Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken and Okra

Slow Cooker Sunday!

It's Slow Cooker Sunday folks! On the menu today, we have my world famous, Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken and Okra.

O.K. it's not really world famous...but more like, family famous I would call it.

Okra, let me tell about Okra...it has a bad rap by folks who just don't know how to cook it!

No one, wants to eat a slimy mess of a vegetable, so my goal today is to show you how to cook it properly, as shown to me by my mother.

No slime, all flavor...that's our goal today!

To remove the slime from okra, you must fry the okra in hot oil with a little vinegar.

Yes...that's the big okra slim release secret!

It's takes about 25 minutes, and you can't skip this step.

 
Don't worry we will drain all the oil after cooking.

That's it, slime be gone!

Next, we brown the lightly floured chicken in olive oil.

About 3 minutes per side.

Transfer perfectly browned chicken to Crock-Pot Slow Cooker.

Top with slime free okra...lol

Top with sauteed veggies, broth, and tomato sauce.

Cook on high for 3 hours, remove lid and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes more to thicken the sauce.

All done, served over hot rice, garnished with green onions and fresh bell peppers.

 
It's time to eat, bring on the cornbread!

Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken and Okra

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken drummettes
3 cups okra, sliced
3 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 stalk celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons creole seasonings
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup flour
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Rinse okra and slice into 1/4 inch chunks, may use frozen sliced okra. In a large pan heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.

Add okra and cook for about 15 minutes to remove slime, stirring occasionally.

Add vinegar to pan and cook 10 minutes more.

Drain okra and oil to remove the grease, transfer okra to slow cooker.

Mix seasoning blend and set aside.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend, mix well.

Season flour with about 1 teaspoon of seasoning blend. Coat chicken in flour lightly, shaking off excess flour.

In a large pan, add about 3 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to slow cooker.

Add celery, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno to pan and saute for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more, add tomatoes, sauce, and broth and remaining seasonings to saute veggies and cook for about 3 minutes, scraping bits from bottom of pan. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Mix ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove slow cooker lid and cook 30 minutes uncovered to thicken sauce.

Serve over hot rice.

Enjoy!