Description
A classic recipe for Chicken Marsala with double the mushrooms! An Italian-inspired dinner served over creamy polenta. A delicious weeknight dinner idea! Vegetarian Adaptable- see notes. 😉
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour (or sub GF flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 3/4 pounds chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, more as needed
- 1 lb mushrooms- cremini, portobello, shiitake, button – sliced
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or sub 1/2 a red onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or use both)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
- Flat-leaf parsley for garnishing
Serve over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower or roasted spaghetti Squash!
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl (or place in a large zip lock bag).
- Cut the chicken in half widthwise, so each piece is no thicker than 1/2 inch thick. You can also pound the chicken down to under 1/2 thick, then cut in half. (see photo)
- Heat oil and butter in an extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Cast-iron works great here. Dredge each piece of chicken, shaking off excess, and carefully place in the hot skillet, searing each side until beautifully golden, 3 minutes on each side. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken through, just focus on getting a nice golden crust. Set aside on a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute 5-6 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, oregano, thyme and season with a five-finger pinch of salt and pepper. Keep sauteing until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown slightly.
- Add the chicken broth, Marsala wine and heavy cream, scraping up any browned bit. Simmer gently uncovered for 12-15 minutes, over med or medium-low heat, letting it thicken and reduce, deepen in color. It won’t be thick sauce- just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste- about another 5-finger pinch of each. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. For extra richness, add more cream, or for a looser sauce, add more broth.
- Nestle in the chicken to the Marsala sauce and simmer another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Sprinkle with flat-leave parsley and serve over a bowl of creamy polenta.
Notes
The key ingredient in Marsala Chicken is Marsala Wine. While there two kinds -sweet Marsala and dry Marsala, either can be used. I personally prefer the taste of dry Marsala, which keep in mind, is still sweet, just a little less sweet. If sweet Marsala is what you have, just use it. Sweet Marsala works fine too. Regular red wine, will not work the same here.
VEGETARIAN OPTION: In our catering business, for vegetarians, we would substitute tofu “filets” dredged in the flour mixture, pan-seared the same way. Instead of chicken broth substitute veggie broth. A decadent vegetarian dinner!
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