20 Minute Chicken Marsala

I'm a firm believer that we can never have too many chicken recipes, and this super flavorful chicken and unctuous marsala sauce is so absolutely wonderful. The fact that it comes together in 20 minutes makes it a weeknight winner, which moves it up to the top of my list as far as chicken dishes go.

MORE SPEEDY & DELICIOUS CHICKEN RECIPES:
Pepper Jelly Stir Fry
Orange Marmalade chicken
Lemon Chicken. with Apricot, Mint & Pistachio
​Crunchiest Cornflake Chicken
​Maple Bacon Chicken Sandwich

The secret to the intensely mushroomy mushrooms is dry roasting them in a pan for just a few minutes until they release their liquid, reduce in size and become their very best mushroom selves.

I USE BROWN RICE FLOUR AS MY GLUTEN FREE THICKENING AGENT, BUT YOU CAN USE REGULAR FLOUR IF YOU LIKE

I quickly sauté thinly sliced chicken breast in olive oil, then add shallots,  garlic, the magic of Marsala wine and let the whole mixture reduce slightly and meld together. 

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily that has a slightly fruity flavor.  It's used in making zabaglione, which is a fabulous Italian custard perfect over berries.  The slight essence of Marsala in the custard really sets it apart.  Marsala has a distinct flavor that is perfectly paired with chicken in this dish.

DRY ROASTING BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF THESE MUSHROOMS

If you don't  want to use Marsala, or can't locate it (I did have to check out a couple grocery stores before I actually located it at my local WalMart), you can substitute red wine.  The flavor will be different than that iconic Marsala flavor, but still delicious. 

You can also leave the wine out entirely if you want and just double up on the chicken or vegetable stock. This creates an entirely different dish yet still wonderfully flavorful.

Traditional chicken marsala is typically made with cream. I leave the cream out so that this is dairy free except for the addition of a small pat of butter at the end. You can also leave the butter out if you want, but it really helps in making a silky smooth sauce.

Chicken marsala is delicious over mashed potatoes, noodles, or in this instance I am using zucchini noodles to be a little bit more carb conscious.
No matter how you serve it, it's a spectacular dish.

You'll Need:

Good knives

cutting board

skillet

Measuring pitcher

20 Minute Chicken Marsala


2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced on the diagonal into bite sized bits
1 pint mushrooms, such as baby portobello, woody stems removed and sliced
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup Marsala wine (you can use red wine if you don't have Marsala)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown rice flour (or regular flour if you're not going gluten free)
1/2 teaspoonchili flake (I like to use Aleppo chili flake)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
Small handful chopped fresh parsley


In a medium skillet over medium low heat, add the mushrooms and let them dry roast in the pan for about 5 minutes until they release their juices and condense by about half.


Remove the mushrooms from the pan and reserve.


Add olive oil to the same skillet, turn the heat up to medium high and add the chicken. 
​Season with the salt, pepper and chili flake if using and stir until the chicken is golden and nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Add the shallot and garlic, then add the brown rice flour or regular flour,  sprinkling over the chicken.  Stir until the flour is evenly distributed and let cook for 1 minute.  


Add in the chicken stock and Marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan.  This is known as deglazing.
Add the mushrooms back in.
Add the butter and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid thickens to a gravy like consistency.


Stir in parsley and serve.


This is perfect over mashed potatoes or noodles, but I served mine over zucchini noodles to lend a more carb conscious vibe to the meal.  That also gives you another serving of vegetables.  Serve this super flavorful Chicken Marsala however you please.