By: Chef Laura Bonicelli
My Chicken Marsala is a lighter version of the classic cutting calories, not flavor. I love a quick skillet dish! Buy your ingredients at your favorite Farmers Market!
About Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala originated in Western Sicily, where they make marsala wine. Typically, flour-coated boneless chicken, browned, and served in a wine reduction sauce with mushrooms. This recipe is much the same thing, but I reduced the amount of butter to lighten things up a bit. This recipe is a part of the cooking club’s 28-day reset in January.
Now I make the case over and over again only to buy organic chickens. There’s a whole class on chickens in the cooking club. But to sum it up, in America, the “organic” classification is the only way you can be sure that the chicken you’re eating is chemical-free and raised properly. All of the other categories, “cage-free,” “hormone-free,” “natural,” etc. don’t cover it. For a dish like Chicken Marsala, or any chicken dish, it’s worth the extra money. If you don’t care about all of that, buy organic because they taste better!
Pounding the chicken out ensures even cooking. Remember, Chicken Marsala is a quick-skillet dish, so this is important. You need to be careful with this process, mainly if you’re using tenders – because it’s easy to pulverize the meat. The flour dredge adds a bit of crispness to the surface and aids with the browning. The little bit of flour also helps to thicken the sauce.
You want to caramelize the mushrooms, cook them just the way you like them done; they won’t cook more in the sauce. The thyme adds a distinctive flavor; fresh is best. But, if you can’t get fresh thyme, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme instead. Adding the garlic and shallot into the mushrooms keeps the garlic from getting acrid.
Finally, the marsala wine makes Chicken Marsala a signature dish. It’s not an expensive wine, and you can keep it for up to 3 months in your fridge after you open the bottle.
If you want more recipes Join The Club!!! Looking for something to go with Chicken Marsala? Try these:
Step by Step Instructions
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders -- or breasts cut breasts in half lengthwise; cut halves crosswise to form medallions
- 3 tablespoons flour
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- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt -- separated
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- separated
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- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups sliced fresh white or crimini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic -- minced
- 1 medium shallot -- minced
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- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
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- 1/4 chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
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- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Instructions
- Place the tenders or breasts flat in a ziplock bag. Do not seal the bag. Pound lightly with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness. (This will help the chicken cook evenly.)
- Add the flour to the bag and shake until the chicken is completely coated.
- Heat the oil with the butter over medium-high in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.
- Add the chicken to the pan; sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper. Brown the chicken for 3 minutes, turn, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Cook for three more minutes; remove the chicken to a plate.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in the pan and add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook, frequently stirring, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and shallot to the pan. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the stock and wine to the pan and simmer, uncovered, until liquid reduces by half, 6-8 minutes. While simmering, mix the remaining chicken stock with the cornstarch; stir it into the simmering liquid after it has been reduced.. Simmer 1 more minute to thicken.
- Add the chicken back into the pan; simmer until the chicken cooks through, 3-4 minutes.
- Serve with parsley sprinkled on top.
Notes
Chef Laura Bonicelli
Nutrition
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