Recipe Note: The only salt used in this recipe is for lightly seasoning the chicken breasts. Avoid adding extra salt while making the gravy, as there’s enough salt from the seasoned chicken, chicken base, and chicken stock. Taste the gravy at the end to determine if it needs additional seasoning.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.

Lightly season the chicken breasts with kosher salt and black pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the chicken breasts for about 5 minutes per side, until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the butter and chicken base to the pan, stirring to help it melt.

Sprinkle in the flour-onion powder-garlic powder mixture and stir it well to form a roux. Allow it to cook, stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Gradually pour in the chicken stock, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens to your desired consistency.

If using, pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine.

Shred the chicken if desired, then add it back to the gravy along with any collected juices. Let it simmer together for a few minutes.

Taste the gravy to see if any additional seasoning is needed.

Serve the chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes or rice.