Several of my friends tell me that Chicken Marsala is one of their favorite things to order at restaurants. Now is your opportunity to make this scrumptious dish yourself, only even better than what you ordered out! Why better? For several reasons, but one of them is it has a secret ingredient that will drive your taste buds to culinary madness.
Porcini mushrooms. These dried little mushrooms from Italy have a deliciously rich, earthy flavor that will add a new dimension of flavor to this classic dish. Though a little on the pricey side, you only need a little bit, so a small 2-4 oz package, for example, will stretch a long way. I purchased mine from FungusAmongUs.
Also, I like sauce. The more the better. While this isn’t a “saucy” dish, this recipe won’t leave your chicken dry.
The photograph shows a rice and orzo combination. Make whatever accompaniment you prefer – rice, rice and orzo, or egg noodles. All are good choices.
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each, lightly pounded to an even thickness
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 tbs neutral-flavored oil
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- ¾ lb fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
- 3 tbs finely chopped shallot
- 1½ tbs ground dried porcini mushrooms
- ¾ cup dry Marsala
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1½ cups uncooked white rice, cooked according to package instructions or 1 package egg noodles cooked according to package instructions
- Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a flat bowl and dredge the chicken in it, shaking off the excess flour.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breasts on both sides until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Place chicken breasts on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the juice released from the mushrooms evaporates, 7-8 minutes. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the porcini mushrooms and stir to combine. Add the marsala and stock and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan and gently coat the chicken with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot, with rice or noodles.
Tiffany says
Do you add the porcini mushrooms dried, or soak them first? Thanks….
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tiffany, there is no soaking involved. Simply grind the dried porcini mushrooms and add it to the sauce.
Pete says
Hi!
We often order this at 13 Coins. One of the cooks said they don’t use stock and cook the sweet marsala way down to rid the strong alcohol smell?? Ever heard of this? I have butchered our recipe at home many times… very disappointing…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Pete, sure, everyone has their own preference for how much wine they use in classic dishes like this one. I had some beef bourgignon in Seattle a few months ago that I think was made with all wine, no stock – it was delicious but a little strong for my taste. I prefer to add some broth and the same is true for the chicken marsala.
It’s purely personal preference.
Jackie says
Hi Kimberly
I like dark meat, can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jackie, yes absolutely. Happy cooking!
shirley says
can this be made with bone in chicken? prepare the sauce and pour it over the chicken and bake??
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shirley, yes, you can use bone-in chicken. Another option is to bake the chicken first and then to serve it with the sauce poured over.
mushroomscanada says
This is certainly a favourite dish of mine to order when I’m out! Thanks to this recipe, I think I’m ready to tackle it at home. Thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Shannon! Yes, tackle it! And let me know how it goes.
Garrett McKenna says
I love Chicken Marsala! The photo you included is possibly the best looking one I’ve ever seen. It’s only 10:05 am here in Italy, and you just made my mouth water! :-)
Kimberly says
Why thank you, Garrett! I’m flattered! (And jealous that you’re in Italy and I’m in what is currently a very cold and drizzly Pacific Northwest. But either way, I’m sure we’ll both agree that Chicken Marsala is THOROUGHLY enjoyable amidst ANY condition!)