Chicken Salisbury Steaks with Gravy

Why didn't I think of this before?! And why does ground beef have all the Salisbury fun? I took ground chicken, seasoned it beyond good, made "patties", seared them until golden, and then bathed them in a satiny gravy of onion, garlic and herbs. All pantry-staple stuff my friends. Dinner just got real. And real good.

I'm seriously amazed that I haven't tried this before! Here's the truth: my store was out of ground beef. Actually, they were out of MOST things (pandemic-times), but they had ground chicken. And it was a fresh shipment, not some some year-old crap they pulled from the freezer (I asked). So I grabbed a package and decided I would "figure dinner out later". Once I got home, and was staring at the package, I thought, "My boys love Salisbury steak; and they need comfort food right now (maybe they do, but I KNOW I do), so why not chicken?'

Let me tell you this: I'm really glad my store was sold out of ground beef that day. Yes, these "steaks" would be equally fabulous with beef, but this was a new thing for me/us. So I cooked outside the box... and the result was incredible.

And I think it's because I paid extra attention to seasoning. Chicken is, as we all know, much leaner than ground beef. That means I had to add flavor AND moisture to make sure the chicken didn't dry out. I chose the ideal ratio of bread crumbs to egg, and then added dried herbs for flavor. Plus, these chicken steaks are braised in a succulent gravy, so they stayed moist. Like all day long.

I hope you try this; I was seriously amazed and my mouth is watering while writing this. As delicious as the chicken was, you can also use ground turkey or beef. Just make it happen and you'll understand my obsession.

Chicken Salisbury Steaks with Gravy

1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon onion powder, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil or parsley
2 tablespoons minced oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
Chopped fresh parsley for serving

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 teaspoon of the onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into 4 oval patties, each about 1-inch thick.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken patties and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the patties to a plate and return the pan to medium heat.
Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly, whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the broth, remaining onion powder, remaining garlic powder, and dried basil or parsley. Add the sun dried tomatoes and return to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken patties to the pan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until cooked through.
Top with parsley and serve.
Serves 4