simply whisk together flour with beef stock/broth, then pour it around the chicken. As it bakes in the oven, 3 things happen:
The chicken flesh under the liquid stays moist and absorbs the stock flavour = tasty chicken flesh even without marinating;
The chicken leeches juices into the stock, adding even more flavour into what will end up as gravy; and
The flour in the broth makes it thicken into a gravy.
WARNING: When it comes out of the oven, you’ll be looking at a congealed mess in the pan instead of the silky gravy you see. Have faith! Just give it a good whisk and it comes together beautifully!
And here’s what you end up with – crispy chicken….
…. AND a gravy to douse everything on your plate!
And what did that take you to prepare? All of 5 minutes? If that!
Serve with anything your heart desires. Pictured at the top of the post with creamy mashed potato (possibly cauliflower – can’t remember if I was attempting low carb on that day) and a side of Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing.
And in the photo above, this crispy baked chicken is served with buttery Seasoned Rice (think Rice-a-roni, except homemade, excellent freezer standby) and steamed greens drizzled with the herb & garlic dressing from this Cucumber Salad.
But honestly? Chicken and gravy. It goes with anything (non Asian). You could even pull the meat off the bones, toss in the gravy then stuff it in bread rolls to make Chicken and Gravy Rolls. YES! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Gravy Baked Chicken (thighs & drumsticks) – 5 min prep!
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg/ 3 lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (all of one, or mix, Note 1)
- 2 tsp olive oil (or other oil)
Chicken seasoning:
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder (or garlic powder)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Gravy:
- 4 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose (Note 2 for GF)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock/broth (yes, beef, not chicken! Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Seasoning – mix in a small bowl.
- Season chicken – Place chicken in a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" baking pan. Drizzle with oil then rub all over Sprinkle & rub in the Seasoning, using most on the skin side.
- Arrange chicken skin side up in the pan.
- Gravy mixture – Whisk flour with about 1/2 cup of stock until lump free, then whisk in remaining stock and pepper (forgot in video!). Pour into the pan around the chicken.
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes, or until chicken is crispy and golden.
- Whisk gravy – Remove chicken onto a plate, then give the gravy a good whisk to make it smooth. Adjust Gravy thickness if required – Note 4. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve – Pour gravy into a jug. Serve alongside chicken!
Recipe Notes:
- Seasoned Rice (excellent freezer standby to serve with everything)
- steamed veg tossed with the Herb & Garlic dressing from this Cucumber Salad
- creamy mashed potato (or cauliflower for low carb)
- Rocket/Arugula salad with balsamic dressing (super speedy, no chop salad)
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
It would be kind of cute that he stands there for ages with his head pushed through the dog door….except it’s winter here, and ice cold air is blasting into the house through that considerably large hole…😖
What if I make this with boneless/skinless chicken thighs. How long should it be cooked in the oven and same temp (390)?
I tried this with boneless /skinless chicken thighs because that’s what I had on hand. I cooked them in the oven at 350ish and checked them at about 40 minutes. Ended up adding another 10 min or so. Just keep checking the chicken to ensure it’s cooked inside . It was delicious !
Hi Yadhira, I talk about this in the recipe notes, bone in and skin on is recommended for this recipe sorry! N x
Except you explain how to use chicken breast? I just assumed it would be the same – put the gravy in alone first, then add the thighs. Anyway, it’s what I have, so I’m going to give it a shot tonight.
I made this last night. Very easy to do and my husband loved it! The gravy was delicious… Better than any can, jar or envelope from the store!
I tried this recipe & it was GREAT! I put my own spin on it by using chicken broth. I was worried about the color so I added Lipton onion soup mix & worstershire sauce! I also put onion,green, yellow, and red bell pepper on top! Will def make again
Have to try this – it looks yummy! I’m curious tho…..why beef broth instead of chicken broth?
Read the recipe note 3😁 I make this recipe all the time and it’s totally worth it 😄
Oops! I ask this question as I only watched the video without reading the recipe. I printed the recipe off after watching but didn’t read it. I do look forward to trying it. Thanks!
This recipe is amazing. I will be making this again
This is a great recipe. Easy and so tasty. My husband isn’t a great fan of chicken, but he loved this😀
Hi Nagi + Dozer!! You and your partner in crime have another keeper with this recipe! I’m the kind of “chef in the works” who is able to burn water, so I questioned this being as easy at it was, but wow.. I’m shocked at the simplicity here!? The crispy chicken, the juiciness.. the gravy…. my fiancé even made the comment that this was the best gravy either of us have made!? I showed him your insta video for this, went to work the next day, and came home to find all of the ingredients ready to go. He also said this is the kind of recipe you take the time to comment on, and to thank you, and let you know we’re working our way through your recipe list, but this one will be a weekly go!! I think we might try one of your meatball recipes next and can’t wait!!! Hope you and Dozer are enjoying the beautiful summer weather! Seattle is cold at the moment! ☀️☔️❄️
Absolutely beautiful! The gravy is next level 🙂 I’ll definitely be making this again.
Could you just use gluten free flour instead of the cornstarch mix?
Hi Jennifer, gluten free flour is a mix of rice/corn and other flours. I imagine it would work the same way. N x
My whole family loved it! They went back for seconds of the gravy to pour over rice. So simple to make!
Fantastic! I made this with 4 chicken thighs and 1 cup of beef stock (I reduced the flour too) and it came out perfectly. Very easy and delicious. Thanks Nagi!
Hi wonderful recipe as usual. Amazing gravy. Roughly how many pieces per serve? You have 7 pieces that serves 5. Just trying to work out calories. Thank You
Hi, huge fan here! I was wondering if you could give a few more detail to splitting a whole chicken for this recipe. I would love to do trial run and then at Thanksgiving this year cook 2 for my family as we are not huge turkey lovers. Thank you
At first I was worried as it came looking not a lot like gravy but an oily separated sauce that had evaporated quite a lot. I did whisk up though and it thickened up and came together immediately. Services with garlic mash and broccolini and wow the gravy was like KFC but so much better and the chicken! The skin is insane and the flavour of the gravy are absorbed into the chicken while it cooks. What a winner!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Julie!! N x
Hi! Can I add carrots, celery or onion to the pan while cooking in the oven?
Nagi add miracle worker to your CV. For 30 odd years I have been listening to my husband tell me he only eats chicken breast and under no circumstances will he eat thighs. This is despite me patiently explaining about flavour to no avail. That is until I served up this recipe. He had plenty of prior warning and I sat in amazement as he not only devoured 3 thighs but ate the skin which is also a no, no. Leopards do change their spots after all with the right recipe.
I used chicken quarters. 50 minutes and it was amazing! Served with mashed potatoes…. MMMMmmmm
Perfect Cj! N x
would it be ok to freeze ?
I have made this so many times now. Every time it turns out perfect. I love that it’s all in one dish!
delicious! will definitely be on regular rotation as it was so easy! i made this with 1 lb of drumsticks, .5 cup of chicken stock and a little more than a tbsp of flour.
Perfect Claire! N x
Tried this today for the first time; I did read your notes but I did not have beef stock so went ahead with the chicken stock which still tasted fine. Made this with your Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes. Super Yummmmyyy. Thank you!